Feedback that lands.
Aim it at the work, not the person. Then it’s something they can actually change.
Say it like this.
Fix it.
Read the first version. Flip the switch to see it aimed at the work.
Ten-second check.
Instead of this, try that.
Stay on the work.
“What am I missing?”
Breathe. Slow down. Lower your voice.
“What’s one thing we can try this week?”
The research behind this
Kluger & DeNisi, 1996. A review of 131 studies: feedback helped on average, but in about a third of cases it made performance worse, mostly when it pulled attention to the person instead of the task.
Hattie & Timperley, 2007. Feedback about the self, even praise, is the least useful kind. Feedback about the work, and about the next step, helps most.
Schillinger et al., 2003. In a diabetes clinic, doctors checked understanding in about 1 in 5 visits, and checking went with better results. That’s why we end by asking for the first step.
Much of this research comes from labs, classrooms and clinics, so its use at work is a reasonable extension, not a guarantee.