feedback presentation in english

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.

Make your meetings matter

Use AI to record, transcribe, and summarize meetings into actions. Bubbles is your home for after-meeting collaboration.

Collaborate better with your team

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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.

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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Giving and Receiving Feedback: It is Harder Than You Think

• Your colleague asks you to listen to them practice their speech practice and give them feedback.
• Your teacher asks you to give feedback to another classmate about their speech.
• Your boss asks, “What did you think about my speech?”

In each case, the person is looking to you to provide feedback. In this chapter, you will learn about how to assess the feedback situation, how to offer constructive criticism, and how to graciously receive criticism. Let’s start with how to ask for feedback and listen graciously.

Receiving Feedback

When you ask for feedback from others, receive their feedback as a gift. Someone is taking their time and giving it to you; someone is putting themselves out there and saying things that might cause discomfort, but they are doing it for you.  Individuals vary on how they receive feedback and how comfortable they are with being evaluated.

When receiving feedback, try doing the following:

• Sit in a non-defensive posture. It is tempting to cross your arms and to tense up all your muscles when receiving oral feedback. Keep your body open and loose. Staying open helps them to feel like you really want their suggestions and closed arms can equal a closed mind — keep an open body.
• Do not take feedback as a personal insult.
• If the feedback is verbal, write down the suggestions, even if you disagree with the suggestions. Respect the other person’s opinions by writing them down. It makes them feel like they have been heard and you appreciate the feedback they are giving. Writing the feedback down also helps you to not cross your arms defensively–see suggestion one– and it helps you remember the suggestions.
• Do not take it as a personal insult. Seriously!
• Avoid the temptation to defend yourself. “I did it this way because…” or, “I thought it would be best to…”  You already know why you did things the way you did. Interrupting them to tell them the reasons you did what you did comes off as defensive and reduces the likelihood they will give you all the feedback they have to offer. You already know what you were thinking and by telling them you haven’t advanced your situation. Use this time to learn what they are thinking.
• Do not take it as a personal insult. Really, this is so important.
• Breathe. Most people feel stress when someone is giving them constructive criticism, breathe and relax so you can really listen.
•  Do not take it personally. Do not take it personally. Do not take it personally. This cannot be emphasized enough! Since it is about your performance or your speech writing, it is hard not to feel criticism of your speech as a criticism of your person. Try to take criticism instead as someone caring enough about you to push you to grow.

After Every Speech, Do a Self-Evaluation

Allison Shapira of Global Speaking suggests you do a self-evaluation after each speech:

• What did I do well?
• What didn’t I do so well?
• What am I going to do differently next time?

Write these down and keep this on file for the next time you give a speech.

Constructive Criticism

There will be times when others look to you to read over their speech or listen to them practice and then give them constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is made up of two words: constructive–the building of something, and criticism–the giving of a critique. So constructive criticism is critiquing with the intention of building something. When we give others constructive criticism, our goal should be to help build them to be better speakers.

Give Them Help

Reagel and Reagle came up with a creative way to remember the goal of feedback, it should HELP : Help the speaker improve Encourage another speech Lift self-esteem Provide useful recommendations

Give Them a Sandwich

One way to give constructive criticism is to use the sandwich method. Say something positive, give feedback about something they can work on to improve, and then say something positive. This way, the first and last words out of your mouth are positive.

Ask Questions

Ask honest questions that can help lead them to solutions or ask questions to soften the sound of negative feedback: “What did you mean by…” “Have you considered? ” “Have you thought about…?” “When you said… did you really mean?”

For example: “Have you considered the impact of showing such a gruesome photo on your slide?” “Have you considered starting with a quote? ” “Have you thought about whether the people in the back will be able to see your poster?” “Have you thought about using a microphone so everyone can hear you?”

Beyond the Sandwich: Data Points and Impact Statements

In her video, called “The Secret to giving Great Feedback”, LeeAnn Renninger refers to a 4 Step “Feedback Formula”.

Watch The secret to giving great feedback | The Way We Work, a TED series on YouTube (0 mins)

Video source: TED. (2020, Feb 10). The secret to giving great feedback – The Way We Work, a TED series. Leanne Renninger. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wtl5UrrgU8c

In our college class, we will focus on steps 2 & 3.

