Tips For Giving A Professional Constructive Feedback To A Writer in 2024 [Updated]

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“There is no failure. Only Feedback,” – Robert Allen                                                         

Once the senior editor of my college magazine said,” You are a pretty good writer!”.

Those were the words that inspired me to become a writer.

And now when I work in a corporate environment I realise that feedbacks can make or break a writer’s confidence.

Writer’s most prized possession is their writing and hence they are very sentimental about it.

No matter how good your intentions are, if feedbacks are not coated with the right words and approach, it can cause an adverse effect.

So giving constructive feedback to a writer is crucial to boost motivation and to improve his content as well.

Constructive  feedback vs Negative feedback

Broadly speaking, feedback are basically the information given to a performer based on the performance with an objective to derive perfection. This information can be both constructive and negative.

Let’s understand what negative and constructive feedback is

Constructive Feedback is an inherent part of any assessment. It is a healthy blend of applaud for achievements and suggestions for better performance. In the writing context, both positive and negative feedback is important.

Writers crave for acknowledgement and nobody likes criticism. Negative feedback is harsh and often misses the purpose of providing feedback. Such feedbacks tend to hurt one’s self-esteem which leads to anxiety, frustration and self-doubt.

However, such criticism, if dealt properly can be a performance enhancer and eventually turn out to be constructive feedback.

Hence while giving professional feedback to a writer we must consider the advantages of effective feedback.

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To be effective, feedback should be clear, concise, purposeful and in harmony with the content and provide logical suggestions.

Here is a guidepost on how to give feedback to a writer professionally

While pursuing content writing course at Henry Harvin, I came across a blog from the CEO Kounal Gupta that worked as a guidepost for me to understand how to give constructive feedback to a writer.

There is a well-known theory called “The shit sandwich” which many consider as a benchmark for giving feedback. It says while giving feedback, always start and finish with praise.

Whatever criticism or suggestion you want to convey should be sandwiched between the positive feedbacks.

Primarily the idea behind this approach is to soften the blow of criticism with compliments.

However, many believe this is a useless approach of giving feedback as this preaches a misconstrued idea that negative feedback is easier to digest if it is preceded by praise.

But honestly, speaking, I find this approach to be quite pragmatic. Yes, I know many of you will not conform with me but I have sound reasons to back my opinion

•  Firstly, there is no harm in praising someone”s hard work
• Secondly praising writers at the very beginning will encourage them and this will ease the transition of feedbacks.

I have listed down  some tips on how to give feedback to a writer without hurting his self-esteem. Let’s take a look-

1. Here are some tips to follow while giving feedback to a writer.

• Always Start with the Positive

When offering feedback to a writer, the first thing we should do is to acknowledge the effort the writer has put in to develop the content. We should follow the golden rule that says we should treat others the way we want to be treated.

Secondly, mention step by step the key highlights of the content. This will help the writers to gauge what is working for them and how to keep up the good work.

In addition to this, complimenting on the quality work helps the writer to expand their potential and fuels motivation for new assignments.

And most importantly, we have to reckon the fact that it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. 

Lastly,  Never forget The 3Cs of constructive feedback –

• Choice of words
• Compassion
• Compliment

2. Point out the problematic areas

Here comes the toughest part of giving feedback, the criticism part.

An editor’s job is to review the article and call out the mistakes.

Sometimes we find recurring mistakes in the write-up and instead of sending them back to the writer we fix them ourselves.

That’s a strict no-no! Because if we don’t point out those chronic flaws on the sight,  the writer will never learn to do them in the right way.

Also, it will be exhausting for the editor to correct the same mistake again and again.  If you inform the writer after multiple recurrences, this might create confusion and disagreement as the writer may ask”Why now?”

So first thing first, if you spot a mistake in the writer’s work, address it right on!

It is very essential to point out every mistake honestly every time if you want your writers to follow your constructive feedback.

Another aspect of giving constructive feedback: Identify problems not solutions

Content Writing is an art where writers weave ideas in their mind and take ownership of their work through words.

.So while offering feedback to their creative piece do not inculcate your own ideas, no matter how tempting it looks.

At some point, writers can misjudge your solution as interference which can compromise the purpose of constructive feedback.

 It is a writer’s job to fix problems in his write-up and your job is to help him find the problems they overlooked.

#3. The One-Size Fits All Feedback

3. The one Size fits all feedback

We know no two individuals are similar even if they play the same role or have similar goals. Especially the writers who display lots of uniqueness and creativity in their work.

So it is unfair to send the same feedback to different writers.

Surprisingly, some editors tend to provide feedback without tailoring as per writers potential.

Most editors who adopt the one size fits all feedback approach believes feedback to be a medium to express their views and observations on the write-up.

But unfortunately, it is not so!

