how to give feedback on someone's presentation

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27 presentation feedback examples for more engaging speakers.

Learning how to give a good presentation isn’t a talent, it’s a skill. And that means it takes time and repetition to get better at it. The same is true for giving feedback. 

If you’re a manager or leader, your feedback can help dramatically improve a presenter’s future performance and bolster their confidence.

Continuous improvement starts with consistent feedback. We compiled a list of presentation feedback examples to serve as a starting point for delivering feedback, whether it’s glowing or constructive.

While feedback may be part of your daily job, encourage your team to collect feedback proactively with this list of feedback survey templates that take the legwork out of gathering feedback.

Types of feedback

Feedback comes in two main forms: positive (also called reinforcing ) and constructive (or redirecting ). Because you’ll probably give some of each type in a presentation review, let’s look at the main differences and some examples of when to apply each.

Positive feedback  

What it is: Positive feedback focuses on what the presenter did right. It should:  

• Call attention to the speaker’s strengths
• Give specific examples of what worked well

When to give it: Give positive feedback about as many parts of the presentation as you can. While you don’t need to go line by line or slide by slide, call out specific moments that went well beyond what was expected or what is “good enough.”

Constructive feedback

What it is: Constructive feedback focuses on the areas that need improvement. As the name suggests, this type of feedback is about building up, not tearing down, so always include advice on how to avoid those issues in the next project.

This kind of feedback is about calling attention to the weaknesses of a particular presentation and not to the presenters themselves. 

When to give it: Give constructive feedback wherever it’s needed. If you see a problem across an entire presentation, give a few examples instead of calling out every instance. It can also help to ask the presenter questions about their thought process before sizing up their slides or speech so you can see where their knowledge gaps are. 

Positive presentation feedback 

Giving positive feedback on a presentation seems like it should be pretty easy — the presenter did a good job, right? But good feedback is about being specific. Instead of saying, “Great work!” tell the presenter about how well the content fit the audience, how their slides reinforced what they said, and how their body language and delivery helped drive home their points. 

Here are some examples of specific, positive feedback you can give to a presenter when they’ve really nailed it:

• The flow of your presentation made sense and helped the audience understand the depth of the topic.
• You went above and beyond with the research on this presentation. Your stats and figures really showed how prepared you were.
• Including slides about [subject] proved to the audience that you understood their viewpoints and concerns.
• Your icebreaker was great because it was attention-grabbing and helped you show off your authority. 
• Breaking down the complexity of the subject matter into smaller pieces went a long way in helping the audience understand a tricky topic.
• The real-life examples you used showed how relevant the topic is to your audience.
• The visuals you included on your slides were great — they helped illustrate your points and kept people paying attention.
• Good job including spots throughout the presentation where people could ask questions — that cleared up the confusion and helped the audience stay engaged .
• The way you spoke to the audience was professional but passionate and interesting.
• The way you concluded the presentation was excellent — it helped wrap things up while inviting the audience to learn more.
• Your overall attention to detail, from how you laid out your slides to how you spoke to the audience, made your presentation more powerful and memorable. 
• Great work not hiding behind the podium — your body language and posture showed everyone that you’re well informed and confident. 
• Including links to further reading on some of the more complex topics was a great idea, especially for people who aren’t as familiar with the topic.

Constructive presentation feedback

When giving feedback on a presentation that didn’t quite hit the mark, think about it as a way of helping the presenter get better for next time. Remember, the more specific and clear you are with your evaluation, the more the speaker can learn how to give a better presentation .

Here are some examples of constructive feedback you can use:

• Think about what will grab the audience’s attention right away, like a thought-provoking question or an interesting statistic, and lead with that. 
• I think it’s important to try to make eye contact with some of them. It’ll show them you’re talking directly to them and help you seem more confident.
• Work on speaking as clearly as you can and at a slower pace to help your audience keep up with you. Check out some resources online that can help you level up your public speaking skills .
• Try speaking at about half the speed you normally would, record it, and listen back. You’ll probably hear that you sound more confident and natural.
• Try including some time after certain parts of the presentation for the audience to ask questions. Or have a response for surprise questions — it’s okay to say you’ll be happy to take questions at the end.
• You might not have needed parts of the presentation for this audience. If you aren’t sure if you should leave something in, try learning more about who the audience is and where their base level of knowledge is. 
• I feel like the layout of your presentation was a little confusing because it moved back and forth between the general and the specific. Try starting very general and getting more and more specific. 
• While there may not be a perfect transition between all slides, you can include a sentence or two in your notes to help the audience understand that you’re shifting to a new topic.
• I think that using more real-world examples in your presentation will help your audience better understand the subject matter and show them the stakes of what you’re presenting.
• Including all the written information you did on your slides will be great for people looking at it later, but I feel like it might not have been as effective as including some more visuals.
• Using humor and GIFs in your slides can be a great way to connect with an audience, but make sure they aren’t overpowering the information. Maybe try using GIFs to help with transitions instead of placing them on informational slides.
• Explaining these concepts to a more general audience is always tough. It might help to give a little more context to help people with less firsthand knowledge grasp the big ideas.
• Your confidence and knowledge are great, but having a script or outline to keep you on track can shorten your presentation and help with pacing.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help before you present. I can give you feedback on a run-through before you do it in front of others. The extra practice can make the real deal easier.

What to look for when providing feedback

Even a simple, short presentation can give an evaluator a lot to digest, and it can be tough to give feedback if you don’t know where to start. These four categories will help guide you when you’re evaluating a presentation:

• Did the presenter understand who their audience was?
• Could the speaker give more or less context based on the audience?
• Did the speaker give the audience a chance to ask questions?
• Was the tone of the presentation appropriate for the audience?

Body language

• Was the presenter approachable?
• Was the presenter speaking clearly and at a good pace?
• Did the presenter make eye contact with the audience?
• Did the presenter hide from the audience, or did they show confidence?
• Did the presenter use appropriate nonverbal cues?
• Was the material clear and specific?
• Was the information relevant?
• Was the material easy to understand? 
• Did the presenter include real-world examples?
• Did the presenter include relevant visuals?
• Were the visuals easy to see and understand?
• Did the deck have too much text and not enough visuals (or vice versa)?
• Did the slides look professional?

Create a checklist or use these presentation evaluation examples to make tracking strengths and areas for improvement easier. 

Tips for giving effective presentation feedback

Just like presenting, giving feedback is a skill that takes practice to master. Because every presentation is different, the specific feedback you give will vary, but the following tips can give you a framework for organizing your thoughts and communicating constructive and positive responses to a presenter. 

• Give “feedback sandwiches” to presenters: A feedback sandwich begins with something positive, then something constructive, then another positive. This structure shows the presenter that you noticed what went well instead of focusing only on what wasn’t perfect.
• Give concrete and specific examples in your feedback: Use specific examples from the presentation when you’re giving constructive or positive feedback. 
• Use "I" statements when giving feedback: Even if you’re an expert in presenting, any feedback you give is still an opinion. Using phrases like “I think that…” or “I felt like…” shows the speaker that you aren’t making accusations.
• Use the information to make feedback more specific: Collecting comments from others can be a huge help when you’re coaching someone after a presentation. You can use Mentimeter to collect feedback from internal and external audiences to guide your response.
• Balance positive and constructive feedback: For most people, it helps to start with some positive feedback before jumping into constructive criticism. Telling the speaker about what they did well can give them the boost they need to work on improving.
• Focus on behavior, not personality: Don’t talk about how the presenter’s personality impacted their speech. Make your feedback about the actions they took as they presented. 
• Offer solutions or suggestions: Calling out everything someone did poorly without offering advice to get better results next time isn’t helpful. Remember that constructive feedback is about improvement, not punishment.
• Give feedback immediately: Details have a way of getting forgotten  over time. Prompt feedback means that the pros and cons of a presentation are fresh for you and the presenter.
• Think about where you deliver feedback: Most feedback, even positive feedback, is best done in a safe, private place. If the presenter feels comfortable, they’ll be more receptive to what you have to say.
• Ask the presenter for an opinion on their performance: Asking the presenter for their thoughts on the presentation, the audience, and the overall experience can show you what their strengths are and what they identify as areas for improvement. Tailor your feedback to those areas. 
• Call out the impact of the presentation: If something good happened because of a presentation, share it with the presenter. When they understand how their actions impact your team, it can help create lasting, positive change.
• Always follow up: When you give constructive feedback, include specific things the presenter should do to level up. Then, check in with them to see what kind of progress they’re making and if they need extra help. If you collected feedback about a speaker after a conference, share some wins!  

Keep improving with Mentimeter

Now that you have dozens of presentation feedback examples to reference, use Mentimeter to take your feedback a step further. You can find sample meeting agendas and presentation templates to help build better presentations and use the survey features to collect comments and critiques from presentations. 

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A practical approach to presentation feedback [+ examples]

This is it. Your moment of glory. 👑

You’re about to deliver your best presentation yet. You’ve worked hard, spent hours researching, and even prepared interactive materials. What could go wrong?

During the presentation, everything goes smoothly. You’re confident, and the audience is engaged, asking questions. But when you ask for feedback…

Other than vague comments like “It was good,” you get no constructive feedback. While it’s tempting to think your presentation left everyone speechless, deep down, you know they might be struggling to articulate their thoughts—just like you often do.

The truth is, giving constructive feedback can be challenging. Finding the right words is hard, and even when you do, your colleagues might not know how to implement it.

So, what can you do?

Don’t worry; this article will teach you the secrets of giving constructive feedback and creating a better feedback process for your team.

Table of contents

Key elements to focus on when evaluating a presentation, presentation feedback examples, what not to do when giving presentation feedback.

No one is born great at public speaking, but you can become a great orator like Martin Luther King Jr. or Cicero and charm everyone in your vicinity. 

But it requires practice and you don’t become great at either speaking in public or giving feedback that doesn’t start a ruckus overnight. 

So, what you can do right now is look -at the following graphic: 

Let’s talk about what these mean. 😉

Clarity of message

Make your message clear as day.

Don’t say stuff like, “I think it was good,” and leave it at that. 

People will wonder…

Good feedback means being as specific as possible, telling the person doing the presentation what was good, and making your message as clear as day. Instead of saying, ‘I think it was good,’ say exactly what you liked.

For example, ‘Your presentation was informative with excellent sources’ is an actionable and helpful piece of feedback. 

Moreover, make sure the person understands your message. Don’t mumble or say stuff like, ‘It’s kinda missing something, I don’t really know what,’ as it only confuses the people you’re giving feedback to. 

If you have something critical to say , follow up with an actionable item the presenter can work on to improve. 

For example, say ‘Some parts of the presentation didn’t flow very well and I didn’t understand the purpose of the presentation.’ Following up with ‘My suggestion is adding a new slide with the goals of the presentation.’ 

The feedback is actionable. The person understands why you said it and they can work on improving this aspect of the presentation. 

Presentation structure and organization

You’ve probably had your share of bad presentations. 😬

One time, your colleague Pam made a presentation on recycling that had slides filled with huge chunks of text in an itsy-bitsy font size that the audience could barely read.

Then there was Jim, with a PowerPoint presentation that had too many irrelevant images (albeit funny). But it was a mess of ideas and transitions that made you lose interest after a few slides. 

To this day, Jim and Pam create presentations in the same way. Because everyone was too nice to offer helpful feedback.

Next time, tell them to check the structure of their presentation first. This should include the introduction, body, and conclusion. And the darn font size.

Suggest that their slides flow more smoothly, gliding from one point to another like a knife through butter. While following a cohesive storyline. 

And then don’t be surprised if, in their next presentations, Pam and Jim follow a clear agenda with equally clear takeaways. To wild applause.

Engagement and delivery

We all have memories of boring presentations, where our interest and consciousness disappeared at around the same time. 

The host spoke so slowly and unenthusiastically, it wasn’t so much a presentation as a lullaby. 😪

Next time you’ve sat through such a yawnfest, instead of saying…

…suggest to the presenter afterward that they work on their oral presentation and sharpen their delivery style, including tone, pace, and enthusiasm. 

Tell them it’s important to find a balance between talking confusingly fast and unenthusiastically slowly. 

A happy medium is what helps create good presentations. 

Moreover, they should think about how they make eye contact, or use their body language, gestures, and facial expressions to engage with their audience. 

When your time comes, you probably won’t engage your audience members if you stay with your nose in your notes during the presentation. Or you’re stiff as a mummy, afraid of looking anyone in the eye. 

Try to relax. The crowd won’t eat you. Think of it like having a friendly chat with your team members, that’s all. 

One more thing: you can also create engagement by adding visuals to your presentation. Use charts and images to get your point across. And improve the understanding of key points. 

Use of visuals

Speaking of visual aids…

Use them sparingly , as too many colors and images can overwhelm the target audience. 

Keep your slides as simple as possible and make your presentation more visually appealing, so it’s easier for people to understand your key message and capture the audience’s attention. 

Also, think of the context. Don’t add an image you like for the sake of adding it — it’ll bloat your presentation. Your slides, charts, and graphs should enhance your presentation and be relevant to your topic. 

Furthermore, consistency in design and readability is vital for supporting the key points of your presentation. 

Q&A session

Imagine this : 

Someone asks you to make a presentation on a topic you don’t really like, but you do it for extra kudos. The end result is a mess: it has great tidbits of info and looks good, overall, but your heart’s not in it.

What you hope is that it ends quickly. 

Plotwist: it doesn’t. 

In the Q&A session, your learners start asking tons of questions. Since you’re not that familiar with the topic, you fumble the answer. 

Suffice to say, it was embarrassing. 🫣 

To avoid earning Ds on your presentations, you should be able to handle questions. People will appreciate the depth and clarity of your responses to gauge how well you know and understand the subject matter. 

Make a list of FAQs, but be prepared for curveballs. Staying calm is key for handling surprises and making a good impression. 

Audience awareness

People have different and unique views of the world, with different passions and dislikes. When making your presentation, consider your audience’s knowledge level and ensure the content is appropriate for them. 

For example, when talking about vegan meals and diet plans, explain any unfamiliar terms, like what a thrive diet is. This will help you connect better with your target audience and deliver more effective presentations. 

So, for your next presentation, consider your audience’s needs and make sure it has the appropriate level of detail necessary to explain any unfamiliar concepts. 

Okay! You now know the secrets of becoming an effective presenter. 

While that’s awesome, there’s one small hitch. 🫠 

How do you differentiate positive feedback from the negative kind? Can you start providing feedback constructively? 

We’ve got your back. Here are some presentation feedback examples you’ll love.

Before we get to our feedback examples, take a look at this beauty: 

What you see here are the key personality traits of both weak and strong feedback. 

Use them as your guidelines as you explore our examples. 

Positive reinforcement

Suggesting areas for improvement

Encouraging engagement

Highlighting audience awareness

Commending visual appeal

Acknowledging time management

Balanced feedback for growth

Like our examples? We tried really hard to come up with relatable scenarios and feedback that sounded human. And, most of all, empathetic. 🫶

Most of the time, feedback fails because you’re trying to spare people from criticism. Or you feel like you have nothing nice to say. But you have to say something because you’re required to.

So, let’s see what not to do when giving feedback. 

To do or not to do — that is the question. 🤔

Shakespeare taught us what not to do and we’re here to be the Shakespeare of effective feedback. 

We can tell you what to avoid when providing feedback to your peers.

Don’t provide vague or generic feedback

Scene : Receiving presentation feedback. 

Location : Conference room. 

Characters : You & your manager. 

You: “So, what did you think?”

Manager: “It was okay.”

You: “And?”

Manager: “Mmm, I think you need to do better.”

You: “Where?”

Manager: “I don’t know. Just redo it.”

You are clearly upset.

You: “Can you be more specific?”

Manager: “No time. Think of something else.”

Manager leaves. You rethink your life choices.

In conclusion? Generic feedback is a big no-no. It lacks specificity. It makes it hard for you to understand what exactly you need to improve in your presentation. 

Vague feedback like “It needs to wow me” or “Do better” offers no actionable insight. You’re just gonna listen to it. And forget about it the next day because it doesn’t help you evolve. 

Instead, try to give more specific and targeted feedback. As a result, the presenter should make meaningful adjustments that help them create better presentations. 

Don’t give overly critical or negative feedback

Okay, maybe some presentations do suck. They’re boring, long, and full of grammar mistakes. 

In these cases, it might be hard to say something nice, but don’t start with, ‘Your presentation was boring.’ Instead, offer constructive criticism like, ‘Trim the content a little bit.’ 

Offer criticism without the excessive negativity. 

You can point out flaws. But don’t focus solely on them. 

Excessive criticism or negativity can crush even the sturdiest ‘rock.’ It lowers self-esteem and confidence. And discourages people from ever attempting to present something again. 

Don’t build such a culture. Your feedback, even if it’s negative, should have genuine criticism that helps the person improve in specific areas. 

Don’t personally attack the presenter

Every boss wants a team whose members like each other, but you probably have someone in your team with whom you don’t really gel. 

Sometimes, conflicts happen. That still doesn’t warrant you telling that person, ‘You should stop presenting. I hate you.’ Personal attacks like these create a hostile environment and contribute nothing to the presenter’s professional development. 

Plus, criticizing the presenter personally instead of focusing on the content and delivery defeats the purpose of feedback.

We know sometimes it’s hard not to involve your personal feelings. But be the bigger man and focus strictly on the presentation’s elements. Not on the individual. 

With that being said, it’s time to part ways. 

Use the right tools for providing presentation feedback

If you apply all that you’ve learned here today…

You’ll avoid generic feedback, streamline the feedback process, and create better products. 

Everything’s great. Everyone’s happy. 

Want to take it a step further? 

Invest in MarkUp.io . It’s a visual commenting platform that simplifies collaboration. Easily provide feedback on PowerPoint presentations and other file types (PPTX, videos, images, websites).