Data points (or clear examples)

• Name specifically what you saw or heard, and leave out any words that aren’t objective. Avoid “blur words”, which are not specific and could mean different things to different people.
• Convert any blur words into actual data points or observations.  For example, instead of saying, “You didn’t engage your audience”, be specific and say “Your introduction didn’t mention what the benefits are to the audience”
• Being specific is also important with positive feedback. Saying “I really liked your presentation” doesn’t offer the other person any clear ideas of what they should keep doing. Instead, try to name specifics: “You made it very easy to understand the process when you described [give the example],” or “The visuals you included showed that [give the example]”.
• Be as clear as you can, so the presenter knows to continue doing these things!

The Impact statement

• Don’t stop at just giving the “evidence” or describing your observations. Keep going – explain how what you saw and heard impacted you.
• You might say “I really liked how you added those stories, because it helped me grasp the concepts faster,” or “the way you opened your presentation surprised me and got my attention.

By providing data points as well as impact statements, your peer critiques will be clear, specific, and provide your classmate with something they can actually use to work on to improve!

Source: Except where otherwise noted, “Beyond the Sandwich: Data Points and Impact Statements” by Amanda Quibell is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Different People, Different Types of Feedback

It is no surprise that people give and receive feedback differently. One person might take a feedback statement and be grateful for the corrections while the next person might take it as a complete insult.  Below, you’ll learn about some of the most common differences.

High and Low Self Monitors

Psychology researcher Mark Snyder identified people as being either high self-monitors or low self-monitors. High self-monitors typically try to fit in and play the role according to the context. They are about image, and they are motivated to fit in with their peers. They like to know what is expected, so they can adapt to the situation. Giving them useful feedback may mean pointing out how they can make changes in their message to meet the audience’s expectations. When giving feedback to high self-monitors, focus the feedback on how they can elevate their credibility in the eyes of the audience.

On the other hand, low self-monitors tend to be motivated to act based on their inner beliefs and values. They are motivated to be true to their sense of self and to above all– be genuine. When giving low self-monitors feedback, encourage them to be the best speaker they can be while being true to themselves. Focus on giving them feedback in a way that encourages them to harness their unique talents.

While you may not know exactly whether they are high or low self-monitor, you likely have some idea of what motivates them. The more you can tailor your feedback to them, the more likely it is they will hear what you are saying. If you are curious about your type, you can take the quiz. You can have the person giving you feedback take the quiz as well. This can be a helpful exercise to think about how you give and receive feedback.

Take the high and low self-monitor quiz to find out your type

Cultural Differences

When you know your sickness You’re halfway cured. French saying

In the book, The Culture Map, a Dutch businessman is quoted as saying. “It is all a lot of hogwash. All that positive feedback just strikes us in the face and not in the least bit motivating.” People from different cultural groups have different feedback norms.  As our society grows increasingly diverse, it is important to learn not just how to give good feedback, but to give feedback that demonstrates an awareness of how different cultures give and receive feedback.

Erin Meyer does international training to help business professionals understand differences and similarities and how to bridge the gap:

Managers in different parts of the world are conditioned to give feedback in drastically different ways. The Chinese manager learns never to criticize a colleague openly or in front of others, while the Dutch managers learns always to be honest and to give the message straight. Americans are trained to wrap positive messages around negative ones, while the French are trained to criticize passionately and provide positive feedback sparingly. Having a clear understanding of these differences and strategies for navigating them is crucial for leaders of cross-cultural teams. Erin Meyer, The Culture Map

Upgraders and Downgraders

Meyers identifies cultures as Upgraders and Downgraders. Upgraders use words or phrases to make negative feedback feel stronger. An upgrader might say, “this is absolutely inappropriate.” As you read this, see if you identify more as an upgrader or downgrader.

Upgraders say:

• Absolutely–“That was absolutely shameless.”
• Totally–“You totally missed the point.”
• Strongly–” I strongly suggest that you…”

By contrast, downgraders use words to soften the criticism. A downgrader might say, “We are not quite there yet” or “This is just my opinion, but…”

Downgraders say:

• “Kind of”
• “Sort of”
• “A little”
• “Maybe”
• “Slightly”
• “This is just my opinion.”

When giving and receiving feedback across cultures, it is helpful to be aware of these differences so you can “hear” what they are really saying. Take for example this statement as a Dutch person complains about how Americans give feedback.

The problem is that we cant’ tell when the feedback is supposed to register to us as excellent, ok, or really poor. For a Dutchman, the word “excellent” is saved for a rare occasion and “okay” is…well, neutral. But with the Americans, the grid is different. “Excellent” is used all the time, “Okay” seems to mean, “not okay.” “Good” is only a mild complement. And when the message was intended to be bad, you can pretty much assume that, if an American is speaking and the listner is Dutch, the real meaning of the message will be lost all together. Erin Meyer, The Culture Map.

