Giving and receiving feedback
Give and receive feedback professionally: specific, balanced, behaviour-focused feedback — and how to respond to criticism constructively.
In this lesson you will
- Give specific, actionable feedback (SBI)
- Balance positives and improvements honestly
- Receive feedback without becoming defensive
Learn
SBI model: Situation (In Tuesday’s client meeting…), Behaviour (you interrupted the client twice), Impact (they seemed frustrated and didn’t share their concerns). Then ask or suggest: How could we handle that next time?
Be specific and actionable: Good job is vague. Your summary slide made the decision easy for the board is useful. Focus on behaviour, not personality (you missed two deadlines, not you’re lazy).
Balanced, not sandwiched: the ‘praise–criticism–praise’ sandwich can hide the message. Be honest and clear, and include genuine positives where they exist.
Receiving feedback: listen, thank, clarify, reflect: Thanks — that’s useful. Could you give me an example? So what you’re saying is… I’ll work on… Avoid instant justification.
Examples
- In yesterday’s presentation, your data slides were very clear — the board understood the trend immediately.
- In the last two reports, the figures weren’t checked, which meant the client found errors.
- Thanks for pointing that out. Could you give me an example so I can fix it?
- What could I do differently next time?
Vocabulary
actionable
clear enough to act on
defensive
reacting as if under attack
constructive
helpful, aimed at improvement
impact
the effect of an action
reflect
think carefully about
Practice
Which is more actionable?
Speaking
Give SBI feedback in two situations (one positive, one improvement), then role-play receiving critical feedback calmly.
Writing
Write written feedback (150–180 words) on a colleague’s or classmate’s presentation, specific, balanced and actionable.
Lesson quiz
“You’re lazy” focuses on…
Review
Key points
- SBI: situation, behaviour, impact.
- Specific, actionable, behaviour-focused.
- Balanced and honest.
- Receive: listen, thank, clarify, reflect.
What you learned
- ✓ I give useful feedback.
- ✓ I focus on behaviour and impact.
- ✓ I receive criticism constructively.