It’s a great platform for leaving comments on designs and receiving video feedback . You simply have to upload your content, share the file for review, and let users drop a comment. 

People also have nice things to say about it: 

Have we convinced you yet? 😉

Give MarkUp.io a chance by signing up for a free trial here . 

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How to Give Feedback on Presentation (Step by Step Guide)

Presentations can be a powerful tool to inform, persuade, or inspire. But let's be honest, they can also be nerve-wracking experiences. You pour your heart and soul into crafting the content, but the real test lies in how it resonates with your audience.

Did your message land? Were you able to communicate key points effectively? The answer often hinges on one crucial element: presentation feedback.

Here's the thing: Feedback isn't just about pointing out flaws. It's a double-edged sword that can elevate your presentation skills and drive you towards becoming a confident and impactful presenter. 

Constructive feedback provides valuable insights that can help you refine your delivery, strengthen your content, and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Presentation feedback acts as a mirror, reflecting our strengths and weaknesses and empowering us to continuously hone our craft.

But how do you ensure you're giving and receiving feedback that's truly helpful? This blog will equip you with the tools to navigate the feedback process effectively. 

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

Not all feedback is created equal. Effective feedback is a carefully crafted message that provides clear direction for improvement while fostering a positive learning environment.

Here are the key characteristics that define effective feedback on presentations:

(1) Specific

Ditch vague comments like "good job" or "it needs work" . Instead, pinpoint specific aspects of the presentation that were strong and areas where improvement is possible.

For example, "Instead of saying 'your slides were a bit crowded,' you could offer: 'The information on slide 5 seems overwhelming. Consider breaking it down into two slides or using bullet points to improve readability.'"

Another example of effective feedback might be: "The data you presented on target audience demographics was clear and well-organized (positive note).

However, consider briefly explaining how this data will be used to tailor the campaign message for different audience segments (actionable suggestion)."

(2) Actionable

Good feedback goes beyond simply identifying issues. It provides concrete suggestions for improvement.

Instead of saying, "Your body language seemed stiff," offer actionable advice like "Focusing on maintaining eye contact with different audience members can help project confidence and connect with the audience on a more personal level."

(3) Respectful

Remember, the goal is to provide constructive criticism, not tear someone down. Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone.

Phrase your feedback in a way that focuses on the presentation itself, not the presenter's personality.

(4) Future-Oriented

Effective feedback should be focused on something other than past mistakes. Frame your suggestions in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.

(5) Balanced

While constructive criticism is important, don't neglect to acknowledge the presenter's strengths.

A positive note at the beginning or end of your feedback can create a more receptive environment and reinforce positive behaviors.

Giving Feedback Like a Pro: A Step-By-Step Guide

So, you're ready to provide effective feedback on a presentation, but where do you begin? 

This step-by-step guide will equip you with the tools to deliver clear, actionable feedback that is ultimately well-received.

Step 1: Preparation

Before diving headfirst into feedback, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the context of the presentation. Review the presentation material beforehand, focusing on the topic, objectives, and key messages the presenter aimed to convey.

Understanding the presenter's goals allows you to tailor your feedback for maximum impact.

Step 2: Active Observation

Shift your mindset from passive observer to active listener. Pay close attention to the presenter's delivery, both verbal and nonverbal.

This includes:

• Content:  Is the information clear, concise, and well-organized? Does it effectively support the  key points ?
• Delivery:  Is the pace appropriate? Does the presenter use vocal variety to keep the audience engaged?
• Visual Aids:  Are the slides visually appealing and easy to understand? Do they complement the spoken content or create distractions?
• Body Language:  Does the presenter maintain good posture and eye contact with the audience? Does their body language convey confidence and enthusiasm?

Step 3: The Feedback Framework

Now for the heart of the matter: delivering your feedback!

Here's a framework to ensure your message is clear and constructive:

(1) Set the Stage

Briefly acknowledge the topic and  objectives  of the presentation. This helps the presenter understand the context within which you're providing feedback.

(2) Specificity is Crucial

Avoid vague comments. Instead, highlight specific aspects of the presentation that were effective and areas for improvement.

For example, "The opening story did a great job of grabbing the audience's attention (positive note). However, some of the technical terminology on the following slides might have been confusing for a non-specialist audience (actionable suggestion)."

(3) The Positive Sandwich

Frame your feedback with a positive note. Compliment the presenter on something they did well before offering constructive criticism. This creates a more receptive environment for feedback.

(4) Open-Ended Questions

Don't just tell; prompt discussion. Use open-ended questions to encourage the presenter to reflect on their delivery and explore potential improvements.

For example, "How did you feel the audience responded to that particular statistic?"

(5) Focus on the Future

Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, frame your feedback in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.

For example, "Consider adding a real-world example to illustrate that point for your next audience."

(6) Delivery Matters

Remember, even the most valuable feedback can fall flat if delivered poorly. Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone, and avoid accusatory language.

Focus on providing helpful suggestions for improvement.

(7) Consider the Audience

Tailoring your feedback to the audience can also be beneficial. If you're providing feedback to a colleague for a client presentation, your focus might be on the clarity and persuasiveness of the message.

For internal presentations, you might emphasize the organization and flow of the content.

Receiving Feedback Gracefully: A Practical Guide

So you've just delivered a presentation, and now comes the feedback.

While constructive criticism can feel daunting, it's actually a gift – a valuable opportunity to identify areas for improvement and elevate your presentation skills. But how do you ensure you receive feedback with grace and a growth mindset?

Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the process effectively:

(1) Maintain a Positive Attitude

It's natural to feel defensive when receiving feedback, especially if it's critical. However, resist the urge to get discouraged.

Remember, the goal is to learn and grow. Approach the feedback session with an open mind and a willingness to listen. Thank the person for their time and effort, and express your genuine interest in their insights.

(2) Active Listening is Key

Don't just hear the feedback; actively listen. Pay close attention to the specific points being raised. Ask clarifying questions if needed to ensure you fully understand the feedback.

Taking notes can also be helpful to remember key points for later reflection. If taking notes manually feels distracting and difficult, consider utilizing AI note-taking assistants like  Wudpecker .

Wudpecker's AI features automatically transcribe meetings and generate summaries, capturing key points and decisions. This will free you from the burden of note-taking, allowing you to fully engage in the discussion. 

(3) Separate Feedback from Emotion

It's easy to take feedback personally. However, try to separate the feedback from your own emotions.

Focus on the content of the message, not the delivery. Remember, the feedback is about the presentation, not you as a person.

(4) Identify Actionable Items

As you listen to the feedback, identify specific, actionable items you can work on to improve your future presentations.

This might involve refining your content structure, incorporating new visual aids, or practicing your delivery techniques.

(5) Don't Try to Defend Yourself

The urge to defend your choices is understandable but resist it. Instead, acknowledge the feedback and take time to process it later.

You can always ask follow-up questions for clarification, but avoid getting into a defensive debate.

(6) Express Gratitude

Thank the person for their feedback, regardless of whether it's positive or critical. Their willingness to share their insights is a valuable asset to your growth as a presenter.

(7) Reflect and Refine

Once you've received the feedback, take some time to reflect on it. Consider which points resonate most and identify areas where you can make improvements.

Develop a plan to incorporate the actionable items into your presentation skills development strategy.

Enhancing Presentation Skills Through Feedback

We've established that presentation feedback is a powerful tool for improvement. But how exactly can you leverage this feedback to enhance your presentation skills and become a more confident and impactful communicator? 

Here are some ways to turn feedback into action:

Self-Evaluation and Targeted Feedback

Seeking feedback doesn't have to be a one-time event. Develop a habit of self-evaluation after each presentation. Consider areas where you felt strong and areas where you could improve.

Based on your self-assessment, identify specific aspects you'd like to get targeted feedback on from colleagues or mentors. This targeted approach allows you to delve deeper into specific skills and receive focused insights.

Embrace Diverse Feedback Sources

Don't limit yourself to feedback from just one or two people. Seek feedback from a diverse audience whenever possible.

This could include colleagues, managers, clients, or even friends and family who witnessed your presentation.

Each person will have a unique perspective, offering valuable insights into how your message resonated with different audience members.

Leverage Technology

Technology can be a powerful tool for gathering feedback. Consider using online feedback forms or survey tools to collect anonymous feedback from a wider audience.

You can also record your presentations and watch them back to identify areas for improvement in areas like pacing, body language, and vocal variety.

Practice Makes Progress

Once you've identified areas for improvement based on feedback, it's time to put that knowledge into action!

Practice your delivery with a focus on the specific skills you're working on.

Role-play with a colleague, record yourself practicing, or join a public speaking group to gain experience and refine your presentation style.

Consistency Is Key

Remember, presentation skills don't develop overnight. The key to becoming a confident and impactful presenter lies in consistent effort and dedication.

Integrate feedback into your ongoing development plan, actively seek opportunities to present, and continuously strive to refine your craft.

Presentations can be powerful tools for informing, persuading, and inspiring, but mastering the art of delivery takes dedication and continuous improvement.

This blog has equipped you with the knowledge to harness the power of presentation feedback. You've learned how to provide clear, actionable feedback that empowers presenters, and you've explored strategies for receiving feedback with grace and a growth mindset.

Remember, the journey to becoming a captivating presenter is an ongoing process. Embrace the power of feedback, actively seek opportunities to practice, and never stop refining your skills.

By consistently seeking improvement, you'll transform those nervous presentation jitters into the confidence and clarity needed to deliver truly impactful presentations that resonate with any audience.

What Is an Example of Feedback on a Presentation?

Scenario:  You listened to a presentation on the benefits of switching to a new project management software. 

Here's how you could provide constructive feedback:

Positive Aspects:

• Clear Introduction:  "The introduction did a great job of grabbing the audience's attention by highlighting the common pain points associated with traditional project management methods. It effectively set the stage for the presentation."

Areas for Improvement:

• Visual Aids:  "The slides felt a bit text-heavy at times. Consider incorporating more visuals like charts, graphs, or even screenshots to illustrate the features and benefits of the new software."
• Content Depth:  "While you covered the key features of the software, it might be beneficial to delve deeper into how it addresses specific challenges faced by different user groups within the company (e.g., project managers vs. team members)."

Actionable Suggestions:

• "For your next presentation, you could try including a short demo of the software in action to showcase its user-friendliness."
• "Consider adding a slide that compares the new software to existing options, highlighting its unique advantages."

How Do You Comment on a Good Presentation?

Here are some ways to comment on a good presentation:

Highlight Specific Strengths:

• Content:  "The information you presented was clear, concise, and well-organized. It was easy to follow and understand." (focuses on clarity and structure)
• Oral Presentation:  "You delivered the presentation with great enthusiasm and confidence. Your use of vocal variety kept the audience engaged." (highlights delivery skills)
• Visual Aids:  "The slides were visually appealing and effectively complemented your spoken points. They were easy to read and understand." (focuses on visuals)
• Structure:  "The flow of the presentation was logical and well-paced. You transitioned smoothly between topics and kept the audience engaged throughout." (highlights structure and audience engagement)

Focus on Impact:

• "Your presentation was very informative and insightful. I learned a lot about [topic]."
• "You did a great job capturing the audience's attention and keeping them engaged throughout the presentation."
• "Your presentation was well-organized and easy to follow. I felt like I had a clear understanding of the key points."
• "I particularly enjoyed [specific aspect of the presentation, e.g., the real-world example you used, the humor you incorporated]."

Positive and Encouraging Tone:

• "Overall, it was a very impressive presentation. Well done!"
• "I can tell you put a lot of effort into this presentation, and it showed. Great job!"
• "Thank you for sharing your insights with us. It was a very informative presentation."
• "I look forward to seeing more presentations from you in the future."
• Be genuine and specific in your compliments. Make sure you are giving constructive feedback.
• Tailor your comments to the presenter and the presentation content.
• Focus on both the delivery and the content itself.
• End with a positive feedback and encouraging note.

How Do You Give Peer Feedback to a Presentation?

Here are some things to keep in mind when giving peer feedback on presentation:

Before the Feedback:

• Preparation:  Review the presentation topic and objectives beforehand (if available) to understand the presenter's goals.
• Mindset: Approach the feedback with a positive and helpful attitude.

Delivering the Feedback:

• Start Positive:  Start by acknowledging the presenter's effort and highlighting your observed strength.
• Specificity is Key:  Focus on specific aspects of the presentation, both positive and areas for improvement. Avoid vague comments.
• Actionable Suggestions:  Don't just point out problems; offer suggestions for improvement. Use "I" statements to frame your feedback (e.g., "I found the opening story engaging. Perhaps adding a visual element could enhance it further").
• Respectful Tone:  Maintain a respectful and encouraging tone throughout the feedback session.
• Focus on the Future:  Frame your suggestions in a way that guides the presenter towards future presentations.
• Open-Ended Questions:  Consider asking open-ended questions to encourage discussion and reflection (e.g., "How did you feel the audience responded to that statistic?").

Here’s an Example of How You Might Structure Your Feedback:

"Thanks for the presentation, [presenter's name]. I really enjoyed the way you [positive aspect, e.g., explained the technical details clearly and concisely]. I noticed that [area for improvement, e.g., some of the slides seemed text-heavy]. Perhaps you could consider [actionable suggestion, e.g., using bullet points or visuals to break up the text]."

Additional Tips for Constructive Feedback:

• Tailor Your Feedback:  Consider the audience and purpose of the presentation when providing feedback.
• Be Mindful of Time:  Keep your feedback concise and focused on the most important points.
• Offer to Help:  If you have specific skills or resources that could benefit the presenter, offer your help.
• Welcome Questions:  Encourage the presenter to ask clarifying questions or seek further feedback.

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How to Give Effective Presentation Feedback

A conversation with sam j. lubner, md, facp.

Giving an effective scientific presentation, like all public speaking, is an acquired skill that takes practice to perfect. When delivered successfully, an oral presentation can be an invaluable opportunity to showcase your latest research results among your colleagues and peers. It can also promote attendee engagement and help audience members retain the information being presented, enhancing the educational benefit of your talk, according to Sam J. ­Lubner, MD, FACP , Associate Professor of Medicine and Program Director, Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, and a member of ASCO’s Education Council.

Sam J. ­Lubner, MD, FACP

In 2019, the Education Council launched a pilot program to provide a group of selected speakers at the ASCO Annual Meeting with feedback on their presentations. Although some of the reviewers, which included members of the Education Council and Education Scholars Program, as well as ASCO’s program directors, conveyed information to the presenters that was goal-referenced, tangible, transparent, actionable, specific, and personalized—the hallmarks of effective feedback—others provided comments that were too vague to improve the speaker’s performance, said Dr. Lubner. For example, they offered comments such as “Great session” or “Your slides were too complicated,” without being specific about what made the session “great” or the slides “too complicated.”

“Giving a presentation at a scientific meeting is different from what we were trained to do. We’re trained to take care of patients, and while we do have some training in presentation, it usually centers around how to deliver clinical information,” said Dr. Lubner. “What we are trying to do with the Education Council’s presentation feedback project is to apply evidence-based methods for giving effective feedback to make presentations at ASCO’s Annual Meeting, international meetings, symposia, and conferences more clinically relevant and educationally beneficial.”

GUEST EDITOR

The ASCO Post talked with Dr. Lubner about how to give effective feedback and how to become a more effective presenter.

Defining Effective Feedback

Feedback is often confused with giving advice, praise, and evaluation, but none of these descriptions are exactly accurate. What constitutes effective feedback?

When I was looking over the literature on feedback to prepare myself on how to give effective feedback to the medical students and residents I oversee, I was amazed to find the information is largely outdated. For example, recommendations in the 1980s and 1990s called for employing the “sandwich” feedback method, which involves saying something positive, then saying what needs to be improved, and then making another positive remark. But that method is time-intensive, and it feels disingenuous to me.

What constitutes helpful feedback to me is information that is goal-referenced, actionable, specific, and has immediate impact. It should be constructive, descriptive, and nonjudgmental. After I give feedback to a student or resident, my next comments often start with a self-reflective question, “How did that go?” and that opens the door to further discussion. The mnemonic I use to provide better feedback and achieve learning goals is SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, as described here:

• Specific: Avoid using ambiguous language, for example, “Your presentation was great.” Be specific about what made the presentation “great,” such as, “Starting your presentation off with a provocative question grabbed my attention.”
• Measurable: Suggest quantifiable objectives to meet so there is no uncertainty about what the goals are. For example, “Next time, try a summary slide with one or two take-home points for the audience.”
• Achievable: The goal of the presentation should be attainable. For example, “Trim your slides to no more than six lines per slide and no more than six words per line; otherwise, you are just reading your slides.”
• Realistic: The feedback you give should relate to the goal the presenter is trying to achieve. For example, “Relating the research results back to an initial case presentation will solidify the take-home point that for cancer x, treatment y is the best choice.”
• Timely: Feedback given directly after completion of the presentation is more effective than feedback provided at a later date.

The ultimate goal of effective feedback is to help the presenter become more adept at relaying his or her research in an engaging and concise way, to maintain the audience’s attention and ensure that they retain the information presented.

“Giving a presentation at a scientific meeting is different from what we were trained to do.” — Sam J. Lubner, MD, FACP Tweet this quote

Honing Your Communication Skills

What are some specific tips on how to give effective feedback?

There are five tips that immediately come to mind: (1) focus on description rather than judgment; (2) focus on observation rather than inference; (3) focus on observable behaviors; (4) share both positive and constructive specific points of feedback with the presenter; and (5) focus on the most important points to improve future ­presentations.

Becoming a Proficient Presenter

How can ASCO faculty become more proficient at delivering their research at the Annual Meeting and at ASCO’s thematic meetings?