Nannette Ripmeester, Director of Expertise in Labour Mobility, illustrates these differences to her clients with a chart. This chart shows the differences between what the British say, what they mean, and what the Dutch understand. This is a condensed version of her list.

Chances are as you read this list, you identified yourself in some of the statements and identified someone you know who is in the other list. Hopefully, this made you think about how personal style can be as different as cultural style. The big idea here is when you are giving and receiving feedback, it can be helpful to try to identify their communication style and adjust accordingly.

Politeness Strategies

As you already know, whenever you critique someone’s work, there is a potential to hurt their feelings. There are many factors that influence whether the feedback is helpful or hurtful. In communication, we use the term “face” to mean the sense of self a person projects. People can “take face” by creating a situation where someone looks bad to others or people can “lose face” by doing something that diminishes them in the eyes of others. Optimally, we want people to feel like they “gain-face” and feel encouraged. The way that you give feedback as well as the person’s natural tendencies will influence how “face” is affected.

When giving feedback, you should think about how your feedback takes or gives face. You also need to consider what is at stake for the other person. Is this a small speech assignment or is it a career-defining presentation? In addition, critiquing someone privately vs critiquing someone in front of their boss will have different “face” outcomes.

How much you are willing to “take face” from someone may depend on the importance of the feedback. You will likely want to provide more suggestions for someone who is doing a career speech to get their dream job vs that same person doing a college speech worth minimal points. You will likely be more invested in helping a friend polish a speech to make it just right as opposed to someone you barely know.

Finally, the other thing influencing feedback is the power difference between people. You will likely give feedback differently to your little sister than you would to your boss. The status of the individuals and how important power is to them will impact how “face” is taken and given. For example, a high-power country like China would consider an open critique of a teacher, boss, or elder a huge insult, whereas someone from a low-power country, would be less offended.  In any situation, you will be negotiating power, context, and the need to save face.

Taking all these factors into account, Brown and Levinson created Politeness Theory as a way to explain the different ways we give feedback to save face.

Bald on Record: This type of feedback is very direct without concern for the person’s esteem face. This type of feedback is usually given if there is a small fix the speaker would feel strongly about.

Examples of bald on record feedback:

• “Be sure you bold the headings.”
• “Alphabetize the references.”

Positive Politeness: In this type of feedback, you would build up the face or esteem of the other person. You would make them feel good before you make any suggestions. (It looks a lot like the sandwich method, hunh?)

Examples of positive politeness feedback:

• “You are so organized; this one little fix and it will be perfect.”
• “I love the story you told, a few more details would really help me see the character.”

Negative Politeness:  The name of this type of feedback is a little misleading. It doesn’t mean you are negative. It means you acknowledge that getting feedback may make them feel negative.  You would say things that acknowledge their discomfort. You might minimize the criticism so it doesn’t make them feel bad or find other ways to soften the blow of criticism.

Examples of negative politeness feedback: 

• “I know this critique might sound rough and I hope it helps, but I think you really need to work on the middle section.”
• “This is just me making suggestions, but I would be able to understand more if your slide has a heading.”
• I’m not an expert on this, but I think you might need to have a stronger thesis.”
• “I see what you are trying to do here, but I think some of your audience members might not get it.”

Off Record: When you give feedback that is off the record, you are hinting vaguely that they should make a change.

Examples of off the record feedback. 

• “How many sources are we supposed to have?” (Instead of saying, “You need to have more research”)
• “I thought we were supposed to have slides with our speech, maybe I heard that wrong.”
• “Are other people in the class dressing up?”

Avoidance: Some people are afraid of giving feedback so they will avoid the situation altogether.

Avoid the three C’s

Perform the three r’s.

From Westside Toastmasters

Giving Feedback During a Speech

When you are listening to someone speak, you are giving constant nonverbal feedback. Are you leaning forward listening intently or are you leaned back picking at your fingernails? The way you listen lets the speaker know that you value them and what they are saying. It can be reassuring to the speaker to have people who are in the audience smiling and nodding.

Try this little experiment: If you have a speaker who is average or boring, lean in and listen intently. Don’t be insincere and cheesy, but rather try to be an earnest listener. You will find that when the speaker notices you paying attention, they will usually become less monotone and more engaging. The speaker affects the audience, and the audience affects the speaker.