Essentially feedbacks are meant for giving writers a chance to introspect and thus enhance growth.

According to an article published by The Journal Of Consumer Research, feedbacks should be customised as per the personality and seniority of the employee.

Researchers also revealed that type of feedback people prefer to receive varies between expert and beginners.

The experts seek negative feedback to counter their weaknesses, whereas beginners lookout for constructive feedback to gain confidence. They welcome the shit sandwich approach to get insight and derive motivation.

Hence, one-size-fits-all feedback is not a very smart approach to deliver feedback.

4. Choose quality over quantity

You may come across a content piece which has many problems and as an editor, you may want to point out all of them.

But this may not go well with the writer especially the beginners and sometimes the experienced writerS as well. They do not like the critique who criticise almost everything.

In such scenarios, the purpose of feedback is misunderstood.

So to avoid such a situation try to choose quality over quantity.

You will deliver constructive feedback effectively if you do not leave the writer overburdened with a heap of rework to salvage the write-up.

Just choose some major points to focus on and be thorough in your analysis of them.

Balance is the key!

5. Use of tone and language

A good feedback provider required to have empathy along with good analytical and communication skills.

Language plays a crucial role in sharing feedback.

Firstly it speaks volume about you and secondly, it makes a lasting impression on the writer.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are delivering feedback either in writing or verbally.

• Never get personal. Always focus on the work, not the writer. Make a conscious effort of not using “you” to address a problem. For instance in lieu of saying’” Your content is little dull”, you can say,” the content is dull”
• Stay away from making personal attacks. Do not use phrases that may sound accusatory.
• Do not use active voice, use passive voice instead. Usage of passive voice shifts the attention from the person to the subject matter.
• Deliver your feedback in a straightforward and matter of fact way. Keep the tone formal, informative and friendly.

6. Lastly, give recommendations on how to improve.

After you have commented on areas that are actionable. It’s time to recommend how to improve.Firstly it will instil a feeling of being guided in the writer’s mind.

Since everyone has a different perspective, your feedback can be interpreted in different ways. Giving recommendation will help the writer to get a clear idea on what you exactly have in mind.Also, recommendations call for a strong call to action. At the end of the day, this is the main idea of giving specific constructive feedback.

You can also provide a style guide or cheat sheet to improve.

With your recommendations, I would suggest following the below-mentioned factors:

a)Be specific with your suggestions.

b)Briefly explain the grounds your recommendations are based on.

Another out of the context tip-

Do not make assumptions. When sharing feedback, offer them based on the fact you know about the subject and the person. Any presumption will make you and the writer look bad especially if your assumptions are wrong.Not having a presumptuous attitude will help go a long way only in giving constructive feedback.

Apart from these tips, I would like to bring down some questions which you should ask yourselves before giving feedback.

1. what is my purpose of giving feedback?

We need to understand what we want to achieve by giving feedback.

Will the feedback encourage and motivate the writer?

Do you want to vent out any frustration?

Will this feedback improve your working relationship?

The answers to the question will help you understand the basis of the feedback in the first place.

Having said that I would like to emphasize that if you don’t find any positive purpose in giving feedback, then there is no point in giving as this will not be constructive feedback.

2. What are the facts I have observed?

We know observation is objective and evaluation is subjective

Your feedback should be based on factual observation, not on your evaluation of the fact. When you combine observation with evaluation, the feedback may hurt the writer which will consequently derail the discussion.

 So ask yourself what are observations you have made which you would like to feed on.

3. How the observations impacted you?

Constructive feedback needs to express how an action impacted you. If feedback does not include how it affects you or the business, it is not worth sharing.

4. What are the expectations that did not meet the observation?

As an editor, you might have some expectations from the write-up. You must have some set goals or parameters to achieve. After reviewing or observing the write up you must analyse which goals were not met so that you can recommend them in the feedback.

Clearly, this is a vital question to ask yourself in order to deliver constructive feedback.

.Am I ready to listen to their side of the story and receive criticism myself?

When you give feedback you should be willing to listen to the writer’s side of the story. Remember, feedback is a two-way street.Thinking on what was going on in their mind while writing can give you a better understanding of the overall situation resulting in good feedback.Finally, before rushing into giving feedback we should consider what’s going on in the other person’s life. Maybe the person is going through a bad phase or is in emotional turmoil.At such times the most constructive way to give feedback is not to give any feedback at all.After all, this is what the feedback culture is about- driving effective and respectful communication.

To sum up, constructive feedback is

• sincere
• specific
• A bit negative
• timely
• gender neutral

Conclusion:

When we know how to give feedback positively, we build a relationship with the writer.

Every feedback is good feedback. As both criticism and praise are essential for growth. It depends on us how we perceive it.

Share your thoughts on this. Trust me I can take it!

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