ASCO has published faculty guidelines and best practices to help speakers immediately involve an audience in their presentation and hold their attention throughout the talk. They include the following recommendations:

• Be engaging. Include content that will grab the audience’s attention early. For example, interesting facts, images, or a short video to hold the audience’s focus.
• Be cohesive and concise. When preparing slides, make sure the presentation has a clear and logical flow to it, from the introduction to its conclusion. Establish key points and clearly define their importance and impact in a concise, digestible manner.
• Include take-home points. Speakers should briefly summarize key findings from their research and ensure that their conclusion is fully supported by the data in their presentation. If possible, they should provide recommendations or actions to help solidify their message. Thinking about and answering this question—if the audience remembers one thing from my presentation, what do I want it to be?—will help speakers focus their presentation.
• When it comes to slide design, remember, less is more. It’s imperative to keep slides simple to make an impact on the audience.

Another method to keep the audience engaged and enhance the educational benefit of the talk is to use the Think-Pair ( ± Share) strategy, by which the speaker asks attendees to think through questions using two to three steps. They include:

• Think independently about the question that has been posed, forming ideas.
• Pair to discuss thoughts, allowing learners to articulate their ideas and to consider those of others.
• Share (as a pair) the ideas with the larger group.

The value of this exercise is that it helps participants retain the information presented, encourages individual participation, and refines ideas and knowledge through collaboration.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SLIDE DESIGN

• Have a single point per line.
• Use < 6 words per line.
• Use < 6 lines per slide.
• Use < 30 characters per slide.
• Use simple words.
• When using tables, maintain a maximum of 6 rows and 6 columns.
• Avoid busy graphics or tables. If you find yourself apologizing to the audience because your slide is too busy, it’s a bad slide and should not be included in the presentation.
• Use cues, not full thoughts, to make your point.
• Keep to one slide per minute as a guide to the length of the presentation.
• Include summary/take-home points per concept. We are all physicians who care about our patients and believe in adhering to good science. Highlight the information you want the audience to take away from your presentation and how that information applies to excellent patient care.

Speakers should also avoid using shorthand communication or dehumanizing language when describing research results. For example, do not refer to patients as a disease: “The study included 250 EGFR mutants.” Say instead, “The study included 250 patients with EGFR -mutant tumors.” And do not use language that appears to blame patients when their cancer progresses after treatment, such as, “Six patients failed to respond to [study drug].” Instead say, “Six patients had tumors that did not respond to [study drug].”

We all have respect for our patients, families, and colleagues, but sometimes our language doesn’t reflect that level of respect, and we need to be more careful and precise in the language we use when talking with our patients and our colleagues.

ASCO has developed a document titled “The Language of Respect” to provide guidance on appropriate respectful language to use when talking with patients, family members, or other health-care providers and when giving presentations at the Annual Meeting and other ASCO symposia. Presenters should keep these critical points in mind and put them into practice when delivering research data at these meetings. ■

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Lubner has been employed by Farcast Biosciences and has held a leadership role at Farcast Biosciences.

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How to give feedback on a presentation

Knowing how to give feedback on a presentation helps people become better presenters, sharpens their message, and gauges audience engagement ahead of time.

December 7, 2022

How many times have you been asked to give feedback on a presentation, and, while trying to organize your thoughts after hearing the presentation in real-time, found it hard to muster anything more than, "It's good"?

Or, you've taken the time to give thoughtful, nuanced advice on how a colleague can improve their presentation, only to find that you don't know exactly how to communicate it, or they don't know exactly how to implement it?

Any kind of creative feedback is difficult to conceptualize without the proper context, and that's doubly true for presentations, where you're often asked to listen to the presentation, absorb the information it's conveying, process your thoughts, and deliver a critique — all in real time. No one can give good feedback that way, but it's not the presenter's fault (or yours!). You just need a better feedback process.

Giving better presentation feedback requires examining two things:

• The feedback itself
• How it's being given (and received)

Ready to learn how to improve them both? Let's get started.

Why it's important to give feedback on a presentation

Giving feedback on a presentation comes with several key benefits.

It promotes growth and builds better presentation skills

No one is born an effective presenter. It takes time, skill, and practice to build public speaking and communication skills to where you can knock a presentation out of the park — every time.

As the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. Giving practice presentations for feedback from trusted peers and colleagues gives you an opportunity to get more presenting time under your belt — with lower stakes.

And by giving effective, actionable feedback (more on that below) to a colleague, you help ensure their next presentation is even better, which can benefit your company or organization.

It helps sharpen the message

When it comes to getting the message exactly right in a presentation, self evaluation can really only go so far. Sometimes it takes another point of view (or several of them, from all across your organization) to collaborate and craft exactly what key points you want attendees to take away from a presentation. Giving feedback allows you to help refine and sharpen the message — and to work with others who are also giving feedback — until it's perfect.

It gauges audience engagement

One of the hardest things about giving a presentation is holding audience attention from the first slide until the last.

This is especially true for an oral presentation that doesn't have any audiovisual components. In this case, it's crucial to know if there are any points where audience members might be more prone to losing focus — like if your presentation gets a little too in the weeds.

Giving feedback allows you to put yourself in the audience's shoes. Try to see and hear the presentation from their perspective, and if there's any point where you feel your mind start to wander, make a note of it — that's a point where audience engagement may be at risk during the real thing.

All feedback is not created equal

It's important to note that not all feedback is good feedback.

Not all feedback provides a benefit to the person giving the presentation. It isn't all actionable. It isn't all relevant. It isn't all useful.

When feedback is bad, it's usually for one of two reasons.

The feedback itself is of poor quality

Even when you have the best of intentions, you might still give bad feedback.

Some examples of poor quality feedback include:

• Feedback that's vague or unclear
• Feedback that's overly personal or meant as an attack
• Feedback that's dishonest, even if intended to spare the presenter's feelings

The feedback isn't communicated effectively

It's also possible to have useful feedback to give to a presenter, but to lack an effective system for communicating it. This can be especially challenging when there are multiple people trying to give feedback on one presentation at the same time. 

That's why bubbles is the best way to give feedback on a presentation. 

The presenter can record their speech, including a video of their screen to capture a Powerpoint presentation or any other visual aid they plan to use. Then, colleagues who are giving feedback can do so by leaving their comments at the exact, time-stamped moment where their feedback applies — and they can give their critique in text, audio, or video. Anyone can respond to a comment within a thread that captures (and preserves) all the context of the conversation so far. This makes it easier for a group to give feedback collaboratively, and makes it possible for the presenter to refer back to feedback at any time.

6 ways to give effective feedback on a presentation

Ready to give feedback that will turn a good presentation into a great one? The six tips below will help you give feedback that's effective and useful to the presenter, leaving them with clear takeaways they can use to level up their presentation. Let's get started.

Be specific

When giving feedback, try to be as specific as possible. Rather than saying something like, "I thought the presentation was effective," tell the presenter exactly what was effective. For example, a better piece of feedback is: "The key takeaway from the fifth slide was clear and really resonated with me." It tells the presenter exactly what you thought worked, rather than a vague, catch-all compliment.

If you're having trouble being more specific with your feedback (like if you aren't sure how to articulate your advice), sometimes an example can help! In your bubble comment, use a snippet of your own presentation (or even a Ted Talk or other professional speaking event) to more clearly illustrate what you're asking the presenter to do or change.

When you leave comments on the presenter's bubble, be sure to time-stamp them to the exact part of the presentation where the feedback applies. This can help ensure that the presenter gets the most value from your feedback, and can see what you mean in the proper context.

Be actionable

Even if your feedback is as specific as possible, it won't help the presenter if there's nothing they can do about it. That's why the next tip is to give feedback that's actionable — that is, don't just tell the presenter what they should change, but tell them what steps they can take to improve.

For example, don't just say someone needs to work on their body language while presenting. Tell them, as specifically as possible, how their body language could be improved; for example, if they should make more eye contact with audience members or gesture more with their hands while speaking.

You can even take this a step further and explain why you made this suggestion. For example, this feedback might be something like, "I would suggest making an effort to make eye contact with more members of the audience. This will engage more people and hold their attention, while helping your speech sound more natural."

Be constructive

In the same vein as giving actionable feedback is making sure you're giving constructive feedback — that is, that your feedback is about things the presenter can control and change.

Constructive criticism can be difficult to do well. It requires pointing out ways a presenter can improve — sometimes ways that can feel personal to them as they're on the receiving end of the feedback. But if the feedback is truly constructive, it's better to give it than to sugarcoat your critique to spare a presenter's feelings. And if hurting the presenter's feelings is the goal for the feedback, it's definitely not constructive.

Call out positives along with points of improvement

When giving feedback on a presentation, it can be easy to only focus on things you feel the presenter needs to improve. But it's just as important to give positive feedback that lets them know what they're doing well.

In fact, you might want to work even harder to find the positives than to point out places where the presenter can improve. In one study, conducted by academic Emily Heaphy and consultant Marcial Losada, team effectiveness was measured and compared with the ratio of positive and negative comments that team members made to one another. Heaphy and Losada found that in the most effective teams, the ratio was 5.6 — meaning those team members gave each other nearly six positive comments for every single negative one.

Medium performing teams averaged 1.9 positive comments for each negative one. And low performing teams were more negative than positive, with a 0.36 ratio (nearly three negative comments for every positive one).

The research shows that, as tempting as it may be to only point out ways a presenter can improve, it may help them even more to find as many positives as possible to go along with your constructive criticism.

This is another tip where you have a balance to strike. You should give feedback to the presenter quickly, but not so quickly that you don't have time to absorb their presentation and process your thoughts, first.

Giving feedback in real-time (for example, in a review meeting) can seem effective, since it gives the presenter a way of receiving feedback instantly. However, giving instant feedback isn't always ideal for the colleagues who are critiquing the presentation, who might give more helpful feedback if they have more time to gather their thoughts.

When you use bubbles to give feedback on a presentation, it allows everyone on the team to give feedback at their own pace. It also allows people to watch the presentation more than once, or go back through certain sections they'd like to revisit before giving feedback.

It also eliminates the need to schedule a meeting to deliver presentation feedback. Even if the presenter and people giving feedback are separated by time zones , they can watch the presentation and deliver feedback at times that are convenient for them — and the presenter can access (and action) that feedback whenever they're back online.

Do a few rounds of feedback

As everyone gives their feedback, they can collaborate in comment threads in the bubble. This allows everyone to see what's been said already, including all the context and nuance of the discussion, keeping everyone on the same page. The presenter can follow up with comments, and those giving feedback can watch the presentation more than once to give a few rounds of feedback.

This helps ensure that feedback is as comprehensive as possible, and that the presenter and everyone critiquing their presentation is able to focus on any key messages that come out of the feedback rounds — what changes are most impactful? What will really take this presentation to the next level?

Make feedback more comprehensive and collaborative

Giving feedback on a presentation will be most effective when your entire team can work together, seamlessly, to give comprehensive feedback to the presenter. With bubbles, you can have that conversation together, with all the context necessary to craft the perfect presentation.

Get started today with bubbles' free Chrome extension and start working together, in context.

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Blog > Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

Effective Feedback for Presentations - digital with PowerPoint or with printable sheets

10.26.20   •  #powerpoint #feedback #presentation.

Do you know whether you are a good presenter or not? If you do, chances are it's because people have told you so - they've given you feedback. Getting other's opinions about your performance is something that's important for most aspects in life, especially professionally. However, today we're focusing on a specific aspect, which is (as you may have guessed from the title): presentations.

The importance of feedback

Take a minute to think about the first presentation you've given: what was it like? Was it perfect? Probably not. Practise makes perfect, and nobody does everything right in the beginning. Even if you're a natural at speaking and presenting, there is usually something to improve and to work on. And this is where feedback comes in - because how are you going to know what it is that you should improve? You can and should of course assess yourself after each and every presentation you give, as that is an important part of learning and improvement. The problem is that you yourself are not aware of all the things that you do well (or wrong) during your presentation. But your audience is! And that's why you should get audience feedback.

Qualities of good Feedback

Before we get into the different ways of how you can get feedback from your audience, let's briefly discuss what makes good feedback. P.S.: These do not just apply for presentations, but for any kind of feedback.

• Good feedback is constructive, not destructive. The person receiving feedback should feel empowered and inspired to work on their skills, not discouraged. You can of course criticize on an objective level, but mean and insulting comments have to be kept to yourself.
• Good feedback involves saying bot what has to be improved (if there is anything) and what is already good (there is almost always something!)
• After receiving good feedback, the recipient is aware of the steps he can and should take in order to improve.

Ways of receiving / giving Feedback after a Presentation

1. print a feedback form.

Let's start with a classic: the feedback / evaluation sheet. It contains several questions, these can be either open (aka "What did you like about the presentation?") or answered on a scale (e.g. from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree"). The second question format makes a lot of sense if you have a large audience, and it also makes it easy to get an overview of the results. That's why in our feedback forms (which you can download at the end of this post), you'll find mainly statements with scales. This has been a proven way for getting and giving valuable feedback efficiently for years. We do like the feedback form a lot, though you have to be aware that you'll need to invest some time to prepare, count up and analyse.

• ask specifically what you want to ask
• good overview of the results
• anonymous (people are likely to be more honest)
• easy to access: you can just download a feedback sheet online (ours, for example, which you'll find at the end of this blog post!)
• analysing the results can be time-consuming
• you have to print out the sheets, it takes preparation

2. Online: Get digital Feedback

In the year 2020, there's got to be a better way of giving feedback, right? There is, and you should definitely try it out! SlideLizard is a free PowerPoint extension that allows you to get your audience's feedback in the quickest and easiest way possible. You can of course customize the feedback question form to your specific needs and make sure you get exactly the kind of feedback you need. Click here to download SlideLizard right now, or scroll down to read some more about the tool.

• quick and easy to access
• easy and fast export, analysis and overview of feedback
• save feedback directly on your computer
• Participants need a working Internet connection (but that usually isn't a problem nowadays)

3. Verbal Feedback

"So, how did you like the presentation?", asks the lecturer. A few people in the audience nod friendly, one or two might even say something about how the slides were nice and the content interesting. Getting verbal feedback is hard, especially in big groups. If you really want to analyse and improve your presentation habits and skills, we recommend using one of the other methods. However, if you have no internet connection and forgot to bring your feedback sheets, asking for verbal feedback is still better than nothing.

• no prerequisites
• open format
• okay for small audiences
• not anonymous (people might not be honest)
• time consuming
• no detailed evaluation
• no way to save the feedback (except for your memory)
• not suitable for big audiences

Feedback to yourself - Self Assessment

I've mentioned before that it is incredibly important to not only let others tell you what went well and what didn't in your presentation. Your own impressions are of huge value, too. After each presentation you give, ask yourself the following questions (or better yet, write your answers down!):

• What went wrong (in my opinion)? What can I do in order to avoid this from happening next time?
• What went well? What was well received by the audience? What should I do more of?
• How was I feeling during this presentation? (Nervous? Confident? ...)

Tip: If you really want to actively work on your presentation skills, filming yourself while presenting and analysing the video after is a great way to go. You'll get a different view on the way you talk, move, and come across.

Digital Feedback with SlideLizard

Were you intrigued by the idea of easy Online-feedback? With SlideLizard your attendees can easily give you feedback directly with their Smartphone. After the presentation you can analyze the result in detail.

• type in your own feedback questions
• choose your rating scale: 1-5 points, 1-6 points, 1-5 stars or 1-6 stars;
• show your attendees an open text field and let them enter any text they want

Note: SlideLizard is amazing for giving and receiving feedback, but it's definitely not the only thing it's great for. Once you download the extension, you get access to the most amazing tools - most importantly, live polls and quizzes, live Q&A sessions, attendee note taking, content and slide sharing, and presentation analytics. And the best thing about all this? You can get it for free, and it is really easy to use, as it is directly integrated in PowerPoint! Click here to discover more about SlideLizard.

Free Download: Printable Feedback Sheets for Business or School Presentations

If you'd rather stick with the good old paper-and-pen method, that's okay, too. You can choose between one of our two feedback sheet templates: there is one tailored to business presentations and seminars, and one that is created specifically for teachers assessing their students. Both forms can be downloaded as a Word, Excel, or pdf file. A lot of thought has gone into both of the forms, so you can benefit as much as possible; however, if you feel like you need to change some questions in order to better suit your needs, feel free to do so!

Feedback form for business

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for seminars, trainings,...

Feedback form for teachers (school or university)

Template as PDF, Word & Excel - perfect for school or university,...

Where can I find a free feedback form for presentations?

There are many templates available online. We designed two exclusive, free-to-download feedback sheets, which you can get in our blog article

What's the best way to get feedback for presentations?

You can get feedback on your presentations by using feedback sheets, asking for feedback verbally, or, the easiest and fastest option: get digital feedback with an online tool

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About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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Co-located audience.

Co-located Audience means that the speaker talks to the audience in person. It is used verbal and non-verbal methods to communicate a message. The speaker makes gestures with their hands, changes their face expression and shows images.

Keynote is a programme which, like PowerPoint, is used to create digital screen presentations. It is mainly used by Apple users.

External Communication

External communication is the exchange of information between two organisations. For example, it can be an exchange with customers, clients or traders. Feedback from a customer also counts as external communication.

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices Become a better presenter -- with a little help from your friends

by TED Masterclass Team • May 12, 2020

Getting useful feedback can be a critical step in developing an effective presentation - it can also be harder to find than you might expect. Honest feedback calls on you to be vulnerable, and forces your feedback partner to sometimes deliver difficult constructive criticism. The good news is that this type of deep and authentic feedback can encourage personal growth and a willingness to take creative risks.

Get high-quality feedback that elevates your presentation skills by putting in a little extra preparation and focus.

First, decide who to ask for feedback

Feedback can feel personally risky if it’s coming from a close friend or colleague. Because these relationships are so important to us, honest feedback can end up feeling critical. In these situations, it can become tempting to give non-critical feedback, but that’s not helpful.