Asking for Feedback During Your Speech

Appoint someone to be your speech buddy who will give you signals and alert you during your speech, for example: to speak louder or to check your microphone. If you know that you tend to pace, lean on the podium, or say um’s, have them give you the signal.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill Former Prime Ministre of the United Kingdom

Key Takeaways

Remember This! 

• Be open to the feedback of others, it can help you improve as a speaker.
• When giving feedback to others consider the context, their needs, the impact on their esteem, and their culture.
• Use the feedback sandwich as a model for giving constructive criticism.

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Giving and Receiving Feedback: It is Harder Than You Think ” In Advanced Public Speaking by Lynn Meade, licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

Brown, P., & Levinson, S. (1978). Universals in Language Usage: Politeness Phenomena. In E. Goody (Ed.), Questions and Politeness: Strategies in Social Interaction (pp. 56-310). Cambridge University Press.

Churchhill Central: Life and words of Sir Winston Churchill. https://www.churchillcentral.com/

Gonzales, M. (2017). How to get feedback on speeches. Global Public Speaking. https://www.globalpublicspeaking.com/get-feedback-speeches/

King, P. E., & Young, M. J. (2002). An information processing perspective on the efficacy of instructional feedback. American Communication Journal, 5 http://ac-journal.org/journal/vol5/iss2/articles/feedback.htm

King, P. E., Young, M. J., & Behnke, R. R. (2000). Public speaking performance improvement as a function of information processing in immediate and delayed feedback interventions. Communication Education, 49, 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520009379224

Mehra, A., Kilduff, M. & Brass, D.J. (2001). The social networks of high and low self-monitors Implications for workplace performance.  Administrative Science Quarterly, 46 (1), 121-146. https://doi.org/10.2307/2667127

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. Public Affairs.  https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/

Meyer, E. (2014). How to say “This is Crap” in different cultures. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-say-this-is-crap-in-different-cultures

Reagle, J.M. & Reagle, J.M. (2015). Reading the comments: Likers, haters, and manipulators at the bottom of the web . MIT Press. https://readingthecomments.mitpress.mit.edu/

Ripmeester, N. Rottier, B., & Bush, A. (2010). Separated by a common translation? How the Brits and the Dutch communicate. Pediatric Pulmonology. 46( 4). 409-411. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.21380

Ripmeester, N. (2015). We all speak English, don’t we? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-all-speak-english-dont-nannette-ripmeester/

Smith, C.D. & King, P.E. (2007). Student feedback sensitivity and the efficacy of feedback interventions in public speaking performance improvement. Communication Education 53 (3). https://doi.org/10.1080/0363452042000265152

Snyder, M. (1974). Self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 30 (4), 526-537. http://www.communicationcache.com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/self-monitoring_of_expressive_behavior.pdf

Toastmasters International. (2017). Giving effective feedback. https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/giving-effective-feedback

Dynamic Presentations Copyright © 2022 by Amanda Quibell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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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

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."

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."

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.

7 Pro Tips for Effective Cross-border Collaboration Strategies | Lark Blog

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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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Improving Presentations through Feedback: How to Receive Helpful Responses!

After the presentation comes before the presentation – the key to improvement lies in feedback. After a presentation, every speaker tends to review the performance and evaluate it. Did it go as planned? Was I confident enough? Was I able to convince the audience?

These questions can only be inadequately answered by ourselves, as we don’t truly know how we are perceived by others – unless we simply ask them…

Why a presentation needs detailed feedback

The presentation is over. Technically, how it went doesn’t matter anymore because nothing can be changed. This perspective can be fatal. There are good reasons why professional football coaches analyze games with their teams and why teachers encourage their students to correct their mistakes in exams.

It’s about learning and training . It’s about knowing our strengths and weaknesses and working on them . Only a few people are naturally good speakers. Everyone else also benefits from practice and working on their strengths and weaknesses. To identify them and improve, feedback is the best tool.

Why self-perception isn’t enough: the Johari Window

Sure, to some extent, we can assess ourselves, and we should. Recording our own speech with a camera and tripod and watching it afterwards can be very revealing.

But self-assessment can also mislead us as it solely relies on our self-perception . And that perception can be both significantly more positive and significantly more critical than the image others have of us. Hence, for a realistic evaluation, we always need external perception.

The so-called Johari Window sheds light on this dynamic. The model by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham illustrates the dynamics of self- and external perception and is based on the idea that communication can be improved by bringing these two spheres closer together.

