Delivering Clear and Concise Feedback

It’s 2 a.m. the day after your online 1:1 meeting with your manager. Ninety-nine percent of the meeting went great, but it’s the 1% of the conversation that’s keeping you awake. 

“What did they mean by that? I don’t understand,” you repeat to yourself the 30^th time as you’re tossing and turning in bed.

Beyond losing sleep, poor communication has a real business impact. According to research by Grammarly, poor communication can lead to increased stress, lower productivity, strained relationships and missed deadlines.

Poor communication is not just an issue between colleagues, it is also common with clients and agencies. Deciphering feedback can mean the difference between 15 minutes or four hours of work, having a domino effect on other tasks. 

Why conciseness feels so hard

Yes, leaders, it’s tough to be concise. I understand the challenges as you’re managing people and priorities all day, every day. It’s time-consuming. The famous saying — “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead” — is true independent of medium.

But you’ve been on the other side of confusing messages. You’ve received long yet vague, ample yet empty feedback that’s left you more confused than ever.

It’s also scary to be concise. “What if, because I write shorter sentences or don’t speak as long, they don’t like me?” “What if they think I’m mean and scary?”

I understand that as well. Establishing and growing strong, long-lasting relationships with others means building trust and respect. However, we often equate the length of a speech with its tone. And I think that scares people into thinking they can’t be curt yet respectful.

Turning feedback into a skill

Giving clear and concise feedback that people understand is a skill that’s not like riding a bike. It takes a lot of constant practice, especially when conversations are always unique and situational.

Share a few ideas to go from well-meaning but fluffy and confusing feedback to strong, concise, respectful and valuable communication that your teams will appreciate.

The first thing to remember is that you only have one chance to make a lasting impression with the feedback you want to share. If you need a few minutes, hours or overnight to process, then that’s better for the receiver than “I just need to get them this feedback now.”

Related, one benefit of technology today is the ability to record ourselves and practice delivering feedback. Don’t go off the cuff. People hang onto every single word you say. 

Building a culture of clarity

The power of PRSA can again be of significant benefit. I welcome Chapters and Sections to host conversations on how to give clear and concise feedback regularly. These conversations should be regular events to benefit students, new professionals, individual contributors, managers, executives and clients alike.

Are you looking for inspiration to practice responding to various scenarios? Receiving random questions from AI platforms, as well as reviewing online forums like Reddit, are great ways to find ideas.

If you’re the recipient of confusing or incomplete feedback, then don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. This takes practice, and conversations with colleagues and mentors can help you prepare for those instances. Clear and concise feedback, based on trust and respect, can improve the well-being of those around you while ensuring that healthy relationships will last for generations.