The person you work with to give you feedback should be someone:

• You want to learn from, who pushes you to think creatively
• With a different perspective - it can help to look beyond the people you spend a lot of time with personally or professionally
• Who shares your enthusiasm for acquiring new skills and is excited for you to become a better presenter

Then, prepare to receive feedback

Just as important as deciding who will be giving you feedback, is creating an environment and mindset where giving and receiving constructive feedback is easy.

• Create a distraction-free time and space for getting feedback. Ideally both of you should be present, focused, and open. If we’re feeling stressed or pressed for time, it’s hard to be a good feedback partner. That’s why it’s wise to tune in to how you’re feeling before you schedule a session.
• Remind the person that you’re looking for honest feedback to be the best presenter you can be.
• Before getting started, tell the person if there are any specific aspects of your idea or talk that you’d like them to focus feedback on.

Finally, ask the right questions

Giving feedback can be overwhelming for your partner if they don’t know what they should be focusing on. Decide on these areas ahead of time, and let your partner know. Then follow up with questions that will help them hone in on the most helpful feedback points for you.

Get overall feedback using these three questions:

• What works?
• What needs work?
• What’s a suggestion for one thing I might try?

Get specific feedback using these questions:

• Delivery: How is it landing for you overall? Are there places where your attention is wandering? What’s distracting?
• Content: Do you get this - will the audience? What questions do you have? Where are you engaged? Surprised? Moved? Is there a clear takeaway for the audience? Do you have any clarifying questions?

Good feedback is a gift that can really elevate your presentation skills. Make the most of your feedback opportunities with a little preparation.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

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Speak & Present Effectively

6 How to give & receive feedback

In this chapter you’ll learn how to give effective feedback that supports and encourages people. you’ll also learn how to accept feedback to improve your presentations., why is effective feedback important.

Effective feedback helps us improve. You may have heard of the Johari Window, which describes 4 parts of our self-awareness:

• Open  What we know about ourselves, and is also known by others
• Blindspot  What we don’t know about ourselves, but is known by others
• Hidden  What we know about ourselves, but is not known by others.
• Unknown   What we don’t know about ourselves, and is not known by others. [1]

Good feedback helps us learn about our Blindspot – what we don’t see about ourselves, but others do.

What makes feedback e ffective ?

Effective feedback has 7 qualities:

• Timely   Soon after the presentation
• Kind  Help the listener build skills; don’t embarrass or shame them
• Positive  Tell the listener what to do, not what not to do
• Honest  Don’t lie to be nice. “Great job!” is kind but not useful
• Useful  Suggest practical, actionable improvements
• Brief  Focus on only 2 improvements (the most important ones). More will confuse the listener
• Specific  Be precise and give examples

How to give feedback

There are many ways to give feedback. This simple 3-step method is easy to remember and use:

• Keep   Describing the best part, what they should keep doing
• Improve   Then describe the most important thing to improve, and why it’s important. Focus on ‘next time’ or ‘in future.’ For example, Speak slower so we can understand. Your topic seemed interesting and I’d like to hear all of it.
• Ask  the recipient if they have questions, if what you said makes sense

How to receive feedback

We often feel ashamed or embarrassed when receiving feedback. It’s similar to the shame wave described in  Chapter 2: Why am I so nervous? Most of us have a really mean inner critic who will start yelling at us for not being perfect. This makes it hard to listen and learn.

Try to silence your inner critic so that you can benefit from the feedback. These strategies will help:

Listen actively.

• Make eye contact with the person giving you feedback
• Take notes – you’ll forget what they said
• Summarize what they said
• Ask questions

Be respectful & professional.

• Watch your tone, words and body language
• Look for what’s true and what’s useful
• Avoid arguing or explaining; try to drop your defenses

Ask questions to clarify doubts and get precise details and examples.

For example:

• “Can you say more about…?”
• “Can you explain that further, please?”
• “What advice can you give me?”
• “How can I build that skill?”
• “Where could I learn more about…?”
• “What do you recommend?”

Appreciate the feedback.

• See the good in the feedback and the person who gave it to you
• Thank the speaker and show appreciation for their time and energy
• See how the feedback can help your skills and career

Reflect & grow.

Reflect on the feedback and decide your next steps:

• What did you learn?
• How will you use the feedback to improve your skills?
• What will you do next time?

 Test your knowledge 

• Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, "The johari window," Human relations training news 5, no. 1 (1961): 6-7, http://www.richerexperiences.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Johari-Window.pdf ↵

Business Presentation Skills Copyright © 2021 by Lucinda Atwood and Christian Westin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Collect Feedback on a Presentation

How, exactly do we collect feedback on a presentation? Are there ways to solicit feedback that will help us grow as speakers? The answer is, absolutely, YES! However, the way that you typically ask for feedback may not be the best way to gain confidence as a speaker. In fact, many traditional feedback techniques can actually make you more nervous. In addition, speakers will sometimes make adjustments to their delivery based on anecdotal issues. This can start a snowball effect that leads to terrible presentation skills.

A Funny Example of How Feedback Can Throw You Off Your Game.

A few years after I started The Leaders Institute ®, I was asked to be a keynote speaker at a quarterly meeting. The group loved my presentation so much, they hired me to come back in the next quarter as well. After the second speech, members of the group came to the front of the room and thanked me. They shook my hand and complimented me over and over. I felt really good about the presentation. The last woman to speak to me, though, was the founder of the association. She was long retired from the industry, but since she was the founder, she was still quite involved in the meetings. Just like the other attendees, she started with a nice compliment.

She said, “I really enjoyed your speech! The group had so much fun listening to you. Do you mind if I give you some critical feedback, though?”

I nodded, so she continued. “I’ve noticed that a few times during the speech, you ‘double-clutched.’ My Toastmasters group can probably help you with that.”

I smiled and thanked her for the feedback. However, I didn’t change anything that I was doing as a speaker as a result of the comment. There were over 100 people in the audience. Dozens of these people told me how great the presentation was. The group liked my delivery so much that they paid a fee for me to speak to them… TWICE. And, I got a single, anecdotal, comment to make a change. Most speakers would make a change because of the comment. I didn’t.

Traditional Ways to Collect Feedback on a Presentation

• Printed Exit Survey from the Audience

In the early days of our presentation skills class , we surveyed every graduate. I used the surveys as a way to measure instructor effectiveness.

Out of the blue, I got a phone call from a class member who wanted a partial tuition refund. When I asked him to clarify, he said, “Well, the instructor let us out of class 30 minutes early each day. I want a refund for the missed time.” It was a weird request, so I did some investigating.

I looked at past surveys from this guy’s instructor. The exit surveys for the instructor were all top-notch. I decided to set up an audit of this instructor’s next class. Turns out that the instructor wasn’t following our instructor guidelines. His class members weren’t getting the massive reduction in public speaking fear that we promised. However, they had no way of knowing this. They liked the instructor, so they gave him high marks on the surveys. The results they received were subpar, though.

• Collect Feedback on a Presentation from Friends or Coworkers

For instance, if a speaker talks faster when he/she is nervous, a friend might suggest to slow down. However, this is a symptom of nervousness. Slowing down will just make the person more conscious of the nervousness. So, the nervousness will likely show up in a multitude of additional symptoms.

An analogy for this would be if your “Check Engine” light comes on. You can crawl under the dashboard and snip the electric wire to the light. The light will go off. The problem with the engine will still be there.

It is better to ask these friends for more specific feedback. “Did what I say make sense?” or “Was what I said easy to understand?”

• Self-Criticism from Video Presentation Feedback

This final type of feedback is the most detrimental. We are our own worst critic. So, I would never encourage you to video yourself as a way to improve your presentation performance. You will knit-pick every negative thing that you see about yourself. When we conduct video feedback in our presentation seminars, we focus on the positive. If you focus on your natural strengths, you will grow as a speaker. If you focus on your weaknesses, they will grow.

How to Collect Feedback on a Presentation that Will Increase Your Presentation Skills

If you want better feedback on your presentation skills, here are a few that work every time!

• The Way Your Audience Reacts to You Is a Much Better Way to Judge Your Effectiveness

Are audience members on their cellphones? If so, you are likely less interesting to them than what they are looking at. You should change something.

Are people getting up and leaving the room. If so, you have likely spoken too long without giving them a break.

Are they looking at you and nodding when you speak? If so, you are probably doing really well. They are agreeing with you and paying attention.

• Visual Feedback from Friends or Coworkers.

Although the verbal feedback from friends and coworkers can throw you off, the visual feedback can be helpful. One of the tips we give folks in our classes is to practice your presentation with a partner. (We do this in our classes before most presentations.) As you run through your presentation with another person, you get to see how they react. When you say things that they understand, they nod in agreement. When you say something confusing, their facial expressions will change. This allows you to alter and adapt your delivery. If you practice alone, you don’t get this important feedback on a presentation.

• Get Feedback on a Presentation from a Professional Coach.

Eventually, you may get to a point where you want some professional help with presentations. Investing in a good presentation can be a wise decision. If you have a big presentation where a lot is on the line, feedback from an independent third-party can help.

This is the way that I began helping companies with “shortlist” presentations. A company in Houston had a series of high-level sales presentations which amounted to millions of dollars. They wanted someone outside of their company to help them deliver the best presentations possible. After helping them with a few of these, I got better and better as a coach. In fact, we went on a run where we won about 12 of these presentations in a row.

People who attend our presentation training classes often come for this type of coaching as well. They have a big presentation coming up and want to do their best. So a class can be a good way to get access to a professional coach without the expense of one-on-one coaching.

Good Feedback Helps You Improve. Bad Feedback Can Stunt Your Growth

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04-12-2019 HOW TO BE A SUCCESS AT EVERYTHING

3 helpful ways to give feedback on a presentation

When you discuss these 3 things, you help someone else take their presentation to the next level.

[Photo: Miguel Henriques /Unsplash]

BY  Anett Grant 3 minute read

How many times has your coworker, your boss, or your friend asked you, “How was my presentation?”

Chances are, if you thought the presentation was boring, you said, “great job” with a flat tone. If you thought it was actually great, you said, “great job!” with an enthusiastic tone. After all, giving someone feedback about their presentation is a delicate act. You don’t want to provide feedback that upsets them, but you know that flattery isn’t going to turn them into a better speaker. So how can you give feedback that makes a difference without risking hurt feelings?

Here are three ways you can give your teammate feedback about their presentation that inspires improvement, whether it’s from okay to good, or from very good to excellent.

1) Discuss what was memorable

Begin your feedback by telling your presenter what you found memorable about his or her presentation. This takes your feedback to big-picture level, which is much more effective than providing granular comments. Your presenter probably has no memories of  their behavior at any particular moment, so feedback on details won’t get them very far. For example, in our Ted Talk Tips, we direct you to look at a particular moment in the talker’s presentation. Unless the talker was a highly trained orator or had meticulously rehearsed their presentation, they would have no conscious memory of exactly how they moved. They wouldn’t know what foot they were standing on, or the precise moment that they made that gesture.

Rather than giving feedback about particular moments or habits, you should describe what was most memorable to you. This way, you’re providing feedback at a level that helps the presenter understand their dominant message. If you tell them that what you remember the most was their passion, their conviction, or their idea, you’re helping your speaker focus on the big takeaway. You’ll inspire creative behavior, not obsessional adjustment.

2) Discuss the key message

If you tell your speaker, “I thought your key message was X,” you’re opening up the door to the most critical part of the presentation–what the message was, and not what the data, graphs, or charts were. In business today, presentations are not just PowerPoint parades . It doesn’t matter if you’re presenting to high-level executives or a group of interns, your talk needs to have meaning. It has to show how you think and how you synergize data into meaningful messages that have relevance and impact on the business.

By giving your presenter feedback about their key message, you are helping your presenter position their ideas at the right level, for the right audience. You’re not telling them what to do in a robotic way–you’re challenging them to align their thinking to their situation. You want to help them increase their impact, not wordsmith their speaking notes.

3) Share when you started to tune out?

No matter how much good intention you have, you’ll inevitably tune out, occasionally at best, frequently at worst. Of course, you could blame yourself or feel ashamed, but that’s a dead end. A more productive route would be to think about why you tuned out at that particular moment. Were there too many details? Was i too monotone? Too irrelevant?

When you pinpoint and share the moment that you disengaged, you identify a problem you had. You’re inviting your speaker to think about solutions to the problem–you’re not telling them what to do. Even better, you’re focusing your teammate’s attention on connecting with their audience versus getting through the material.

So, next time your colleague asks you, “What did you think about my presentation?” don’t just bite your tongue and say “great!” When you discuss the things set out in this article, you’re help your coworker become a better speaker. Who knows, you might even learn a thing or two about how to improve your own presentation.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anett Grant is the CEO of Executive Speaking, Inc. and the author of multiple e-books on speaking. Read her latest e-book here   More

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How To Give & Receive Constructive Presentation Feedback

Table of contents, why feedback is important.

We’ve heard it before, to never stop learning. To strive for continuous growth and personal improvement. As intuitive as it sounds, it can be harder than expected.

How do you know what to improve on or why to improve on certain key points? Our personal bias of performance and fear of failure blinds us from our weaknesses. You pinpoint what needs improvement based on feedback.

Feedback is important because it promotes personal and professional growth by targeting key aspects of one’s performance. With ongoing constructive feedback, an individual is able to hone in on individual skill sets in a very organized way.

Without feedback, the progression of growth is slowed. Bad habits are often overlooked and become permanent habits and giving up is more likely to occur as proper structure and guidance isn’t given.

At Presentation Geeks, we’ve completed multiple presentation designs for some of the world’s best speakers and companies . We’ve created downloadable visual presentations , sizzle reels , e-learning solutions and business forecasts reports. What we’re trying to say is we’ve seen it all. By seeing it all, we’ve also heard it all. Feedback is second nature to us and one of the foundational blocks in which our business is built upon. We know how important receiving and giving feedback is.

With that being said, we’ve outlined and gone into more detail on two reasons why feedback is important.

Gauges Audience Engagement

Feedback is important because it can be used as a gauge for audience engagement.

As perfect as we’d like to think we are, everyone has an opportunity to grow. Even a good presentation has at least a couple of things in which it can improve on. With opportunities to grow means feedback to be received. There will always be feedback to receive whether positive or negative.

If you have just completed a presentation and request feedback but receive none, you might think to yourself, “Excellent! There is absolutely nothing I need to improve on.” which unfortunately can mean quite the opposite.

Receiving no feedback could be an indication that you lost the audience’s attention. How can they provide feedback when they weren’t even listening to begin with?

Before jumping to the worst case scenario, there are a few things you can do to help weed out whether your presentation was not engaging .

First, try adding easier ways for the audience to engage with you and provide feedback. By having audience members sign-up online, you can get their email address and follow up with a feedback form such as SurveyMonkey .

Feedback forms are great because it allows the audience to easily provide feedback without needing to go out of their way to do it.

You might also take the approach of getting direct feedback. If there is an opportunity after the presentation to interact with the crowd and break off into small group chats, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Most people are more than happy to provide feedback and want to!

Improves Presentation Skills

Asking for feedback will also help improve your presentation skills .

When people are asked to give feedback on a presentation, most of the feedback you will receive will be on your delivery or the slides.

You’ll receive feedback such as, “You effectively command attention.” or, “Your slides could be more visually appealing.” or, “You overdid it on the facial expressions and they became a bit distracting.”.

The feedback you’ll receive will be both positive and negative. Don’t forget, it’s up to you to ask for the feedback, receive the feedback and take action on it. By taking action on the feedback as it relates to your presentation skills or your presentation slides, you’ll ultimately improve on your presentation skills.

Now that we know why feedback is important, let’s go over how to give and receive feedback.

How To Give Constructive Presentation Feedback

People are always looking for feedback yet not enough people give honest, good, constructive feedback. The feedback received is rarely helpful.

Giving constructive presentation feedback is an art you should master. By being able to not only receive constructive criticism, but give it as well, you’ll get a better appreciation for other people’s presentation skills and reflect upon yours. It will make navigating your own feedback journey easier.

Below you’ll find ways on how to give constructive feedback next time you’re asked.

Focus On Behaviour, Not The Person

When giving feedback, make sure it’s on the skills a person can control and change such as their behaviour rather than themselves as a person.

When you give feedback which targets a person’s character rather than their behaviour, they’ll become defensive and the feedback comes across as harsh criticism rather than constructive feedback.

Be Actionable

When giving feedback, follow up with an actionable item the person can do to work towards improving.

For example, if you felt their presentation didn’t flow well and you were lost as an audience member, don’t just leave it at that. Expand upon your comment by suggesting they add a slide outlining key agenda items. Take it a step further and explain why you suggested this.

You may say, ” I would suggest adding a slide which outlines key objectives because it will give the audience clear takeaways as to what to expect throughout the presentation. This is something I felt was missing.”

This is an actionable item someone can take away and implement and you’ve backed it up with a strong reason as to why they should do it.

Be Specific

Make sure the feedback you’re providing is specific.

Don’t just say someone needs to improve their communication skills. Be specific!

You could frame the feedback in a way that targets different forms of communication. You could pinpoint to their body language or their oral presentation. Both are forms of communication skills and without being specific, they wouldn’t know what to improve upon.

Be Realistic

Learning and growing is an ongoing progression. We can’t go from 0 – 100 overnight. We need to set realistic boundaries with the feedback we provide.

You want to be realistic when you communicate key points someone can improve on to ensure they don’t get discouraged and quit.

If requested to give feedback, be sure to do it in a timely manner.

Providing feedback in a timely manner will not only benefit the one asking, but you as well as you’re able to provide more accurate feedback.

As time goes on, you’ll begin to forget the small details that made up the entire presentation. By giving feedback in a timely manner, you’ll be able to provide more accurate and effective feedback.

Offer Continuing Support

Continuing support will take your ability to provide feedback to the next level and is immensely helpful.