The model is divided into four areas :

• Public Self: This is the area that both we and others can see. It includes aspects of our personality that are known to us and are also perceived by others.
• Blind Spot: This represents aspects of our personality or behavior that are not consciously known to us but can be recognized by others (e.g., facial expressions or body language). It’s the blind spot in our self-perception.
• Hidden Self: This involves aspects of our personality that we know but are not recognized by others. These are things we consciously hide from others.
• Unknown Self: This is the area that is unknown to both us and others. It contains potential abilities, emotions, or behaviors that haven’t been discovered yet.

In the context of self-reflection after presentations, the Johari Window can be a valuable aid. After a presentation, we have a subjective perception of how we presented ourselves, but this can differ from the actual perception of the audience. This is where the concept of the blind spot comes into play.

At this point, it’s crucial to ask for feedback from your listeners. Through their insights, you can learn how you were perceived and reduce your blind spot. Moreover, you’ll find out if your messages were conveyed as planned . With the information from the feedback, you can adjust future presentations and speeches.

Overall, the Johari Window enables deeper self-reflection after presentations because it encourages actively seeking feedback to gain a more realistic and comprehensive view of presentation skills.

Why Feedback is Important in All Industries

Feedback is important regardless of your industry affiliation. It plays a crucial role in skill development, performance enhancement, and fostering personal and professional growth . We’ve compiled an overview of why feedback is important in various industries:

• Academic Environment : In the education sector, feedback is a central tool to promote learning. Teachers provide students with feedback on their performance to identify strengths and weaknesses. In higher education, feedback is crucial to deepen students’ understanding and support their academic development.
• Business World : In the business world, feedback plays a vital role in employee development and increasing efficiency. Regular feedback allows employees to review their performance, adjust goals, and enhance skills. Managers can use feedback to motivate teams and improve company performance. This category also includes presentations and feedback for speakers. Feedback from listeners in the business world can help adjust customer interests and further develop products.
• Healthcare : Not to be underestimated – in healthcare, feedback is essential to improve clinical practice and optimize patient care. Medical professionals use feedback to refine diagnoses, adjust treatments, and increase patient satisfaction.
• Technology and Engineering : In technical and engineering professions, feedback is indispensable to drive innovation and optimize products. Design and performance issues can be identified, and technical solutions can be improved. Here too, feedback through PowerPoint presentations can be important for advancing innovations.
• Customer Service : In the customer service industry, feedback from customers is a key indicator of the quality of services offered. Companies use customer feedback to identify problems, make improvements, and increase customer satisfaction.
• Journalism and Media : In the media industry, feedback from readers, viewers, and listeners is a significant factor. Journalists and media professionals use feedback to evaluate the relevance of content, maintain journalistic standards, and engage the audience.

Relevant Criteria for Constructive Feedback

It makes sense not to give or seek feedback in a general manner, but rather to think in specific categories. For presentation feedback, the following areas are particularly relevant:

• Content and Structure : Was the topic covered comprehensively and clearly? Was there a logical and coherent structure?

• Visualization : Was the presentation well-organized and visually appealing? Were visual aids used effectively?

• Language : Was the speaker easy to understand? How was the tone? Was the choice of words and expression appropriate?

• Body Language : How was the facial expression and gestures? Were there eye contacts? What impression did the body language convey?

How to Gather Feedback after a Presentation

Feedback generally doesn’t come on its own . If you want to receive feedback after a presentation, you need to actively seek it.

The choice of the right method to gather feedback depends on your target audience, presentation goals, and available resources . Integrating feedback tools and technologies allows presenters to collect feedback in diverse ways and continuously improve the quality of their presentations. In today’s digital era, besides seeking feedback in person, there are numerous tools and technologies that can be used to efficiently and effectively gather feedback after presentations. These tools provide innovative ways to collect, analyze, and respond to feedback. Here are some examples:

• Question and Answer Session after the Presentation

The most immediate way to use feedback is through the question and answer session following the presentation. This is where both direct and indirect indications of the presentation’s success can be gathered. Indirectly, much can be inferred from the audience reactions .

Polite applause and an audience that seems eager to leave the room may not be a great sign. If there are many comprehension questions and doubtful looks, the presentation might not have been as clear and coherent as hoped.

For those seeking more detailed information, it’s possible to directly ask the audience for feedback. If it involves people you interact with frequently (such as colleagues), you can also inquire later on. However, immediate feedback isn’t always very fruitful and insightful , as many people are hesitant to openly express criticism – even if it’s constructive.

