Give feedback about specific work

“Be more professional” sounds like feedback but leaves the recipient guessing. Does it refer to an unfinished document, a missed handover or the tone of a message? Useful feedback makes the work visible enough to discuss. It gives the other person a fair chance to understand your observation and explain their perspective.

Choose a concrete moment

Prepare one recent example and check your facts. Separate what you directly observed from what someone else reported. If you did not see the event yourself, say so and avoid presenting an interpretation as established fact. Choose a setting where the person can respond without an audience.

For a fictional example, a project file might have arrived without the agreed version information. Explain which handover you mean and what was missing. Do not turn a single incomplete file into a sweeping claim that someone is always careless.

Describe the effect accurately

The Center for Creative Leadership’s Situation-Behavior-Impact approach separates the situation, observable behaviour and its impact. Its extension also asks about intent. These distinctions help keep a conversation grounded without pretending that you know why another person acted.

Explain the effect you can actually support. Perhaps the receiving colleague had to stop and identify the correct document. That is different from claiming that the entire project failed. If you felt uncertain or frustrated, identify that as your experience rather than a universal reaction.

Make room for another explanation

Ask what happened from the other person’s perspective. The process may have conflicting instructions, an inaccessible folder or an expectation that nobody stated. Listening does not require abandoning the original concern; it helps locate a useful change.

Use the same care for positive feedback. Describe the contribution that helped, rather than offering a vague compliment. A person can repeat a useful practice more easily when they know which part made a difference.

Agree the next observable action

Discuss what should happen at the next comparable moment. In the file example, that could mean a clearly agreed naming convention and one accessible handover location. Check who must make the change possible and whether additional support is needed.

Arrange a proportionate follow-up. The aim is to see whether the working agreement improved, not to collect evidence against a colleague. If the concern involves misconduct, discrimination or a formal performance process, use the organisation’s appropriate procedure rather than disguising it as an informal tip.

Sources: Center for Creative Leadership: Use Situation-Behavior-Impact to Understand Intent.