Use descriptive language when giving feedback

- Descriptive feedback is useful, memorable feedback, whether it's constructive or positive. Let me give you an example. When a colleague seems to be upset, doesn't it help when you know exactly what you've done or said to upset them? Descriptive feedback focuses on specific behaviors and outcomes. This level of specificity, minus any judgment, can help improve the other person's performance and their learning. So let's say the Brenda wants to give me constructive feedback on an email that I wrote. She might say... - Your organization of this email is just all over the place. - [Instructor] Or she could say... - A clearer preview, and a strong theme will help drive your point with this email. - By the way, being descriptive, not judgmental, is helpful for positive feedback as well. Whether the news is good or bad, we want people to focus feedback on behaviors and details. Let's listen to judgmental versus descriptive language in a positive feedback message. - Your training yesterday was great. I mean, really helpful. - Good news, but still evaluative. Or she could say... - In the training yesterday, you explained three ways the new system is different than the old one. That helped me focus on those key changes. And your metaphors, like the one about feeding a dog a pill, that clarified the concept for me.