How to manage questions and answer sessions and Powerpoint can be found in our article “ PowerPoint Q&A “.

• Feedback Form with Standardized Questions

A feedback form that covers all relevant criteria can be very useful. It can be distributed or made available after a talk, either in person or via email to the participants . Since a feedback form can be filled out anonymously and at one’s own pace, it’s usually more productive than directly requested feedback.

Classic email surveys are still effective for collecting detailed feedback. Tools like Mailchimp or Sendinblue can help you create and send appealing survey emails. You can easily find templates for evaluation forms on the internet. Good and clear formats can be found, for example, here: link1 and link2 .

They are practical and provide good ideas. Of course, a feedback form can also be created from scratch . You can be more creative and open in your wording (e.g., “In your opinion, what are three things that could have been done better in the presentation?”).

• Send Online Surveys to Participants

A third option for requesting feedback is through online surveys . They are created using appropriate tools and made accessible to participants via a link. The structure typically resembles that of a traditional feedback form. The biggest disadvantage here is that the feedback opportunity is often only accessed by a few people.

Possible survey tools are SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, and Typeform. These tools allow you to create and send tailored surveys. With pre-made templates or individually designed questions, you can specifically ask for opinions, ratings, and suggestions.

Another example of an online feedback platform is Provenexpert. Through this platform, you can easily send a survey to your participants, asking them to rate you with stars and provide a personal experience report. Of course, the more personal and closer your contact is with your audience, the more likely you are to receive a rating.

Here is my Provenexpert profile with numerous reviews I’ve collected over the years for my presentations and seminars: My proven expert profile .

• Video Feedback Platforms

Platforms like VidGrid or Vosaic allow you to record your presentations and request targeted video feedback from the audience . This method offers not only verbal comments but also captures the body language and emotions of the feedback providers.

Similar to online surveys, one disadvantage is that this option is little used to provide feedback.

• Feedback Apps

Feedback apps like Feedbackly, Emplify, or 15Five offer comprehensive options for gathering feedback. They enable continuous feedback, mood analysis, and team communication. For instance, you can include a QR code link within your presentation to directly reference the feedback opportunity.

• Social Media Surveys

Social media provides a straightforward way to gather feedback from a broader audience . Platforms like Twitter or Instagram allow for surveys or polls to quickly gather feedback (see the next subchapter).

• Real-time Audience Interaction

Platforms like Mentimeter and Slido allow you to engage the audience in real time during the presentation. Participants can answer questions, express opinions, and conduct polls . This fosters engagement while providing valuable insights.

Using Social Media for Feedback

These days, reaching people through social media is effortless. Skillfully leverage social media platforms to gather feedback. They offer an effective way to collect feedback from a wider audience and gain valuable insights into how your presentations are perceived.

Moreover, using social media has the advantage of allowing you to gather opinions from individuals across different regions and backgrounds . This way, you receive feedback from a diverse audience.

Through various forms of interaction, you can gather opinions, ratings, and suggestions from a diverse group of people. Here are some ways you can use social media platforms for feedback:

• Polls and Voting : Social media platforms enable you to create polls and voting options to gather targeted feedback on specific aspects of your presentation. You can ask questions related to content, structure, or presentation style. Involving your followers allows for quick and easily understandable feedback.
• Comments and Discussions : After sharing your presentation on social media platforms, you can encourage comments and discussions about your content. Readers can share their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions, fostering open feedback interaction. Collecting different perspectives can help you understand various viewpoints and identify areas for improvement.
• Direct Messages : Some platforms allow users to send you direct messages. Here, you have the opportunity to receive personal feedback that might not be shared publicly. These direct conversations can offer detailed insights and encourage open exchanges.
• Story Features : Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer story features where you can post short surveys or questions. This allows you to receive real-time feedback while enhancing the interactivity of your followers.

Handling Feedback in Presentations

Dealing with presentation feedback is typically similar to handling product reviews on major online stores. There are some overly enthusiastic 5-star reviews that make you doubt their authenticity, and there are some 1-star reviews that suggest the buyer might have been simply incompetent for the product.

In between, there usually exists a larger pool of mixed reviews that mention pros and cons, which often prove to be the most helpful. Such a distribution also often emerges in feedback for presentations, and in principle, it can be dealt with in the same way. What matters are the overall impression and the relevant pointers.

