Capture the Situation

The first step in giving effective feedback is to capture and clarify the specific situation in which the behavior occurred. If you say, “On Tuesday, in the break room with Carol and Fred,” rather than, “A couple days ago at the office with some people,” you avoid the vague comments and exaggerations that torpedo so many feedback opportunities. Describing the location and time of a behavior creates context for your feedback recipients, helping them remember clearly their thinking and behavior at the time.

Capturing the situation is only the start of your feedback session. Here are a few examples of how you might successfully describe a situation when giving feedback:

Yesterday morning, while we were inspecting the plant . . .

Last Monday, after lunch, while we were walking with Cindy to the meeting . . .

Today, first thing this morning, when you and I were talking at the coffee machine . . .

Specificity is important when recalling a situation. The more specifics and details you can use in bringing the situation to mind, the clearer your message will be.