Kind, Clear Feedback

Kind, Clear Feedback — Name a specific strength in a colleague’s proposal and explain its value.

A Proposal Before the Meeting

Your colleague Maya has shared a short proposal for a monthly customer newsletter. You like the idea, but the draft does not say who will write it or how success will be measured. You want to help Maya strengthen it before tomorrow’s planning meeting, without making your message sound dismissive. A useful response does two things: it identifies a real strength and suggests one change the writer can act on. Compare “This is vague” with “The audience is clearly defined. It might help to add one sentence explaining who will prepare each issue.” The second version keeps the focus on the proposal and gives the writer a practical next step.

Notice the Softening Moves

Useful phrases include a clear strength, It might help to…, Could you add…?, and I’d suggest…. Acknowledge a specific feature, then connect your suggestion to a benefit: “The audience is clearly defined. It might help to add a simple measure of success, so the team can evaluate the first few issues.”

Keep the Feedback Useful

In many English-speaking workplace settings, feedback is easier to receive when it refers to a concrete part of the work rather than making a judgement about the person. Softening phrases can help, but they should not hide the action you recommend. “It might help to name an owner for each issue” is both considerate and clear. These are useful tendencies, not rules that apply to every team or individual.

Shape the Suggestion

Write Maya a Helpful Reply

Write a short message to Maya about this proposal: “We could send a monthly newsletter to new customers with product tips.” The audience and purpose are clear, but the proposal does not say who will prepare each issue or how the team will judge whether the newsletter is working. Mention one genuine strength and suggest just one specific, actionable improvement.

Materiał przygotowany z pomocą AI.