When it comes to handling feedback, the following tips should also be considered:

• Welcome All Feedback : Every listener is entitled to their opinion. Regardless of the content or the person delivering it, feedback should be accepted with gratitude. It’s worth noting that the source of the feedback, whether it’s from a superior or an apprentice, shouldn’t matter.

• No Feedback on Feedback : Especially with direct critical feedback, there’s often an inclination to debate, defend, or justify. However, it’s often better to simply accept what’s said with a thank you, regardless of whether it’s perceived as justified or not.

• Feedback isn’t Binding : Speakers also have the right to their opinion. Not everything mentioned in feedback needs to be implemented. What to change or implement is ultimately a personal decision.

Feedback is Not a One-Way Street

For those who appreciate valuable feedback, they should also be able to respond appropriately when asked for their own evaluation. To make feedback truly useful and helpful, it should fulfill the following criteria:

• Be Specific : When requesting feedback, it’s not just about receiving praise or criticism; it’s about getting specific pointers. For example, rather than saying “The presentation was engaging,” it’s better to say “The use of examples to illustrate individual factors made the presentation engaging.”

• Use “I” Statements : When giving feedback, you can only speak for yourself. Therefore, use first-person statements and not terms like “one.”

• Offer Improvement Suggestions : Constructive feedback ideally should be positively formulated and include improvement ideas. For instance, instead of saying “You spoke too quickly,” you could say “I would have found it easier to follow the presentation if you had spoken slower and incorporated more pauses.”

• Include Positive Criticism : It’s often forgotten that criticism doesn’t necessarily have to be negative. Learning what aspects of a presentation were well received can be just as important for presenters.

• Describe Instead of Judge : Feedback should describe the personal perception. Judgments or accusations are inappropriate. For instance, rather than saying “Your presentation was bad because you just read from the slides,” you could say “Since you read a lot from the slides, I felt the audience interaction was lacking.”

No Feedback Without Respect

Valuable feedback is closely tied to mutual respect. This should always be kept in mind by both those providing and receiving feedback. Feedback should be seen as a means of guidance and assistance , not a tool for evaluation. When given and received correctly, feedback can be extraordinarily useful.

Moreover, constructive feedback and even criticism can mean more recognition and respect than insincere praise. This sentiment was likely acknowledged by philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell when he stated:

Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement. Bertrand Russell

Conclusion: Skillfully Gathering and Implementing Feedback

In conclusion, adeptly seeking and implementing feedback can help you keep your presentations more professional and tailor your content to your target audience. Consider which feedback-receiving method works best for you and give it a try!

If you have questions about the article, feel free to email us at [email protected] . We’re here to help!

Looking for visually supportive and professionally designed slide templates? Browse our shop. We have numerous slides available for download covering various (business) topics. Check it out today! ► Visit the Shop

You might also be interested in these articles:

• Preparing Presentations: 11 Tips
• Target Group Analysis
• Mastering Question and Answer Sessions

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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 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 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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16 constructive feedback examples — and tips for how to use them

Giving constructive feedback is nerve-wracking for many people. But feedback is also necessary for thriving in the workplace. 

It helps people flex and grow into new skills, capabilities, and roles. It creates more positive and productive relationships between employees. And it helps to reach goals and drive business value.

But feedback is a two-way street. More often than not, it’s likely every employee will have to give constructive feedback in their careers. That’s why it’s helpful to have constructive feedback examples to leverage for the right situation. 

We know employees want feedback. But one study found that people want feedback if they’re on the receiving end . In fact, in every case, participants rated their desire for feedback higher as the receiver. While the fear of feedback is very real, it’s important to not shy away from constructive feedback opportunities. After all, it could be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. 

If you’re trying to overcome your fear of providing feedback, we’ve compiled a list of 16 constructive feedback examples for you to use. We’ll also share some best practices on how to give effective feedback . 

What is constructive feedback? 

When you hear the word feedback, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? What feelings do you have associated with feedback? Oftentimes, feedback conversations are anxiety-ridden because it’s assumed to be negative feedback. Unfortunately, feedback has this binary stigma, it’s either good or bad.

But in reality, there are plenty of types of feedback leveraged in both personal and professional relationships. They don’t all fall into one camp or the other. And each type of feedback is serving a purpose to ultimately better an individual, team, or work environment. 

For example, positive feedback can be used to reinforce desired behaviors or big accomplishments. Real-time feedback is reserved for those “in the moment” situations. Like if I’ve made a mistake or a typo in a blog, I’d want my teammates to give me real-time feedback . 

However, constructive feedback is its own ball game. 

