{"id":2919,"date":"2018-09-03T14:24:23","date_gmt":"2018-09-03T14:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.elixirrdigital.com\/us\/2018\/09\/03\/how-to-give-good-feedback\/"},"modified":"2025-03-05T16:27:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T16:27:30","slug":"how-to-give-good-feedback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.elixirrdigital.com\/us\/2018\/09\/03\/how-to-give-good-feedback\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Give Good Feedback"},"content":{"rendered":"

Giving useful and actionable feedback is an underrated skill. In an industry like marketing where creativity is a key component to success, being able to provide feedback that keeps the project moving and gets you closer to the end result you\u2019re looking for is key.<\/p>\n

Whether feedback is going to another member of your internal team or to a third party like an agency or freelancer, it\u2019s always worth taking time to ensure your feedback gives that person a clear way to approach the new problem.\n<\/p>\n

Moving past the initial emotional response<\/h2>\n

With creative work, it\u2019s very easy to get caught up in the subjective. The first response to a piece of writing or design is likely to be an emotional one. That\u2019s exactly why we use that kind of collateral to engage our target audiences.<\/p>\n

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However, providing feedback based on that initial emotional response can be counter-productive. While the initial emotive response is important \u2013 it\u2019s the alarm bell that\u2019s telling you the work isn\u2019t right \u2013 more often than not it doesn\u2019t give the other party anywhere to go.<\/p>\n

The key step is to take a breath and unpack your initial feelings. Working out how to turn that initial response into actionable, useful feedback will keep your project moving.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From subjective to objective<\/h2>\n

To get to useful feedback, we want to move away from the subjective (the initial emotional response) and get towards the objective (points that can be actioned).<\/p>\n

What we want to get to is feedback that is specific<\/em> and actionable<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To get here, we have to take another look at the initial emotional response. We need to get to the bottom of what it was that we didn\u2019t like, and what some of the potential solutions could be.<\/p>\n

Look at the individual elements of the work. In the case of both design work and copy, you can give the different sections a second look \u2013 are there specific parts that didn\u2019t work for you? By sectioning out the parts that need attention, you make it quicker and easier for the other party to make changes.<\/p>\n

Are there parts you do like? You don\u2019t necessarily have to go looking for redeeming features, but being able to tell the other party which elements have hit the mark might help them to understand how to fix the other elements that aren\u2019t working.<\/p>\n

Moving towards actionable feedback<\/h2>\n

Providing genuinely actionable feedback \u2013 e.g. change X to Y \u2013 can be challenging, particularly if you aren\u2019t proficient in the kind of work you\u2019re feeding back on. However, it\u2019s important not to get bogged down in whether you know the lingo. Just because you don\u2019t know HTML doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t give actionable feedback on a website build.<\/p>\n

Determining the specific element that\u2019s bothering you is the first step, then identifying what it is about it you don\u2019t like gets you most of the way towards actionable feedback.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, to go the extra mile you can even suggest how you might want to see it changed. This immediately puts you on the front foot of the conversation, and enables a productive back and forth between you and the other party involved.<\/p>\n

If you feel like you don\u2019t know how to give ideas on the specific piece of work you\u2019re feeding back on, then don\u2019t worry. Another way to approach this is to look at other work. Is there work you\u2019ve been involved in previously that\u2019s similar that you did like? Providing that as an example can help to contextualise what you need to see.<\/p>\n

Taking it offline<\/h2>\n

While we have many options for digital communication \u2013 email, Skype and Slack, to name a few \u2013 when it comes to feedback sometimes a call or a face to face meeting is the key.<\/p>\n

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The \u2018I go\u2019, \u2018you go\u2019 nature of digital communication can lead to feedback loops feeling confrontational. The classic problems of \u2018tone\u2019 and \u2018intention\u2019 with digital comms become even more prominent due to the emotional investment that comes with creative work.<\/p>\n

If you jump on the phone or sit down with someone, you’ll find that the feedback process becomes much smoother. Feedback on creative work is naturally a conversational activity \u2013 you need that easy back and forth to be able to hear the intent in what each party is saying.<\/p>\n

Why good feedback matters<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re paying for work or receiving it from a dedicated internal resource \u2013 which could be design, development, copy, or any other creative service \u2013 it can sometimes feel like you shouldn\u2019t need to put all this effort into your feedback.<\/p>\n

However, coming back to some of the points made earlier, providing good feedback isn\u2019t just good for the party doing the work, it\u2019s also good for you.<\/p>\n

Good feedback will:<\/p>\n