- Constructive feedback is a bit tricky in today's work environment. Where people come from different backgrounds, they have their own communication styles and they really are focused on their own things. But it's important to give good, constructive feedback so that you can avoid potential problems in the future, increase and improve communication, and make sure that those in your presence feel heard, valued, and understood, including yourself. 

In this video, you're going to learn three practical ways to deliver constructive feedback the next time you want to share thoughts with a colleague or a co-worker, or anybody else at work, remembering that showing consistent concern and kindness for them also helps them receive your feedback and also lets them know that the feedback you're delivering is for their benefit, not just yours. 

So the first step is to start with a positive comment and tone when you're giving feedback. 

When giving feedback, it's important to establish a positive tone to create an environment where the person receiving the feedback is open to what you have to say. You could start by saying something like, "I really appreciate the effort you put into this project." And another super important tip here. After saying this phrase, do not say the word "but." Instead, use the word "and." And instead of signaling to them that the previous thing was not true, when you say "and," it lets them know that both the first thing you said and the second thing you said are both true at the same time. This is a super tip. 

Tip number two, be specific. Being vague is not very helpful at all to the other person, who really does want to improve. Instead, be specific about what you want to address. For example, you could say, "I noticed that the report was missing some key data points" rather than "the report wasn't very good." You could even provide a specific example to make it very, very clear to them. 

Tip number three. Offer suggestions to them. If you just say something very general to them and you're not offering a suggestion for how they can improve, it makes it harder for them to get better. Be very specific, but also make sure that you provide specific suggestions on exactly what they can do to improve. 

For example, you could say "in the future, it would be helpful to include graphs or charts to better illustrate the data." That makes great sense, doesn't it? Being specific in providing suggestions helps them see a path forward. 

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