Offer continuing support will allow you to establish a long-lasting rapport with people. These same people will most likely be providing you with feedback in the future.

Giving ongoing support will also allow you to become a master of your craft. The best way of fully understanding a topic is by teaching it. To become a master of presenting, you also need to be open to giving feedback. It will help you remain consistent.

End On A Positive Note

Lastly, end all feedback on a positive note.

The best growth and learning stems from positive reinforcement which can be as simple as ending things off with a positive note. Be mindful and honest with what positive note you want to end on.

A sincere compliment is far more effective than one that feels forced.

How To Receive Constructive Presentation Feedback

Once you’re able to effectively give good constructive feedback, we can now focus on receiving feedback.

What good is asking and receiving feedback if you don’t know what to do with the information. Instead of squandering golden nuggets of information, here is what you should do when asking for feedback after your own presentation.

Listen Carefully

Once you’ve asked for feedback, stop talking and listen.

Don’t try to justify your reasoning, don’t try and steer the conversation in a direction which favours your actions, just listen.

Be Aware Of Your Responses

Be aware of your responses to feedback. This includes body language, facial expressions and social cues.

You don’t want to come across as if you’re taking the feedback too personally. This will make the person providing the feedback feel like they’re hurting your feelings and they should stop or begin sugarcoating the feedback.

This will only result in inauthentic feedback which is not constructive. You want to be creating a space which can create dialogue surrounding helpful feedback.

You’ll receive a bunch of feedback over your life and the only way to grow is to be completely open with all the feedback you’ll receive.

The moment you start to close yourself off from feedback, is the moment you hinder your progression and growth.

Understand The Message

Before you leave with the feedback, make sure you fully understand what the person was trying to say.

The worst thing you can do is change something that isn’t broken. Before you walk away to start changing things, always make sure you know what you’re about to change is correct.

Reflect & Process

After you received the feedback, take time to reflect and process. This is a perfect time to conduct a self-evaluation on how you believe you did with your presentation.

Does the other person feel the same way? What are the differences they saw in my presentation that I didn’t see?

Don’t forget, we are perfectly imperfect human beings. You will never have a perfect presentation. With varying audiences all interested in something unique, you will have a hard time crafting presentation material with key messages that is compelling to everyone.

Always follow up.

Following up allows you to take action and measure your success to see if you’ve changed for the better.

Following up also makes sure the other person feels heard. What is the point of giving feedback if the person you give it to does nothing with it?

By following up, it shows you’ve taken their feedback to heart and you’re taking action.

Author:  Ryan

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How to Give Feedback on a Presentation Professionally

Master the art of professional communication in business settings with expert guidance. Learn how to give feedback on a presentation professionally.

As professionals, we frequently find ourselves in situations where we need to provide feedback on presentations. Whether it's in a corporate setting, educational institution, or any other professional environment, the ability to offer constructive criticism is a valuable skill. This guide aims to provide comprehensive insights and practical strategies for effectively giving feedback on presentations, ensuring a positive and growth-oriented approach.

Understanding the importance of giving professional presentation feedback

Enhancing the Learning Experience for the Presenter

Providing feedback on a presentation plays a vital role in enhancing the learning experience for the presenter. It offers them an opportunity to gain valuable insights into their strengths and areas for improvement. By providing constructive feedback, presenters can refine their skills, leading to continuous growth and development. When feedback is given professionally, presenters feel encouraged and supported in their efforts to improve, fostering a positive learning environment.

Fostering a Culture of Improvement and Growth

Understanding the art of giving professional presentation feedback helps in fostering a culture of improvement and growth within a team or organization. When feedback is delivered effectively, it promotes a mindset of openness and continuous learning. This, in turn, creates an environment where individuals are motivated to strive for excellence, leading to overall progress and success.

Building Constructive Relationships Through Honest Feedback

Professional presentation feedback allows for the building of constructive relationships between the presenter and the audience. It demonstrates a commitment to the presenter's success and professional development, fostering trust and transparency. By offering feedback in a professional manner, relationships are strengthened, leading to enhanced collaboration and communication.

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Practical examples of dealing with proper presentation feedback

Example 1: handling a presentation feedback dilemma in a team setting.

Scenario : In a team meeting, a colleague presents a project but lacks clarity and coherence.

Common Mistakes :

Providing vague or unclear feedback that doesn't address the specific issues in the presentation.

Using a confrontational tone that may demoralize the presenter.

Best Expression : "I appreciate the effort you put into the presentation. It would be helpful to streamline the content for better clarity and precision. Let's work together to ensure the next presentation is impactful and well-structured."

Example 2: navigating delicate situations when providing presentation feedback

Scenario : A team member exhibits nervousness and lacks confidence during a presentation.

Overlooking the emotional aspect and focusing solely on technical errors.

Criticizing without acknowledging any positive aspects of the presentation.

Best Expression : "Your dedication and effort are evident. Let's focus on building confidence through practice and incorporating storytelling techniques. Your passion for the topic will undoubtedly resonate with the audience when presented more confidently."

Example 3: tackling sensitive feedback scenarios in presentation evaluation

Scenario : Providing feedback to a team leader on their presentation.

Feeling intimidated and hesitant to provide honest feedback.

Overemphasizing minor issues, which may dilute the impact of the feedback.

Best Expression : "Your insights were valuable. Let's further emphasize the key points to provide a more impactful message. With enhanced clarity, the presentation will effectively drive our team's objectives."

Consequences of inadequate presentation feedback

Impeding the Presenter's Growth and Development

Inadequate feedback can hinder the presenter's growth and development. Without constructive criticism, the presenter may continue to exhibit the same shortcomings, impeding their professional advancement.

Hindering Team Progress Within Professional Settings

Insufficient feedback can hinder team progress within professional settings. When presentations lack constructive input, it may lead to a stagnation of ideas and innovation within the team, impacting overall productivity.

Creating an Environment of Ineffectual Communication and Ambiguity

Failure to provide professional feedback on presentations can create an environment of ineffectual communication and ambiguity. It may lead to misunderstandings and a lack of clarity in conveying ideas and information, affecting the organization's effectiveness.

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Step-by-step instructions on providing professional presentation feedback

Understanding the context and objectives of the presentation.

To provide effective feedback, it's essential to gain a thorough understanding of the context and objectives of the presentation. Consider the audience, the purpose of the presentation, and the key messages that need to be conveyed.

Utilizing a structured approach to formulating and delivering feedback

Structure the feedback by addressing specific areas such as content, delivery, and overall impact. This provides a clear framework for the presenter to assess their performance and work on areas that need refinement.

Incorporating empathy and constructive criticism in the feedback process

Approach the feedback process with empathy, recognizing the effort and dedication of the presenter. Combine this with constructive criticism to guide them towards improvement while maintaining a positive and supportive tone.

Providing actionable recommendations for improvement

Offer actionable recommendations by suggesting specific strategies for improvement. This empowers the presenter to implement practical changes, thereby fostering continuous growth and development.

Articulating professional presentation feedback

When articulating professional presentation feedback, it's essential to focus on building rapport and trust while employing encouraging language that emphasizes growth and improvement. Emphasizing the importance of clarity and specificity in feedback further ensures the effectiveness of the communication process.

Professional feedback: do's and dont's

In conclusion, understanding how to give feedback on a presentation professionally is an invaluable skill that contributes to personal and professional growth. By recognizing its importance, incorporating best practices, and leveraging practical examples, individuals can navigate the feedback process with confidence and proficiency, ultimately fostering an environment of continuous improvement and excellence.

How can i offer criticism without demoralizing the presenter?

Offering criticism without demoralizing the presenter involves framing feedback constructively, focusing on the potential for improvement, and recognizing the efforts made by the presenter.

What if the presenter disagrees with the feedback provided?

In the event of disagreement, it's important to engage in open dialogue, understanding the presenter's perspective, and collectively working towards finding common ground for constructive feedback.

How do i deliver feedback to a superior or manager professionally?

When providing feedback to a superior or manager, it's essential to approach the conversation with respect, clarity, and a solutions-oriented mindset, ensuring that the feedback is aligned with the professional context and objectives.

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How to give feedback about a presentation

As Saturday, June 1st is officially #SaySomethingNiceDay , I thought it might be “interesting” to research (and blog about!) something I’ve personally always found difficult – how to give feedback on a presentation. As that’s a significant part of my work as a presentations trainer, it’s something I’ve done a lot of, but I’m not really thinking about that kind of thing.

I’m more thinking of the time when you sit through something-or-other-but-you’re-not-sure-what from Fred in Finance. He bounds up to you at the water cooler later and grins at you. Your heart sinks…

Pick the right measure of a successful presentation

The thing about presentations is that we tend to judge them by the wrong measures. Because we’re all sat in the audience, possibly chewing off our own toe-nails in an attempt to find interest and/or meaning to the presentation and the slides, we judge presentations by how well it kept our interest and entertained us. The thing is, “keeping us entertained” is not (usually) the key metric for a presentation.

Of course, if we’re not interested in the presentation it’s hard to learn anything from it, so “being interesting enough” is the baseline for a successful presentation, but that doesn’t make it how you should measure it beyond that.

What you should do to measure whether a presentation was good or not was to ask two questions:

• what was the presentation supposed to do?
• did it do it?

If the answer to that question was “yes”, then you can go ahead an indulge praising Fred From Finance. Even if you’ve bitten off three of your toe-nails in the process.

But what about a failed presentation?

So far so good, but what do you do if the answer to the question above was “no”? That rather depends on if your job (or something similarly important) depends on the good graces of Fred From Finance. But let’s assume that you want to be reasonably honest and at the same time, reasonably positive?

How should you give feedback on a presentation?

Pretty clearly, the best option here is to get Fred to do a critique of his own work, so that you don’t need to be the one to point out the painful to him. And don’t forget, you have a moral obligation to help Fred here. Presentations cost your organisation money and morale, so letting Fred continue to get away with it is wasting time and money. Worse, bad presentations reduce the love of life! 😉

Start with something specific and concrete . For example, you might want to look at the slide’s colour scheme.

Once you’ve picked your “point of entry” for feeding back, go for a question. Use an open question, not something Fred can close down with a simple yes/no. An example might be something like “I love how much work you put into the slide design – what was it that made you pick those colours?”.

By couching it in those terms, Fred won’t automatically hear what you said as a critisism. Critisism makes people defensive. After all, they’ve done what they thought was right, and telling people they’re wrong is a direct challenge. By asking for more information you open up a conversation about the thinking process involved (assuming their was one! 🙂 ).

The important thing is to work with Fred on the problem, so that he’s receptive to change. If you work on Fred as the problem, he’ll resist.

Pro-tip – make sure the open question you use isn’t “Why?”. That’s pretty much always taken as a challenge. Compare the question above with “Why did you pick those colours for the slides?”.

If someone said that about your slides you’d automatically assume they thought the the choice was a bad one, wouldn’t you?

Oh, and don’t try to provide feedback on more than one (or two) things at a time. Too much critisism makes people feel like they’re being battered by a heavy weight – and they’re less likely to take things on board.

… and once you’ve got Fred talking about his processes, you can follow on with a hidden suggestion. Try something like “Oh, cool. I wondered if it was something like that. Have you come across the colour advice at XYZ?”

When Fred says no, you’re in the position of doing him a favour by giving him a tool to make his next presentation even better!

What about triaging the presentation?

Errrmmm… what’s triage, Simon? Triage is the act/art of splitting things into three bits:

• this can’t be helped no matter what
• this is on the borderline and can be helped with effort
• this is okay and doesn’t need to be helped

Side note: triage is originally a medical term, looking at the order in which casualties are to be treated.

In terms of Fred From Finance’s presentation this boils down to making sure the feedback you give him is in the middle bit. Don’t pick on the colour scheme of slides if it’s so damned bad that nothing you can do will save it. Similarly don’t feedback on the volume of Fred’s voice if it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Instead, pick on something about the presentation that’s on the cusp of being good enough – something that, once you improve it – will make a clear difference to how well the presentation goes.

The idea is to pick something that even Fred can see was useful, so that the next presentation is better and which in turn means that the next round of feedback is easier to give.

In short, pick your fights!

Think carefully about which bit of the presentation it’s worth giving feedback on and don’t just list everything that was wrong!

Have you ever been brutal, Simon?

Yes. That will come as no surprise, for long-time readers. I’ve walked out on public presenters because they were getting paid – but they were so bloody bad (as presenters, I’m sure they were lovely people) that they were wasting everyone’s time. That’s rare though. Normally I just find something else to do on my iPhone.

I semi-famously told someone who became a friend of mine “That was by far, the least crap presentation of today.” (If you’re interested, they held onto that line to use at a presentation of mine recently when I came off stage!)

The point is – and this is personal, not based on research… so ignore it if you want – that by not giving people some help, you’re actually doing them a disservice, along with everyone else in the audience.

On the other hand, if you’re on the receiving end of feedback, take a long hard look at whether your presentations will benefit from following it!

Love it! This is always a tricky subject to approach in my line of work. So thanks!

Hi Laura – I can imagine how tricky it is to give feedback on headshots and images. The phrase “What were you thinking?!?!” probably wouldn’t work too well! 🙂

Fun topic for #SaySomethingNiceDay : )) I saw a presentation a while ago. I disagreed with something fundamental the person said. But I just swallowed it. Your advice has encouraged me to tackle this sort of thing in future (perhaps…)

That’s interesting Janine – when I wrote it I was thinking more of ‘bad’ presentations rather than things in what might be good presentations (or bad ones) that we disagree with. I guess the principles remain the same though!

Good approaches here, Simon. It definitely sounds right to take the conciliatory/supportive approach rather than the “37 reasons why your presentation sucked ass (and why you’re even worse than that)” approach.

I’ve never heard of #SaySomethingNiceDay – what a world.

Hi John – to be honest, I’d not heard of it either until something arrived in my in-box. Nice that we’ve got such a day, but a shame that the world needs it!

Thanks Simon. This could be applied to any feedback. Particularly like the triage idea.

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How to Give Feedback Effectively and Respectfully

5 rules that will help you crush your next round of performance reviews

Morsa Images/DigitalVision/Getty Images

Types of Feedback

The five rules of effective feedback, examples of positive and negative feedback, how to give and recieve feedback, recognizing why feedback matters.

Sometimes giving feedback can be even more stressful than receiving it. After all, we want our words to be helpful and constructive, but we also don’t want to make anyone feel bad.

It's normal to be nervous about how the other person will respond to your comments. After all, a negative reaction might hurt your relationship and make it harder for you to communicate in the future.

That's why learning how to give helpful feedback is so important.

According to Jamie Levin , a strategic communications consultant, feedback can help foster growth, contribute to effective communication, resolve conflicts, and improve motivation. "Of course, these benefits are often only noticed if the parties involved are open to giving and receiving feedback," she explains.

The good news is that you can give your honest opinions in a way that doesn't make people feel bitter, angry, or downright unappreciated.

At a Glance

Feedback is crucial not only for the group's success but also for personal growth. Great feedback can help people become even better at what they do. It can also foster greater trust and communication when it is delivered correctly.

• Choose the right time
• Be clear and specific
• Focus on actions, not traits
• Take a balanced approach
• Encourage self-reflection

Feedback is crucial not only for the group's success but also for personal growth. Great feedback can help people become even better at what they do. It can also foster greater trust and communication when these rules are followed. You can also think about these rules when you are on the receiving end of feedback.

So, what exactly do we mean when we talk about feedback? It can involve any situation where we make comments based on our direct observations. What separates feedback from criticism is that it is intended to help us learn and improve our performance.

The type of feedback that we give often depends on our goals and the situation. Giving the wrong type of feedback at the wrong time can lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, or conflict.

Whether you are giving quick, informal feedback to a friend or partner, formative feedback to a coworker, or formal feedback to an employee, you can follow these five rules for making your advice as effective as possible.

Some common types of feedback that you might give include:

Informal Feedback

Informal feedback is the type of feedback you probably give the most—sometimes without even thinking about it. It tends to happen naturally. It's often something people initiate or ask for on their own (like asking your co-worker, "How does this look?" or "Does this sound right to you?").

While informal feedback can be helpful, it can also be hurtful or harmful if it comes across as unsolicited advice . Telling a colleague what you really thought about their presentation (when they didn't ask for your opinion) is a good example.

Formative Feedback

Formative feedback, often referred to as constructive feedback, is designed to help us gain skills and improve our work. It involves pointing out areas where we can improve, which is super important when we are learning a new skill.

It's not necessarily about saying that there is anything wrong with what we've done. Instead, it is about pointing out some ways we might make it even better.

Constructive feedback is sometimes misunderstood as being purely negative. Such comments can point out problems, but the entire point is to help us learn and do even better.

Constructive comments can be positive feedback—it really all depends on delivery as well as acceptance.

Formal (or Performance) Feedback

Formal feedback is structured and used to assess how we perform in a specific role. Performance reviews and educational assessments are a few examples. Formal feedback often points out areas that could be improved, but it also highlights our strengths.

Performance feedback can help measure our progress and recognize how much we've have grown in our roles. It can also be helpful when it comes to achieving specific performance goals.

It's important to remember that each kind of feedback serves a different purpose. Before choosing which type to use, you need to consider why you offer feedback, the goals you are trying to achieve, and the recipient's needs. 

Consider the situation and the needs of the individual before choosing which type of feedback is the most appropriate. You can make your comments more effective when you deliver it with consideration and empathy .

Generally speaking, there’s no universally agreed-upon set of rules for how and when to give feedback (although your workplace or organization might provide some specific guidelines to follow).

Levin says that how people perceive your feedback depends on several factors, including how you speak, the communication channel you use, whether there is an audience, and the context. Whether or not the other person is open to hearing what you have to say is also a critical factor.

Some basic recommendations that can help make sure your feedback is helpful and not hurtful.

