“You did great” is terrible feedback. Here’s how to give effective criticism.

You just did a huge presentation in front of all your colleagues. You asked your coworkers how you did. They tell you, “You were great!”.

Awesome. So what can you improve on?

You have no idea because your coworkers insist you “did amazing.”

While supporting your friends is always a good thing, sometimes support looks like giving effective feedback. Being able to give constructive criticism and specific praise is key to being able to handle conflict and employee management in the future. If you want to be a leader one day, you must know how to give effective feedback. Here are three tips to remember when offering feedback in a professional setting.

Image Credit: Microsoft 365 via UnsplashGive facts, not opinions.

Avoid statements like “I felt like” or giving opinions on the content. Instead, give concrete information like “The section on modern art wasn’t clear. Make your transitions tighter, so we know when you’re pivoting to a new section.”

Or “I found it distracting when you kept pacing back and forth. Try slowing down next time.”

2. Points out wins.

Pointing out things they did well or that you think are unique and positive can help them understand what works and what doesn’t. Letting them know their intro was really attention-grabbing or that their section on data analytics was very engaging for such a hard topic are positive pieces of feedback that will cue them to what’s resonating with the audience and what they don’t need to spend energy overcorrecting.

3. Don’t be vague.

Saying things like “I really liked it” or “You were so great” while kind statements aren’t exactly helpful. They don’t tell the person what they did well or what they could work on. So if you say something like this, be sure to follow it up with concrete details.

“You did great” is terrible feedback. Here’s how to give effective criticism. was originally published in ILLUMINATION on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.