Common Feedback Mistakes

Giving feedback is an integral part of managerial work, and it can confidently be said that it is one of the key tools leaders use. In turn, feedback gives us the opportunity to improve results, processes, and communication. However, poorly delivered feedback can directly worsen outcomes and lead to employee demotivation or frustration. That is why, in this blog, I will share the main mistakes managers often make when giving feedback.

Delayed Feedback
One of the most common mistakes is delayed feedback. As a manager myself, I have experienced situations where a subordinate made a mistake while completing a task, and because I was in a good mood, I didn’t give feedback—I simply overlooked the mistake. After some time, the employee repeated the same mistake, and only then did I decide to address it. The employee listened and said, “I did it this way before and you didn’t say anything, so I assumed it was acceptable for you.” At that moment, I realized that as a manager, I should have explained from the very first mistake what needed to be changed or improved and what the employee should focus on in order to perform the task correctly in the future.

Incomplete Feedback
Sometimes managers provide incomplete feedback, leaving the main issue unclear—what exactly the employee should change, where the mistake was made, what the manager didn’t like, and what needs improvement. Once, I received feedback from a manager that went like this: “Yes, it’s good, but you could do some things better.” Naturally, I was curious about what needed improvement and tried to clarify what exactly was meant. Unfortunately, the response was: “Nothing is ever perfect or ideal, so just try to do better next time.” To this day, it’s unclear to me what exactly the manager was dissatisfied with—leaving me simply confused.

Only Negative Feedback
Most of us have probably experienced situations where we worked hard on a task, did many things well, resolved issues on time, but left a small detail to improve. The manager, however, focuses only on that flaw and delivers feedback in a negative tone. In such cases, a natural question arises: “I did so many things well—why is the focus only on the negative?”

As mentioned above, these mistakes are quite common and are made by both beginner and experienced managers. Therefore, here are a few key points to keep in mind:

• Provide feedback on time — One of the most important aspects managers should consider. Overlooking issues may lead to repeated mistakes or incorrect actions.
• Give clear and complete feedback — After receiving feedback, the employee should fully understand what needs to be improved and what should be changed.
• Include positive feedback — Highlighting what the employee did well increases motivation and encourages them to approach their work with greater quality and dedication in the future.