Positive Review Response Examples – Changing the Way We Give Feedback

Moving away from the typical performance review and moving toward positive review response examples that promote staff development is crucial for the growth of any business.

Unfortunately, when faced with the thought of providing feedback, the old method is front and center in both managers’ and employees’ minds. To move past that barrier, we will discuss a few positive review performance examples and explain the need for such communication. The standard annual performance review tends to break down rather than build our teams. More positivity is needed to move past the negativity.

Moving Towards Positive Review Response Examples

We must learn to provide feedback outside of the regular performance review process to foster a culture of feedback. Below are positive review response examples. You can use these examples to direct your team and yourself toward a continuous feedback culture.

Giving feedback to others, whether you’re a manager or a teammate, can be overwhelming—however, certain types of feedback work in different situations. Knowing what type to use and when will help you better support your team.

Categories of Employee Feedback

We frequently define feedback as either “good” or “negative.” Instead of using this verbiage, transitioning your thinking to reinforcing or redirecting will promote a supportive environment.

When we want someone to continue displaying favorable behavior, we provide them with reinforcing feedback. This kind of feedback allows us to verbally reinforce the benefits of their efforts.

On the other hand, if we merely provided someone with criticism, we would be urging them to cease doing something. Redirecting feedback instructs a person to stop doing something and begin doing something else.

Positive Review Response Examples: Reinforcement

Feedback with reinforcement can be offered at any time. The more times you give your direct reports constructive criticism, the better. Opportunities arise at any moment. You need to be mindful when they do. Consider the following positive review response examples:

• Something I really admire about you is…
• You handled _________ really well…
• You did a great job with _______. You should take that opportunity more often…
• You are a rockstar when it comes to…
• One thing I can always count on when it comes to you is…
• I can tell the difference when you…

Understanding Redirected Feedback

Although reinforcing feedback can be delivered at any time, getting permission before offering redirected feedback is best. Essentially, confirming that the recipient is prepared to hear what you have to say is crucial.

If they are not in the right headspace or unable to focus on what you have to say, the feedback will not hit its mark. Before you give them criticism, try to get a sense of how the person is feeling and whether or not they are aware of the topic you want to comment on. Below are a few examples of how to handle these situations.

• Is this a good time for some feedback?
• How do you think the project went?
• Can we meet to summarize the project?
• Can we talk about the barriers Project X had?

The above examples offer the team members a chance to state their feelings first rather than putting them on the defensive. Make sure to give them enough time to process their thoughts and be open-minded enough to pay attention to what they have to say. Instead of leaving them unprepared for the comments, it prepares them for a feedback session they can lead.

Conversely, you might find yourself in a more tense situation. It may be useful to remind or alert your team members that you’ll be offering insightful criticism. By admitting your anxiety, you demonstrate your desire to engage in productive discourse rather than criticize or make the other person feel awful.

Additionally, you might occasionally hear opinions on your team members from others. It can be challenging to provide third-party feedback because it typically includes hearsay and focuses on a specific individual’s experience. Though it might arise, you should have a strategy for discussing outside opinions.

Insightful Positive Review Response Examples

The examples mentioned above are meant to assist you in providing valuable feedback to other team members or direct reports. Remembering that giving someone feedback involves more than just the words you use to initiate the dialogue is critical. Other factors that go into providing feedback are listed below:

Pay attention to timing: Put yourself in the position of the feedback recipient. Think about whether they are prepared to receive your critique and whether you are prepared to provide it with an open mind. Strong feelings might make it difficult for someone to accept criticism, whether it’s constructive or redirected. Postpone giving feedback until a more impartial moment.

Be prepared: Consider the person you will speak with before providing comments. What is the goal of your criticism, and what do you hope will come of it? Do you think the individual should alter or continue their current behavior? What else do you believe they could do to bring about this result? Your employee feedback must contain enough details for someone to modify or continue their current behavior.

Give Specific Positive Review Response Examples: Specificity is crucial for learning Whether to give employee feedback that has to be reinforced or redirected. Additionally, specific criticism can be used to measure progress and direct future behavior. Although it’s lovely to be complimented on a job well done, the recipient won’t know which exact actions to repeat in the future.

Make recommendations actionable: Give workers feedback on actions that can be taken to change their behavior. Effective comments must refrain from being personal. There is no reason to bully or go on the defensive. Receiving comments highlighting what we can do to accomplish our goals or better ourselves motivates us to work harder and make necessary changes.

Establish regular employee feedback procedures: Although not every action or circumstance may call for feedback, it’s crucial to prioritize it frequently. Redirecting feedback is more accessible to deliver when reinforcing feedback is given often. Giving employees regular feedback also demonstrates your concern for them as individuals.

Flipping the Script: How Do I Ask for Criticism?

Interestingly, asking for feedback more frequently is one method to ease the stress surrounding providing and receiving it. Feedback conversations become less stressful as more are included in daily activities. Start asking your team for input by utilizing the following questions:

• Is there anything I can do to get better?
• Could you let me know your thoughts on that?
• What aspects of my project or presentation impressed you?

Understand that when you first ask for feedback, your team might not know how to respond, but as they get used to the give-and-take in their feedback sessions, they will also open up in yours.

When you open this dialogue, just like you want your team members to be in a good space to receive feedback, you should also be in a good space to receive it. Watch your emotions and do your best not to be defensive. Your team members will pay attention to how you respond and learn from it.

Make the Most of Feedback

Feedback works both ways. Others in the organization are more likely to appreciate the value of using feedback if we demonstrate that we can use it to guide our development. Learning from feedback, especially when it’s negative, can be challenging. Here is a four-step procedure for gaining knowledge from criticism.

Pay attention: To learn from feedback, you must first listen to it.

Maintain an open mind: Everyone can learn and develop, but only if we’re conscious of our options. When attempting to make sense of comments, put less emphasis on whether you did or did not do something specific. Instead, assess your behaviors and actions with an open mind.

Follow up with inquiries: If you don’t fully comprehend someone’s feedback, ask open-ended questions. By following up with more inquiries, you can learn more about the feedback and determine what you ought to start, stop, or continue doing in the future. Practice active listening to make the most of feedback.

Respond to criticism: Consider the feedback carefully and concentrate on the exact actions you will take in response.

Positive Review Response Examples – Summary

Giving feedback can be difficult, whether it’s your first or your hundredth time. Few individuals relish conflict, and even fewer enjoy offending others. Even if you have a hard time with the feedback initially, take the time to thank them for their feedback.

Consider what you want to say and use the examples to approach the situation. When discussing feedback, remember to be mindful of your team members and your own mental and emotional states. This is especially important if you are redirecting.