Which strategy improves feedback effectiveness?

Which strategy improves feedback effectiveness?

• A. Be specific, timely, behavior-focused; provide actionable guidance; engage in two-way dialogue and follow up on progress.
• B. Offer general praise without specifics.
• C. Deliver feedback only during annual reviews.
• D. Provide feedback only in writing with no follow-up.

Answer: (B)

Effective feedback hinges on delivering specific observations of behavior, promptly after the action, and tying those observations to clear, actionable steps for improvement. When you describe exactly what was done, explain the impact it had, and offer concrete guidance for how to adjust, the recipient knows precisely what to change and why it matters. Pairing this with a two-way conversation and follow-up on progress turns feedback into a learning process rather than a one-off critique. This approach builds clarity, motivation, and capability, and it helps sustain improvement over time. General praise without specifics doesn’t guide improvement because it lacks the concrete details people need to replicate or adjust what they did. Feedback that comes only during annual reviews is too infrequent to support timely course corrections or celebrate progress in real time. Feedback delivered only in writing with no follow-up misses the crucial dialogue that helps people interpret the feedback, commit to changes, and be held accountable for progress.

Effective feedback hinges on delivering specific observations of behavior, promptly after the action, and tying those observations to clear, actionable steps for improvement. When you describe exactly what was done, explain the impact it had, and offer concrete guidance for how to adjust, the recipient knows precisely what to change and why it matters. Pairing this with a two-way conversation and follow-up on progress turns feedback into a learning process rather than a one-off critique. This approach builds clarity, motivation, and capability, and it helps sustain improvement over time.

General praise without specifics doesn’t guide improvement because it lacks the concrete details people need to replicate or adjust what they did. Feedback that comes only during annual reviews is too infrequent to support timely course corrections or celebrate progress in real time. Feedback delivered only in writing with no follow-up misses the crucial dialogue that helps people interpret the feedback, commit to changes, and be held accountable for progress.