Choose the Right Time

It's essential to give feedback in a timely manner. Don't wait until too long after a project is finished or a performance has been given to provide your comments. 

Waiting too long might make your feedback less meaningful. If someone has already moved on to a completely different project, it’s understandable that your words might carry less weight.

Delivering it too soon can also create problems, particularly if comments are more critical in nature. For example, someone enjoying a sense of accomplishment after giving a presentation might not be receptive to feedback that describes things they did wrong or ways they could have done better.

Most importantly, make sure that the feedback recipient knows they are going to be getting feedback. Don't blindside people with surprise performance reviews.

Be Clear and Specific

Avoid making vague comments or general statements about how a person did. Instead of saying, "You did good," give specific details and explanations.

For example, you might say something like, "I think you really handled [this situation] well by [taking this action]."

Be sure to utilize non-verbal communication that reinforces what you are saying. Frowning when you're complimenting the other person might cause mixed signals.

Focus on Actions, Not Personality Traits

Feedback should focus on a person's specific behaviors and actions, not on their traits and characteristics. Attributing performance to a person's character can lead to feelings of anger or defensiveness, particularly when feedback centers on addressing problems in performance.

For example, instead of saying someone is "unmotivated" or that they "lack commitment," you might say something like, "I noticed that you seem to be struggling to feel excited about this project" or "It appears that you missed your last three deadlines."

Focusing on behavior, rather than attributing it to a person’s innate characteristics, can also help foster more of a growth mindset vs. a fixed one .

When people think outcomes are caused by personal characteristics that can’t be changed, feedback is less likely to result in change. However, shifting this perspective to focus on how people can take action to improve can help them feel more motivated and capable.

Take a Balanced Approach

Great feedback should include both positive and constructive comments. If you go a little too heavy on the constructive feedback, the other person is much more likely to walk away feeling pretty terrible about themselves. In other words, focusing too much on what they're doing wrong can be upsetting, hurtful, and demotivating.

Instead, try providing some comments on ways people can improve and grow, but balance it by delivering recognition and acknowledgment of what they've done well.

Positive comments can build confidence and motivation –and take some of the sting out of constructive feedback.

Look for Ways to Encourage Self-Reflection

Feedback shouldn't just be a list of pluses and minuses. Deliver it in a way that encourages people to reflect on how they are doing , what they've done well, and ways that they might be able to improve.

How do you do this? Getting the other person involved is a great way to start. When noting things that might need improvement or areas that didn't meet expectations, you might ask, "What are some things you might do differently next time?" or "Do you have any ideas for how to change this?"

How you phrase your feedback can also make a big difference in how other people feel about it.

Positive Feedback Sounds Like...

Positive feedback is often easier to deliver. After all, most people welcome some kind words and compliments on a job well done.

For example, you might want to deliver positive feedback to an employee has shown consistently great performance. You might say something like, "I really appreciate that you took the initiative to finish the project in a timely manner. You're hard work and commitment definitely paid off!"

In other cases, you might want to deliver feedback meant to positively reinforce a team member's progress. You might say, "I'm really impressed by how much improvement you've made over the past few months. Keep it up, and you're really going to continue to shine!"

Negative Feedback Sounds Like...

Negative feedback can be a bit more challenging. This is where skills like balancing constructive comments with encouragement can be useful. 

When you need to call out shortcomings, you might say, "It's clear you put a lot of effort into the project, but a few areas need to be corrected. Let's talk about what we can do to help you make these improvements."

Using " I feel" statements when delivering negative feedback can also be helpful. Instead of phrasing feedback like, "You're always late," you might try phrasing it differently, such as, "I've noticed that you've been late several times this month. This has created some disruptions for other people in the office, so it's really important to be on time and respect other people's schedules."

Delivering negative feedback isn't easy, but sometimes there's just no getting around it. Just remember that you can get your message across without making someone feel bad. A little tact and empathy can ensure that people get the message without feeling defensive or upset.

Fortunately, giving (and receiving) feedback is a skill you can learn. "We learn a lot by being open to feedback and constructive comments,” Levin says, "It fosters healthy conversation, acceptance and shows that people have respect for one another."

When You’re Giving Feedback

Know Your Audience

Levin suggests thinking about the person who will be receiving your feedback. For example, if they prefer one-on-one communication, they might feel embarrassed or defensive if you give your feedback during a team meeting.

"Not only have you unintentionally made them feel this way, they may also be completely closed off to whatever feedback you provide as they may be so focused on how they feel rather than what you are saying," Levin says.

Give Feedback Privately

Try to give your feedback in a private setting. Even if your comments are balanced between constructive and positive statements, keeping this feedback private (or at least as private as possible) can help prevent feelings of embarrassment or defensiveness.

Suggest Solutions

Feedback should be more than a laundry list of problems. When there are shortcomings, try to be supportive and suggest solutions that can help the individual succeed in the future.

Ask Questions That Encourage Reflection

This approach can reinforce the positives while allowing the other person to think about improving things. You might ask the other person what they think went well and what they might do differently in the future.

When You’re Receiving Feedback

Try to Be Open-Minded

It isn't always easy to hear what other people say about your work. Stay open-minded and look at it as an opportunity to hone your skills.

Clarify Any Misunderstandings

Don't be afraid to ask questions if the feedback is unclear or confusing. Focus on being specific to ensure you understand what the reviewer or commenter is trying to convey.

Show Appreciation

Even if the feedback isn't exactly what you want to hear, thank the other person for their time and thoughts. It might not be easy, but it's a great way to show that you are willing to listen.

Give Yourself Time to Reflect

Avoid reacting immediately (like firing off an angry email to a co-worker or manager). Instead, give yourself time to sit with the feedback and decide what it means and how you might want to respond. You'll feel less emotional and defensive if you stop and take some time to reflect.

Try to Stay Positive

The fact is that getting negative feedback isn't any fun. Try to remember that feedback isn't meant to be a personal attack. Even though you might feel bad, remember that it's something that can help you learn and grow.

Feedback can be an important tool for both personal and professional development. It isn't always easy to evaluate your own work, so getting others to offer their comments, experiences, and expertise can help you gain new insights.

It can also help you better understand how others perceive and relate to your work.

Good feedback can also be motivating. Positive comments from colleagues, supervisors, or clients can help you feel good about your work. Experts suggest that feedback is more meaningful when it comes from someone they see as a role model.

Sometimes, it's the constructive comments that give information about what might be missing that can be your greatest source of inspiration. This type of feedback challenges you to keep learning and growing. It gives you something to work toward so that you can see your progress and be proud of how far you've come.

Continuous improvement is important to many of us, and the perspective of others is extremely valuable, even in instances when someone may not agree with it. Feedback provides perspective.

Giving and receiving feedback can sometimes be challenging, especially since you don’t want to make anyone feel bad. It’s a skill worth working on, so be willing to accept some feedback on how you give it!

Honest, well-delivered feedback can be an essential communication tool that helps people learn, grow, and learn more about themselves. Practicing feedback skills—such as being specific, action-focused, and balanced—can help ensure that people welcome what you have to say.

Jug R, Jiang XS, Bean SM. Giving and receiving effective feedback: A review article and how-to guide . Arch Pathol Lab Med . 2019;143(2):244-250. doi:10.5858/arpa.2018-0058-RA

Hardavella G, Aamli-Gaagnat A, Saad N, Rousalova I, Sreter KB. How to give and receive feedback effectively . Breathe (Sheff) . 2017;13(4):327-333. doi:10.1183/20734735.009917

Burgess A, van Diggele C, Roberts C, Mellis C. Feedback in the clinical setting . BMC Med Educ . 2020;20(Suppl 2):460. doi:10.1186/s12909-020-02280-5

Ramani S, Krackov SK. Twelve tips for giving feedback effectively in the clinical environment . Med Teach . 2012;34(10):787-791. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2012.684916

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to give a good presentation that captivates any audience

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What are the main difficulties when giving presentations?

How to create an effective presentation, after that, how do i give a memorable presentation, how to connect with the audience when presenting.

If you’ve ever heard someone give a powerful presentation, you probably remember how it made you feel. Much like a composer, a good speaker knows precisely when each note should strike to captivate their audience’s attention and leave them with a lasting impression.

No one becomes a great public speaker or presenter without practice. And almost everyone can recall a time one of their presentations went badly — that’s a painful part of the learning process.

Whether you’re working within a small creative team or a large organization, public speaking and presentation skills are vital to communicating your ideas. Knowing how to present your vision can help you pitch concepts to clients, present ideas to your team, and develop the confidence to participate in team meetings.

If you have an upcoming presentation on the horizon and feel nervous, that’s normal. Around 15-30% of the general population experience a fear of public speaking . And, unfortunately, social anxiety is on the rise, with a 12% increase in adults over the last 20 years . 

Learning how to give a good presentation can dismantle your fears and break down these barriers, ensuring you’re ready to confidently share your point of view. 

It’s the week before your presentation, and you’re already feeling nervous . Maybe there’ll be an important mentor in the room you need to impress, or you’re looking for an opportunity to show your boss your value. Regardless of your countless past presentations, you still feel nervous. 

Sharing your vision and ideas with any sized group is intimidating. You’re likely worrying about how you’ll perform as a presenter and whether the audience will be interested in what you offer. But nerves aren’t inherently negative — you can actually use this feeling to fuel your preparation.

It’s helpful to identify where your worries are coming from and address your fears. Here are some common concerns when preparing for an upcoming presentation:

Fear of public speaking: When you share your ideas in front of a group, you’re placing yourself in a vulnerable position to be critiqued on your knowledge and communication skills . Maybe you feel confident in your content, but when you think about standing in front of an audience, you feel anxious and your mind goes blank.

It’s also not uncommon to have physical symptoms when presenting . Some people experience nausea and dizziness as the brain releases adrenaline to cope with the potentially stressful situation . Remember to take deep breaths to recenter yourself and be patient, even if you make a mistake.

Losing the audience’s attention: As a presenter, your main focus is to keep your audience engaged. They should feel like they’re learning valuable information or following a story that will improve them in life or business.

Highlight the most exciting pieces of knowledge and ensure you emphasize those points in your presentation. If you feel passionate about your content, it’s more likely that your audience will experience this excitement for themselves and become invested in what you have to say.

Not knowing what content to place on presentation slides: Overloading presentation slides is a fast way to lose your audience’s attention. Your slides should contain only the main talking points and limited text to ensure your audience focuses on what you have to say rather than becoming distracted by the content on your slides.

Discomfort incorporating nonverbal communication: It’s natural to feel stiff and frozen when you’re nervous. But maintaining effective body language helps your audience stay focused on you as you speak and encourages you to relax.

If you struggle to incorporate body language into your presentations, try starting small by making hand gestures toward your slides. If you’re working with a large audience, use different parts of the stage to ensure everyone feels included. 

Each presenter has their own personal brand and style. Some may use humor to break the ice, while others might appeal to the audience’s emotional side through inspiring storytelling. 

Watching online presentations, such as TED talks, is an excellent way to expose yourself to various presentation styles and develop your own. While observing others, you can note how they carry themselves on stage and learn new ways to keep your audience engaged.

Once you’ve addressed what’s causing your fears, it’s time to prepare for a great presentation. Use your past experience as inspiration and aim to outshine your former self by learning from your mistakes and employing new techniques. Here are five presentation tips to help you create a strong presentation and wow your audience:

1. Keep it simple

Simple means something different to everyone.

Before creating your presentation, take note of your intended audience and their knowledge level of your subject. You’ll want your content to be easy for your intended audience to follow.

Say you’re giving a presentation on improving your company’s operational structure. Entry-level workers will likely need a more straightforward overview of the content than C-suite leaders, who have significantly more experience. 

Ask yourself what you want your audience to take away from your presentation and emphasize those important points. Doing this ensures they remember the most vital information rather than less important supporting ideas. Try organizing these concepts into bullet points so viewers can quickly identify critical takeaways.

2. Create a compelling structure

Put yourself in your audience member’s shoes and determine the most compelling way to organize your information. Your presentation should be articulate , cohesive, and logical, and you must be sure to include all necessary supporting evidence to strengthen your main points.

If you give away all of your answers too quickly, your audience could lose interest. And if there isn’t enough supporting information, they could hit a roadblock of confusion. Try developing a compelling story that leads your audience through your thought processes so they can experience the ups and downs alongside you. 

By structuring your presentation to lead up to a final conclusion, you’re more likely to keep listeners’ attention. Once you’ve reached that conclusion, you can offer a Q&A period to put any of their questions or concerns to rest. 

3. Use visual aids

Appealing to various learning styles is a great way to keep everyone on the same page and ensure they absorb your content. Visual aids are necessary for visual learners and make it easier for people to picture your ideas.

Aim to incorporate a mixture of photos, videos, and props to engage your audience and convey your key points. For instance, if you’re giving a presentation on anthropology subject matter, you could show your audience an artifact to help them understand how exciting a discovery must have been. 

If your presentation is long, including a video for your audience to watch is an excellent way to give yourself a break and create new jumping-off points for your speech.

4. Be aware of design techniques and trends

Thanks to cutting-edge technology and tools, you have numerous platforms at your disposal to create a good presentation. But keep in mind that although color, images, and graphics liven things up, they can cause distraction when misused.

  Here are a few standard pointers for incorporating visuals on your slides: 

• Don’t place blocks of small text on a single slide
• Use a minimalistic background instead of a busy one
• Ensure text stands out against the background color
• Only use high-resolution photos
• Maintain a consistent font style and size throughout the presentation
• Don’t overuse transitions and effects

5. Try the 10-20-30 rule

Guy Kawasaki, a prominent venture capitalist and one of the original marketing specialists for Apple, said that the best slideshow presentations are less than 10 slides , last at most 20 minutes, and use a font size of 30. Following this strategy can help you condense your information, eliminate unnecessary ideas, and maintain your audience’s focus more efficiently.

Once you’re confident in creating a memorable presentation, it’s time to learn how to give one. Here are some valuable tips for keeping your audience invested during your talk: 

Tip #1: Tell stories

Sharing an anecdote from your life can improve your credibility and increase your relatability. And when an audience relates to you, they’re more likely to feel connected to who you are as a person and encouraged to give you their full attention, as they would want others to do the same.

Gill Hicks utilized this strategy well when she shared her powerful story, “ I survived a terrorist attack. Here’s what I learned .” In her harrowing tale, Hicks highlights the importance of compassion, unconditional love , and helping those in need.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing personal stories, that’s okay. You can use examples from famous individuals or create a fictional account to demonstrate your ideas.

Tip #2: Make eye contact with the audience

Maintaining eye contact is less intimidating than it sounds. In fact, you don’t have to look your audience members directly in their eyes — you can focus on their foreheads or noses if that’s easier.

Try making eye contact with as many people as possible for 3–5 seconds each. This timing ensures you don’t look away too quickly, making the audience member feel unimportant, or linger too long, making them feel uncomfortable.

If you’re presenting to a large group, direct your focus to each part of the room to ensure no section of the audience feels ignored. 

Tip #3: Work on your stage presence

Although your tone and words are the most impactful part of your presentation, recall that body language keeps your audience engaged. Use these tips to master a professional stage presence:

• Speak with open arms and avoid crossing them
• Keep a reasonable pace and try not to stand still
• Use hand gestures to highlight important information

Tip #4: Start strong

Like watching a movie trailer, the first seconds of your talk are critical for capturing your audience’s attention. How you start your speech sets the tone for the rest of your presentation and tells your audience whether or not they should pay attention. Here are some ways to start your presentation to leave a lasting impression:

• Use a quote from a well-known and likable influential person 
• Ask a rhetorical question to create intrigue
• Start with an anecdote to add context to your talk 
• Spark your audience’s curiosity by involving them in an interactive problem-solving puzzle or riddle

Tip #5: Show your passion

Don’t be afraid of being too enthusiastic. Everyone appreciates a speaker who’s genuinely excited about their field of expertise. 

In “ Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance ,” Angela Lee Duckworth discusses the importance of passion in research and delivery. She delivers her presentation excitedly to show the audience how excitement piques interest. 

Tip #6: Plan your delivery

How you decide to deliver your speech will shape your presentation. Will you be preparing a PowerPoint presentation and using a teleprompter? Or are you working within the constraints of the digital world and presenting over Zoom?

The best presentations are conducted by speakers who know their stuff and memorize their content. However, if you find this challenging, try creating notes to use as a safety net in case you lose track.

If you’re presenting online, you can keep notes beside your computer for each slide, highlighting your key points. This ensures you include all the necessary information and follow a logical order.

Tip #7: Practice

Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes progress. There’s no way of preparing for unforeseen circumstances, but thorough practice means you’ve done everything you can to succeed.

Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or to a trusted friend or family member. Take any feedback and use it as an opportunity to fine-tune your speech. But remember: who you practice your presentation in front of may differ from your intended audience. Consider their opinions through the lens of them occupying this different position.

Tip #8: Read the room

Whether you’re a keynote speaker at an event or presenting to a small group of clients, knowing how to read the room is vital for keeping your audience happy. Stay flexible and be willing to move on from topics quickly if your listeners are uninterested or displeased with a particular part of your speech.

Tip #9: Breathe

Try taking deep breaths before your presentation to calm your nerves. If you feel rushed, you’re more likely to feel nervous and stumble on your words.

The most important thing to consider when presenting is your audience’s feelings. When you approach your next presentation calmly, you’ll put your audience at ease and encourage them to feel comfortable in your presence.

Tip #10: Provide a call-to-action

When you end your presentation, your audience should feel compelled to take a specific action, whether that’s changing their habits or contacting you for your services.

If you’re presenting to clients, create a handout with key points and contact information so they can get in touch. You should provide your LinkedIn information, email address, and phone number so they have a variety of ways to reach you. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all template for an effective presentation, as your unique audience and subject matter play a role in shaping your speech. As a general rule, though, you should aim to connect with your audience through passion and excitement. Use strong eye contact and body language. Capture their interest through storytelling and their trust through relatability.

