How to give critical feedback in English

Chris Rush
February 18, 2024

Every week, we dive into practical strategies and insights to help you navigate the complexities of managing in English. Let's get started!

Read time: 2 minutes

Find the mistake in this sentence (Answer at the bottom):

It’s important that every employee follows the new guidelines strictly.

Today’s Template

An oral script or piece of writing you can adapt and use at work

Giving Constructive Feedback in English

Feedback is important both for growth and improvement. Here’s a simple template to ensure your feedback is constructive and well-received in English.

Purpose	Example Sentence
Initiate the conversation	"Hi [Name], do you have a moment to talk about [Project]?"
Express appreciation	"First, I really appreciate your hard work on [Project]."
State the feedback	"I noticed [Specific Issue] and thought we could address it."
Suggest a solution or ask for input	"Perhaps we could try [Solution] or what are your thoughts?"
Encourage and support	"I’m confident we can improve this together. Let’s check in again soon."
Close positively	"Thanks for your openness to feedback. I value your contributions."

Business Idiom of the week

Hit the ground running

Use this phrase to describe starting a project or role with enthusiasm and energy, and without delay. For example, "With the new product launch, our team needs to hit the ground running to meet our milestones."

Did You know?

Over 60% of patents filed worldwide are in English

Find the mistake from above:

It’s important that every employee follows the new guidelines strictly.

The mistake is in the use of "follows" which should be "follow" to correctly use the subjunctive mood: "It's important that every employee follow the new guidelines strictly."

Keep practicing,

Chris