Fixable Toolkit: Give Better Feedback
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Mar 9, 2026 A practical toolkit for giving and getting workplace feedback. Short explanations of evaluative versus improvement-minded feedback. Clear rules for when to praise publicly and when to offer private, specific critique. Tips on surviving clumsy criticism and using the 5:1 ratio of positives to corrective comments. Advice on sequencing development before honest evaluation.
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Anne's Unhelpful Presentation Critique
- Anne recalls being told she was 'bad at giving presentations' with no specifics, which was unhelpful and demoralizing.
- She says the feedback had no follow-up or signs of what to improve, motivating her to master speaking.
Feedback Has Two Distinct Jobs
- Feedback splits into evaluative (grades) and improvement-oriented (helping someone get better), and improvement-oriented feedback changes lives.
- Frances uses end-of-term grades as evaluative and daily coaching as improvement-oriented to raise future performance.
Catch People Doing The Right Thing Publicly
- Give positive reinforcement publicly, with sincerity and specificity so others know what good looks like.
- Frances recommends naming the exact behaviors you want repeated and praising them in front of the team.