Learning how to give a good presentation can feel overwhelming — but remember, practice makes progress. Rehearse your presentation for someone you trust, collect their feedback , and revise. Practicing your presentation skills is helpful for any job, and every challenge is a chance to grow.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

6 presentation skills and how to improve them, 3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own, tell a story they can't ignore these 10 tips will teach you how, how to make a presentation interactive and exciting, your guide to what storytelling is and how to be a good storyteller, reading the room gives you an edge — no matter who you're talking to, 18 effective strategies to improve your communication skills, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, how to disagree at work without being obnoxious, the importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate, the 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, 30 presentation feedback examples, fear of public speaking overcome it with these 7 tips, how to not be nervous for a presentation — 13 tips that work (really), 8 clever hooks for presentations (with tips), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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33 Positive Feedback Examples for Employees

by Emre Ok July 12, 2024, 8:13 pm updated July 12, 2024, 8:16 pm 31.4k Views

Welcome to our freshly updated list of positive feedback examples for colleagues, peers, and direct reports ! 

While the misconception that one should only concern themselves with the negative or constructive feedback they received is still going strong, we are here to assure you that consistent, continuous, and positive feedback for employees is just as important to employee engagement and performance.

In this blog post we will answer the question of “How to give positive feedback to peers?” while giving you multiple different positive feedback examples on various categories.

While the positive feedback examples on this list can just as easily be used as they are, we strongly recommend you customize them to reflect your relationship with your coworker, your company culture, and most importantly the specific instances the feedback is about!

Table of Contents

Can I write employee feedback with AI?

Yes, you can! While we don’t advocate you leave all your communications with your team to AI, using an AI writing assistant to enhance the quality of your feedback and the speed at which you deliver it is a great idea!

Teamflect’s digitized employee feedback templates have an AI writing assistant built into them that will help you deliver your feedback as effectively and efficiently as possible! When giving your feedback, you can:

• Spell Check 
• Regenerate 

Your employee feedback as well as check for biased language! You can try Teamflect’s feedback templates and AI feedback assistant right inside Microsoft Teams and Outlook, today, for absolutely free!

1. Positive Feedback Examples on Exceptional Work

One of the simplest positive feedback examples you can come across is the case of offering feedback to colleagues on the quality of their work.

Quality of work is an area in which you should always have some positive feedback for your colleagues in your back pocket. At the end of the day, we all fall in love with our own work and ideas from time to time.

Having a colleague appreciate that work and recognize its quality is a great morale boost. So here are some professional positive feedback examples for colleagues on exceptional work:

“I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional work you delivered on the recent [project name]. Your dedication, attention to detail, and innovative approach were truly remarkable and did not go unnoticed.”

“I wanted to express my appreciation for the exceptional work you delivered on [specific task/project]. Your expertise and dedication were evident, and your efforts played a crucial role in our success. Thank you for consistently going above and beyond.”

2. Positive Presentation Feedback Examples

Presentation feedback is perhaps the most common area where people need to offer feedback to their colleagues. It can also be one of the areas where your peers and colleagues might be the most insecure at. That is why giving positive feedback on presentations is incredibly important.

In order to help you do just that we put together some positive presentation feedback examples right here. These presentation feedback examples, while being relatively general, should definitely be customized in order to give specific examples from the presentation you are giving feedback about.

“ I was thoroughly impressed with your presentation at the [specific meeting/event]. Your confident delivery and well-structured content made it highly effective and engaging. Thank you for your hard work and skillful execution. “

“ Your presentation during the [specific meeting/event] was outstanding. Your ability to clearly convey complex information and engage the audience was impressive. Thank you for your excellent work. “

“ I wanted to commend you on your exceptional presentation skills during the [specific meeting/event]. Your clear communication, engaging delivery, and thorough preparation made a significant impact. Thank you for setting such a high standard. “

3. Positive Feedback Example on Professionalism in Difficult Situations

While many discuss how to give positive feedback, the question of when to give positive feedback hardly ever comes up. One of the most underrated instances where a colleague definitely deserves positive feedback is when someone keeps their cool and maintains professionalism in difficult situations.  So here are some professional positive feedback examples for those who never lose their professionalism:

“ Your ability to remain professional and composed during the recent [specific situation/event] was outstanding. Your calm approach and quick thinking were key in resolving the issue effectively. Great job! “

“ In the face of the [specific situation/event], your professionalism truly shone. Your level-headedness and strategic thinking turned a challenging situation into a manageable one. Thank you for your exemplary behavior. “

4. Positive Feedback Example on Teamwork and Collaboration

We can’t possibly make a list of positive feedback examples without listing some positive peer feedback on collaboration and teamwork.

Feedback for colleagues have multiple different purposes. One of those purposes is to reinforce some of the behavious you want to keep seing in them.

Excelling at working as a team and collaborating with others successfully is definitely worthy of recognition. So if here is a positive feedback example about teamwork and collaboration.

“ Your exceptional teamwork on the [specific project/task] has truly stood out. By effectively communicating and cooperating with your colleagues, you ensured that the project ran smoothly and efficiently. Your ability to bring the team together and foster a collaborative atmosphere is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your invaluable contributions. “

5. Positive Feedback for Coworkers on Leadership Skills

Another area where giving positive feedback to peers can really make a difference is leadership skills. Positive feedback on leadership can really help an individual grow into a leadership role that they perhaps weren’t considering before. Stepping up and taking the lead on anything is intimidating for anyone. So here is a positive feedback example on leadership skills.

“ Your leadership during the [specific project/task] has been exemplary. You consistently demonstrated a clear vision, guided the team with confidence, and ensured everyone felt valued and motivated. The way you manage and inspire others has not only driven our success but also fostered a positive team dynamic. Well done and thank you for your exceptional leadership. “

6. Sample Positive Feedback on Creativity and Innovation

When it comes to skills and competencies in today’s rapidly evolving world of work, the one employee competency that has consistently risen to prominence is creativity and innovation. A key part of any employee competency framework, creativity deserves some positive feedback from colleagues. So here is an example of positive feedback about creativity and innovation.

“I just wanted to say how much I admire your creativity and innovative ideas. The new approach you suggested for our project was brilliant and really pushed us forward. Your fresh perspective is a huge asset to our team.”

7. Positive Feedback about Customer Service

In an era where good customer service can make or break an organization, regardless of the field, an individual that displays great customer service, deserves a pat on the back. That is why this list of positive feedback examples for peers wouldn’t be complete without some feedback about customer service skills.

“ I wanted to express my appreciation for the outstanding customer service you provided during the [specific incident]. Your way of handling the situation with empathy and professionalism made a significant difference to the customer experience. Thank you for your exceptional service. “

8. Example of Positive Feedback about Problem-Solving Skills

Speaking of employee competencies that never go out of style… Regardless of which new trend comes around, an individual with exceptional problem-solving skills will always be a valuable member of any team they join. So here is an example of positive feedback about problem-solving skills. When using this peer feedback example, make sure you dive further into the specifics of the problem they solved!

“ Your quick thinking and innovative approach to solving the issue during [specific project/task] were impressive. The way you find effective solutions under pressure is a true asset to our team. Great job! “

9. Feedback Example for Colleagues on Meeting Deadlines

While regularly meeting deadlines may seem like an ordinary feat and simply a part of everyone’s job description, it is easier said than done. With how demanding the modern workplace is and how many projects everyone is juggling at once, an individual who constantly meets their deadlines deserves positive feedback. So here is a positive feedback example for just topic!

“ I want to commend you for consistently meeting deadlines, especially on the [specific project/task]. Your time management and commitment ensured we stayed on track and delivered high-quality results. Thank you for your dedication. “

10. Professional Feedback Example about Attention to Detail

Regardless of your field, we all know that a small mistake can make or break an entire project. Whether it is catching that one typo in a newsletter or reporting a pesky bug in your software, employees with great attention to detail save the day! So here is how to give positive feedback to your peers on their attention to detail!

“ Your meticulous attention to detail on the [specific project/task] was remarkable. You caught errors that others missed and ensured everything was perfect. Your keen eye for detail makes a significant impact. Thank you! “

11. Positive Feedback for Colleagues on Their Technical Expertise

One of the most common areas where a colleague might receive positive feedback is their technical expertise. When an individual makes a difference in a specific task, project, or process using their background and technical skills, recognizing and appreciating them will make them feel like the heroes that they are. So here is a sample positive feedback comment on technical expertise

“Your technical expertise on the [specific project/task] has been invaluable. Your deep knowledge and ability to apply it effectively have greatly contributed to our success. Thank you for sharing your skills with the team. “

12. Example of Positive Feedback for Colleagues on Their Communication Skills

Great communicators are an asset to any workplace they are a part of. Communication and interpersonal skills are more often than not a tender subject for most people. So offering individuals some good feedback on their communication skills can boost their confidence greatly! 

“ I want to highlight your exceptional communication skills displayed during the [specific meeting/event]. Your consistent knack for conveying complex ideas clearly and engaging the audience is outstanding. Thank you for your effective communication. “

13. Positive Attitude Warrants Positive Feedback

Do you know who the unsung heroes of a workplace are? Those people who show up with a smile on their gace regardless of the occasion and boost everyone’s spirits. They do more for team morale and employee engagement than a million workshops and activities. So here is a positive feedback example for those with the most positive attitudes!

“ Your positive attitude is infectious and greatly appreciated by everyone on the team. During [specific project/task], your enthusiasm and can-do spirit kept us all motivated. Thank you for your unwavering positivity. “

14. Positive Peer Feedback Example on Work Ethic

A coworker with an unwavering work ethic sets a high standard for everyone around them, boosting their coworkers’ performances alongside their own. When giving positive feedback to a coworker or direct report on their work ethic, you can use the feedback example below. As always, customizing it with specific examples can be make your feedback even more effective.

“ Your strong work ethic, especially evident in the [specific project/task], has not gone unnoticed. You consistently go above and beyond to ensure the job is done right. Thank you for your dedication and hard work. “

15. Positive Feedback Example on Adaptability

Many of the entries on this list have something in them about how the world of work is constantly evolving and changing. Perhaps one of the most important skill an individual can have in such a landscape is the ability to adapt to those changes. So here is a professional positive feedback example on a teammates adaptability.

“Your adaptability during the [specific change/event] was impressive. You handled the transition smoothly and helped the team adjust quickly. Your flexibility and willingness to embrace change are truly commendable. “

16. Good Feedback Example on Mentoring and Coaching

Having employees with great mentorship skills ensures that you have a workplace that is welcoming to new hires. Having great mentors as a part of your team can also help with talent development, and employee retention in the long-run. A colleagues ability to mentor others shouldn’t go unnoticed. That is why we included a good feedback example for mentors in the workplace.

“ Your mentoring and coaching skills have made a significant difference in the team’s development. Your guidance and support during [specific project/task] have helped many colleagues grow. Thank you for being an excellent mentor. “

17. Good Feedback on Time Management

Who isn’t juggling multiple tasks at work these days? Those who can manage all their tasks and time effectively are modern, everyday heroes. The concept of giving positive feedback to colleagues shouldn’t just be reserved for special occasions and big achievements but also those everyday acts that ensure operational excellence.

“ Your excellent time management skills were evident in the way you handled the [specific project/task]. You balanced multiple priorities effectively and ensured everything was completed on time. Thank you for your efficiency “

18. Good Feedback Example on Taking Initiative

The next positive feedback example on our list is for those who take charge and show initiative. Heading beyond their usual allotment of responsibilities and going that extra mile to ensure the success of a particular project, task, or process can result in some amazing success stories in the workplace. 

“I want to recognize your initiative in taking on the [specific project/task]. Your proactive approach and willingness to go the extra mile have been instrumental in our success. Thank you for stepping up and making a difference. “

19. Example of Positive Feedback on Reliability and Dependability

Again we go with the “Rapidly changing times…” narrative. This time however, the positive feedback goes out to ones who don’t change with the tides but remain reliable and dependable. While a workplace needs people who can change and stay flexible, it also needs some sturdy, reliable individuals to be the rocks! 

“Your reliability and dependability, especially during [specific project/task], have been crucial to our team. Knowing we can count on you to deliver high-quality work consistently is invaluable. Thank you for being so dependable. “

20. Example of Good Feedback to Colleagues on Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are a natural part of any workplace. Whenever there is a conflict, there are always those special individuals who are there to resolve it. Conflict resolution is another one of those key competencies that will never not be relevant. That is why we wanted to include an example of positive feedback for colleagues on their conflict resolution skills.

“ Your skill in resolving conflicts during the [specific situation] was exceptional. You handled the situation with diplomacy and ensured a positive outcome for everyone involved. Thank you for your effective conflict resolution. “

21. Example of Positive Feedback to Colleagues on Project Management

When you are offering good feedback to colleagues on their project management skills, you are in fact complimenting them on not one specific aspect of their job but a complex set of skills that has assured success of a particular project.  Here is a sample feedback on project management that can be taken in any direction.

“ Your project management skills on the [specific project] were outstanding. Your ability to plan, coordinate, and execute the project efficiently ensured its success.  “

22. Feedback Example on Commitment to Quality

The term perfectionist has been memed to death on social media and sketch comedy when discussing employee strengths and weaknesses. That being said having those individuals who are committed to excellence is an asset to every single team. 

“Your commitment to quality was evident in the [specific project/task]. Your dedication to ensuring the highest standards of work has greatly contributed to our success. Thank you for your unwavering commitment. “

23. Example of Positive Feedback for a Colleague on Empathy and Support

Individuals that show empathy and support to their teammates are valuable members to any team they are a part of. So when you are looking for examples of areas where you can offer positive feedback to employees, those who show empathy and support towards others shouldn’t be excluded from that list!

“ Time and time again, you’ve shown great empathy and support towards your colleagues, building bridges. Your understanding and kindness helped the team navigate through challenging times. Thank you for being so supportive. “

24. Positive Employee Feedback Example on Strategic Thinking

Every team needs those individuals who are playing 4D chess while everyone is playing checkers! Another area leaders should offer positive feedback to employees is strategic thinking. So below you will find an example of positive feedback for employees on strategic thinking.

“ Your strategic thinking during the [specific project/task] was instrumental in our success. Your ability to see the big picture and plan accordingly helped us achieve our goals. Thank you for your insightful contributions. “

25. Example of Positive Feedback on Organizational Skills

As companies grow the ammount of responsibility everyone takes on increases. Those with great organizational skills are the ones that keep the ship running during growing pains. We’ve included a positive employee feedback example on organizational skills below for you.

“ Your organizational skills during the [specific project/task] were outstanding. You kept everything on track and ensured that all details were accounted for. You have, time and time again, kept our team focused on what really matters! Great work! “

26. Positive Employee Feedback on Decision-Making

When you want your positive feedback on leadership, taking initiative, or project management to be more specific, you need to look at some of the core building blocks of those concepts. If you do so, you will find that decision-making is a core competency for all of them. So in order to make your feedback more specific, here is a feedback example on decision making.

“ Your decision-making skills during the [specific situation/event] were impressive. You made well-informed decisions quickly and effectively, leading to a successful outcome. Thank you for your sound judgment. “

27. Positive Employee Feedback Example on Continuous Improvement

Employees who constantly grow and develop their skills are an asset to their organization and the people around them. They inspire growth and development in their teammates and show that they are committed to their careers. For that reason, we added a positive feedback example on continuous improvement to the list!

“ Your commitment to continuous improvement is evident in your work on the [specific project/task]. Your efforts to find better ways of doing things have made a significant impact. Thank you for always striving for excellence. “

28. Positive Feedback Example on Resourcefulness

In a workplace filled with unexpected challenges and limited resources, the ability to be resourceful is a highly valued trait. Resourcefulness is not just about finding quick fixes; it’s about using creativity and ingenuity to solve problems and make the best use of what’s available.

Acknowledging someone’s resourcefulness can inspire continued innovation and problem-solving. Here’s an example of positive feedback on resourcefulness:

“ Your resourcefulness during the [specific project/task] was remarkable. You found creative solutions to problems and used available resources effectively. Thank you for your ingenuity and problem-solving skills. “

29. Example of Positive Feedback on Flexibility

Flexibility is an essential competency in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing work environment. Being adaptable to shifting priorities and new situations is crucial for both personal and team success. Praising someone for their flexibility not only boosts their morale but also encourages a culture of resilience and adaptability within the team. Here’s an example of positive feedback on flexibility:

“ Your flexibility in adapting to the changes during the [specific project/task] was highly appreciated. You handled the shifting priorities with ease and maintained high standards throughout. Thank you for being so adaptable. “

30. Positive Feedback about Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are fundamental in creating a collaborative and positive work environment. The ability to communicate effectively, build relationships, and foster teamwork is invaluable. Recognizing and appreciating these skills can strengthen team dynamics and enhance overall productivity. Right here you will find an example of positive feedback about interpersonal skills:

“ Your interpersonal skills have greatly contributed to the positive work environment in our team. You have your very own way to connect with colleagues and foster collaboration and it  was evident during the [specific project/task]. Thank you for your excellent people skills. “

Tips for Giving Positive Feedback

When it comes to giving positive feedback for colleagues, there are some general tips we can give to help you provide effective and meaningful recognition. Our tips will ensure that your feedback is well-received and encourages further growth and development.

A. Be specific and detailed in your feedback

When offering positive feedback, it’s important to be specific about what the person did well. Instead of simply saying, “Good job,” provide detailed examples and describe the specific actions or behaviors that impressed you. Giving specificity to your feedback helps your colleague understand exactly what they did right and encourages them to continue those positive actions.

B. Provide feedback in a timely manner

Timeliness is key when giving positive feedback. Aim to recognize and acknowledge the person’s accomplishments as soon as possible after they occur. Giving immediate feedback reinforces the positive behavior or achievement and shows that you value their efforts. Delayed feedback may lose its impact and fail to motivate the individual effectively.

C. Use positive language and tone

The language and tone you use while giving positive feedback greatly influence how it is received. Ensure that your words convey genuine appreciation and positivity. Choose uplifting and encouraging phrases that make the person feel valued and respected. Avoid mixing positive feedback with negative criticism, as it can dilute the impact of your appreciation.

D. Tailor your feedback to the individual’s strengths and accomplishments

Recognize and highlight the specific strengths and accomplishments of the individual. Everyone has different talents and areas of expertise, so tailor your feedback to align with their unique qualities. Acknowledging their strengths helps boost their confidence and encourages them to further excel in those areas.

What are the benefits of giving positive feedback at work?

Giving positive feedback can be a real game-changer in the workplace! Not only can it boost morale and motivation, but it can also help to create a supportive and positive work environment.

When someone receives positive feedback, they feel valued and appreciated, which can increase their engagement and commitment to their job. Plus, it’s always nice to know that your hard work is being recognized by your peers. Remember, peer recognition is magic!

Positive feedback doesn’t just boost morale and motivation! It also reinforces the positive behavior you praise. It is quite simply common sense, really. When you praise someone for a job well done, they’re more likely to continue doing the same things in the future. This leads to a more productive and efficient workplace, as well as happier and more fulfilled employees.

When to give positive feedback?

Positive feedback can be given at any time, but it’s most effective when it’s given as close to the event as possible. To make sure you give positive feedback at the best possible time, here is a small list of situations you should give positive feedback for:

When a colleague has completed a challenging project or task When a team member has gone above and beyond to help the team meet a deadline After a coworker has demonstrated exceptional teamwork or collaboration skills When an employee has achieved a significant milestone or accomplished a major goal When a team member has consistently shown improvement in their work or has overcome a personal or professional challenge.

How to give positive feedback examples?

Giving positive feedback is an important skill in both personal and professional settings. It helps motivate and encourage others, builds strong relationships, and fosters a positive environment.

Express appreciation: Let the person know that you value their contribution and effort.

Example: “I want to express my appreciation for your hard work on the project. Your dedication, attention to detail, and creativity really made a difference. The project turned out to be a great success, and you played a significant role in that.”

Focus on strengths: Highlight the person’s strengths and how they have positively impacted the situation or task.

Example: “Your problem-solving skills have been outstanding. Every time we face a challenge, you come up with innovative solutions that not only solve the problem but also improve our overall processes. Your ability to think outside the box is truly impressive.”

Connect to impact: Explain the positive impact of the person’s actions on the team, organization, or project.

Example: “Your leadership during the team project was invaluable. Your ability to delegate tasks effectively and provide guidance and support to team members greatly contributed to our success. Your leadership style fostered a collaborative environment where everyone felt motivated and empowered to do their best.”

Encourage personal growth: Highlight growth or improvement in someone’s skills or abilities.

Example: “I’ve noticed a significant improvement in your presentation skills over the past few months. Your confidence, delivery, and ability to engage the audience have all improved tremendously. Keep up the great work!”

Be genuine and sincere: Make sure your feedback comes from a place of authenticity and sincerity.

Example: “I genuinely appreciate your positive attitude and enthusiasm. Your energy is contagious, and it really boosts the team’s morale. Your positive outlook has created a supportive and enjoyable work environment.”

What to avoid when giving positive feedback to your colleagues?

While it may seem counterintuitive to consider potential issues when giving positive feedback, there are still important nuances to consider. While it may seem like positive feedback can’t do any harm, you just might be surprised at some of the nuances that go into good feedback comments. Here are some positive feedback issues you have to avoid!

Issue 1: Generic Praise One common mistake when giving positive feedback is being too vague or generic. Generic compliments like “Great job!” or “You’re awesome!” lack specificity and may not carry the weight of genuine appreciation. Be specific in your praise. Highlight the particular actions, behaviors, or achievements that impressed you. For example, instead of saying “Great presentation,” you could say, “I was impressed by how well you articulated the key points during the presentation, and your use of visuals made it engaging and informative.”

Issue 2: Overdoing It While frequent positive feedback is encouraged, overdoing it can dilute its impact. If you praise every little thing, it may come across as insincere. Reserve your positive feedback for truly outstanding or noteworthy accomplishments. This way, when you do offer praise, it will be seen as genuine and meaningful.

Issue 3: Public vs. Private Feedback Publicly acknowledging your colleagues’ achievements can boost their morale, but not everyone is comfortable with public recognition. Gauge your colleague’s preferences and comfort level with public praise. Some may appreciate it, while others may prefer private acknowledgment. Respect their preferences to ensure your feedback is well-received.

Issue 4: Exaggeration Exaggerating your praise can make it seem insincere and overblown. Colleagues may question the authenticity of your compliments if they feel inflated. Stick to genuine, honest, and good feedback. Express your admiration without resorting to hyperbole. If you genuinely believe your colleague did an exceptional job, your sincerity will shine through.

In Conclusion

We want to end this post with a bit of a disclaimer. There isn’t a single example of positive feedback that has to be followed to a tee. While we wanted to provide you with as many professional positive feedback examples as we could, at the end of the day, the way you give positive feedback should change depending on who you are talking to, your organization’s culture, and a billion other things.

If you’ve come to this blog post with the question “What are some examples of positive feedback for colleagues?”, we do hope that you’re leaving satisfied and that we’ve also provided you with more than just good feedback examples but also some insight on how to give feedback as well!

Whether you are coming up with ideas for creative feedback for colleagues or simply looking to whip up some positive feedback for your coworkers, we hope you have the best of times!

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Written by emre ok.

Emre is a content writer at Teamflect who aims to share fun and unique insight into the world of performance management.

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How to Give Feedback People Can Actually Use

• Jennifer Porter

It should meet eight criteria.

Most of the feedback we receive isn’t actually very useful. It’s often filled with platitudes and vague labels like “inspiring,” “great,” or “lacking executive presence.” To help someone grow, try  strategic developmental feedback  instead. This kind of feedback includes eight components. It is: 1) Big-picture focused, 2) Organizationally aligned, 3) Behavioral and specific, 4) Factual, not interpretive, 5) Both positive and negative, 6) Focused on patterns, 7) Linked to impact, 8) Prioritized.

Over the last decade, I’ve conducted thousands of 360-degree feedback interviews with the colleagues of the leaders I coach. My goal with these sessions is to get a better sense of my clients’ strengths and weaknesses, but more often than not, the feedback isn’t particularly useful.

• JP Jennifer Porter is the Managing Partner of The Boda Group, a leadership and team development firm. She is a graduate of Bates College and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, an experienced operations executive, and an executive and team coach.

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More From Forbes

15 presentation tips for captivating your audience and commanding the room.

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Person speaking in front of audience

Public speaking can be a daunting task, especially when addressing a large audience. Whether you're giving a presentation in the boardroom or delivering a keynote speech at a conference, holding your audience's attention and maintaining command of the room is paramount. The ability to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression not only enhances your message's impact but also builds your reputation as a confident and effective speaker.

Here, Forbes Coaches Council members share invaluable tips and strategies to help you conquer your fear of public speaking and ensure that your next presentation or speech is a resounding success.

1. Be Confident

Be grounded and confident to be yourself and then tell great stories. Use your voice and the stage to bring the stories alive. Your audience will connect to the emotion of the story but make sure that it is relevant for your audience and related to the topic. - Cath Daley , Cath Daley Ltd

2. Find A Way To Actively Engage The Audience

Be prepared with ways to get your audience engaged and keep their focus. Whether that's relating to your audience, telling a joke or asking questions, actively driving engagement will make for a more effective presentation or speech. - Luke Feldmeier , Online Leadership Training - Career and Leadership Accelerator for Engineers

3. Create An Emotional Connection

Creating an emotional connection with the audience and involving them in your session fosters active participation, and ensures your audience stays engaged throughout. This also serves to enhance your presence and to create memories that stay with them long after your presentation ends. - Kristin Andree , Andree Group

4. Put Your Unique Take Front And Center

Do you have something unexpected to say about your topic? Something that goes against the mainstream opinion in your industry or is maybe even slightly provocative? If so, putting your unique take front and center in the title and the beginning of your talk and explaining or resolving it later keeps your audience engaged and interested. - Micha Goebig , Go Big Coaching & Communications, LLC

5. Remember That The Audience Doesn't Know Your Planned Speech

No one wants to see you fail as a speaker. Remember that the focus shouldn't be on whether or not you can recall verbatim every word of your planned speech. The focus should be on how to connect to your audience with a few key points using a combination of storytelling and facts. - Sheri Nasim , Center for Executive Excellence

6. Adapt Your Language To The Audience

Talk about something they are interested in or include elements that will keep them interested. Start by asking why your topic matters to each and every one of them. Use language adapted to the audience. Keep the key messages to two or three maximum. Show them what you think and why you care about the topic. - Isabelle Claus Teixeira , Business and Human Development Consulting Pte Ltd

7. Try To Incorporate An Element Of Surprise

Engagement is the key to keeping the audience's attention. Invite participation, tell stories, walk around, have visuals, include humor, raise your voice and ask questions. Think of a comedian who points at someone in the audience: "Hey, you with the red shirt?" Everyone pays attention. What element of surprise can you present? - Susan Jordan, MBA, MSODL, PCC , Sphereshift Coaching and Consulting

8. Know Your Audience

Doing research ahead of time to ensure you're providing the subject matter in a personalized manner will keep their attention. The topic will dictate the necessary vibe. Based on that, providing opportunities for the group to engage, such as shouting out a word, raising a hand, etc., will also help maintain their interest. - Lindsay Miller , Reverie Organizational Development Specialists

9. Use The Problem-Agitation-Solution Approach

Don't just give a presentation — share a story. It must be a story-audience fit though. Use the P.A.S. — problem-agitation-solution — approach. Start with introducing a problem, follow by agitating the problem via telling a relevant anecdote and conclude by offering a solution by giving an audience a clear, direct way to avoid the pain and learn the lesson. - Alla Adam , Alla Adam Coaching

10. Tell The Audience What They Need To Hear

Instead of trying to figure out what to say, figure out what the audience wants and needs to hear. This shift in perspective allows you to tailor your speech in a way that keeps audiences actively engaged because it's good content that they want to hear. - Robin Pou , The Confident Leader

11. Go All In

To command your audience's attention you have to get into the spirit of what you're teaching and go all in without second-guessing yourself. People want to be led, but they'll be unwilling to follow someone who isn't confident in what they are communicating. - Arash Vossoughi , Voss Coaching Co.

12. Use A Compelling Opening

Start your speech/presentation with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant story or a thought-provoking question. This initial engagement can help you establish a strong connection with the audience and set the stage for a captivating presentation. - Moza-Bella Tram , Moza-Bella LLC

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

13. Be Authentic

Connect deeply with your essence and purpose. Radiate authenticity. When you're centered in genuine passion and truth others feel it, creating an unspoken bond. It's not about performing; it's about being present and real and offering value from the heart. That's magnetic. - Anna Yusim, MD , Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching

14. Let Your Audience Talk

There is nothing worse than stealing everyone's craving for autonomy and speaking the whole time. The person who does the talking does the learning. So, give some autonomy to the audience. Let them talk. Even if it's thinking time and talking to themselves, or to their neighbor or table group. This gains trust and they will lean into what you have to say even more. - Alex Draper , DX Learning Solutions

15. Leverage Non-Verbal Cues

My top tip is to engage your audience through storytelling. A compelling narrative captures attention, evokes emotion and makes complex ideas more relatable. Additionally, use body language and eye contact effectively. These non-verbal cues can significantly enhance your connection with the audience. - Peter Boolkah , The Transition Guy

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Giving feedback can be daunting for new leaders — here’s how to provide it thoughtfully

Assistant Professor of Strategy and Organizational Theory, Mount Royal University

PhD Candidate, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary

Disclosure statement

Leda Stawnychko receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Mehnaz Rafi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Calgary provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation CA.

University of Calgary and Mount Royal University provide funding as members of The Conversation CA-FR.

Mount Royal University provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA.

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Giving performance feedback at work can be a stressful experience, especially for new leaders and their employees . It often evokes feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and defensiveness.

Leaders might worry about how their feedback will be received and how it could affect workplace relationships. On the other hand, employees might feel vulnerable and apprehensive about being judged or criticized, which can lead to defensive reactions.

Yet, feedback has never been more important. In today’s world, where complexity and unpredictability are the norm , leaders need access to diverse perspectives and accurate information to make informed decisions and strategically adjust their approaches.

Employees can be apprehensive to speak up at work , so it’s crucial to create a workplace culture that values continuous learning and open communication. This requires everyone in an organization to engage actively in both giving and receiving constructive feedback.

When feedback is delivered thoughtfully and perceived as constructive by employees, it can bridge the gap between potential and performance and provide clarity in times of uncertainty.

For new leaders, mastering the art of giving feedback involves more than just addressing performance issues; it includes recognizing achievements, fostering professional development and building trust with employees.

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

Read more from Quarter Life:

Ready for the next step in your career? Here’s how to get ready for your first leadership position

How to deal with being the youngest in the office

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Staying competitive

Performance feedback offers several benefits that can help leaders and their workplaces. First, feedback helps leaders identify gaps between current and desired performance, allowing them to detect limitations and develop strategies for improvement. By understanding and addressing these discrepancies , leaders can enhance their workplace’s performance.

In addition, managerial roles are often ambiguous and uncertain, especially as leaders move up the organizational hierarchy due to broader responsibilities, complex decision-making, and less direct oversight.

Traditional control mechanisms, like job descriptions and formal performance reviews, are often inadequate for guiding leaders through these complexities. In such cases, actively seeking out feedback becomes crucial for effectiveness.

Leaders need diverse feedback sources, such as peers, customers, mentors and industry experts, to understand and respond effectively to the rapidly changing business environment. Feedback from employees helps leaders tap into the collective intelligence of their teams, make informed decisions, identify strategic misalignments and develop innovative solutions.

Lastly, regularly seeking feedback from employees fosters a culture of continuous learning and engagement in the workplace. It strengthens relationships, shows appreciation for employees’ knowledge, and motivates them to contribute to organizational goals.

Seeking out feedback is key

It’s equally important for leaders to seek and receive feedback from their employees. Embracing feedback enhances adaptability by providing leaders with real-time insights into what’s working and what’s not, allowing them to make necessary adjustments.

Leaders who actively seek feedback can refine their strategies, adapt their leadership styles, and improve inclusiveness within their teams, leading to better decision-making and stronger team dynamics.

When leaders seek feedback, they demonstrate humility and a commitment to self-improvement, which instills these values in their employees.

Leaders who actively seek feedback are seen as more effective, trustworthy, authentic and respectful. This behaviour positively impacts performance across all sectors. Employees working under such leaders feel more engaged, committed, resilient, energized, creative and satisfied at work .

Despite the benefits, many leaders — especially new ones — find giving and receiving feedback daunting and avoid it. Performance feedback can improve performance and leader effectiveness, but it can also lead to lower performance and interpersonal conflict if not done right.

This happens because our performance at work is closely tied to our perception of who we are. Negative feedback can hurt our positive self perceptions , leading to defensive reactions.

How to provide thoughtful feedback

To ensure feedback is received positively and constructively, here are five strategies to consider:

1. Develop your skill: Improve your ability to give feedback by educating yourself through articles, videos and formal training . Observe other leaders to learn from their techniques . Practice delivering feedback in low-stakes situations to build confidence and proficiency, and take time to reflect on your experiences.

2. Check your motives: Before giving feedback, ensure your intentions are genuinely aimed at helping the recipient improve, rather than to criticize or vent any frustrations. If you are seeking feedback, approach it with an open mind and be ready to listen and act on the insights provided.

3. Choose the right time and setting: Timing is everything . Provide feedback when both you and the recipient are calm and avoid times of high stress. Deliver feedback while the context is fresh and the details are clear. Choose an appropriate, comfortable setting where the recipient feels safe and open to discussion. These conversations should not feel intimidating for either party.

4. Separate performance from self-concept: When giving feedback, focus on task-related processes — steps, techniques and strategies — rather than on the person’s abilities or value. This approach reduces defensiveness and promotes improvement by directing attention to the task at hand. Be specific and clear when acknowledging good performance in employees .

5. Treat feedback as a gift: When asking for feedback from employees, acknowledge the risk they take in sharing their insights, such as potential discomfort or fear of negative repercussions. Appreciate their courage and use the feedback to grow and improve . Practice humility, and recognize that constructive feedback gives you the opportunity to benefit personally and advance your career.

Giving and receiving feedback constructively is more than just another leadership skill — it’s a strategic tool that can build trust while driving better decision-making. Practice it regularly, and watch both your leadership capacity and team dynamics flourish.

• Workplace leadership
• Leadership skills
• Quarter Life

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Cooking up a great prompt: Getting the most from Copilot

Prompts are how you ask Copilot for Microsoft 365 to do something for you — like creating, summarizing, editing, or transforming. Think about prompting like having a conversation, using plain but clear language and providing context like you would with an assistant.

1. Tell Copilot what you need

2. Include the right prompt ingredients

To get the best response, it’s important to focus on some of the key elements below when phrasing your Copilot prompts.

3. Keep the conversation going

Following up on your prompts help you collaborate with Copilot to gain more useful, tailored responses.

Helpful hints to keep in mind

Know Copilot’s limitations  Copilot is limited to your current conversation, so give lots of details.

Be professional Using polite language improves Copilot’s response.

Communicate clearly Pay attention to punctuation, grammar, and capitalization.

Use quotation marks ​​​​This helps Copilot know what to write, modify, or replace for you.

Start fresh Avoid interrupting and type “new topic” when switching tasks.

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