What is constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback is a supportive way to improve areas of opportunity for an individual person, team, relationship, or environment. In many ways, constructive feedback is a combination of constructive criticism paired with coaching skills. 

16 constructive feedback examples to use 

To truly invest in building a feedback culture , your employees need to feel comfortable giving feedback. After all, organizations are people, which means we’re all human. We make mistakes but we’re all capable of growth and development. And most importantly, everyone everywhere should be able to live with more purpose, clarity, and passion. 

But we won’t unlock everyone’s full potential unless your people are comfortable giving feedback. Some employee feedback might be easier to give than others, like ways to improve a presentation. 

But sometimes, constructive feedback can be tricky, like managing conflict between team members or addressing negative behavior. As any leader will tell you, it’s critical to address negative behaviors and redirect them to positive outcomes. Letting toxic behavior go unchecked can lead to issues with employee engagement , company culture, and overall, your business’s bottom line. 

Regardless of where on the feedback spectrum your organization falls, having concrete examples will help set up your people for success. Let’s talk through some examples of constructive feedback. For any of these themes, it’s always good to have specific examples handy to help reinforce the feedback you’re giving. We’ll also give some sample scenarios of when these phrases might be most impactful and appropriate. 

Constructive feedback examples about communication skills  

An employee speaks over others and interrupts in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you can cut off team members or interrupt others. You share plenty of good ideas and do good work. To share some communication feedback , I’d love to see how you can support others in voicing their own ideas in our team meetings.” 

An employee who doesn’t speak up or share ideas in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t often share ideas in big meetings. But in our one-on-one meetings , you come up with plenty of meaningful and creative ideas to help solve problems. What can I do to help make you more comfortable speaking up in front of the team?” 

An employee who is brutally honest and blunt.

“Last week, I noticed you told a teammate that their work wasn’t useful to you. It might be true that their work isn’t contributing to your work, but there’s other work being spread across the team that will help us reach our organizational goals. I’d love to work with you on ways to improve your communication skills to help build your feedback skills, too. Would you be interested in pursuing some professional development opportunities?”  

An employee who has trouble building rapport because of poor communication skills in customer and prospect meetings.

“I’ve noticed you dive right into the presentation with our customer and prospect meetings. To build a relationship and rapport, it’s good to make sure we’re getting to know everyone as people. Why don’t you try learning more about their work, priorities, and life outside of the office in our next meeting?” 

Constructive feedback examples about collaboration 

An employee who doesn’t hold to their commitments on group or team projects.

“I noticed I asked you for a deliverable on this key project by the end of last week. I still haven’t received this deliverable and wanted to follow up. If a deadline doesn’t work well with your bandwidth, would you be able to check in with me? I’d love to get a good idea of what you can commit to without overloading your workload.”  

An employee who likes to gatekeep or protect their work, which hurts productivity and teamwork .

“Our teams have been working together on this cross-functional project for a couple of months. But yesterday, we learned that your team came across a roadblock last month that hasn’t been resolved. I’d love to be a partner to you if you hit any issues in reaching our goals. Would you be willing to share your project plan or help provide some more visibility into your team’s work? I think it would help us with problem-solving and preventing problems down the line.” 

An employee who dominates a cross-functional project and doesn’t often accept new ways of doing things.

“I’ve noticed that two team members have voiced ideas that you have shut down. In the spirit of giving honest feedback, it feels like ideas or new solutions to problems aren’t welcome. Is there a way we could explore some of these ideas? I think it would help to show that we’re team players and want to encourage everyone’s contributions to this project.” 

Constructive feedback examples about time management 

An employee who is always late to morning meetings or one-on-ones.

“I’ve noticed that you’re often late to our morning meetings with the rest of the team. Sometimes, you’re late to our one-on-ones, too. Is there a way I can help you with building better time management skills ? Sometimes, the tardiness can come off like you don’t care about the meeting or the person you’re meeting with, which I know you don’t mean.” 

A direct report who struggles to meet deadlines.

“Thanks for letting me know you’re running behind schedule and need an extension. I’ve noticed this is the third time you’ve asked for an extension in the past two weeks. In our next one-on-one, can you come up with a list of projects and the amount of time that you’re spending on each project? I wonder if we can see how you’re managing your time and identify efficiencies.” 

An employee who continuously misses team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been present at the last few team meetings. I wanted to check in to see how things are going. What do you have on your plate right now? I’m concerned you’re missing critical information that can help you in your role and your career.” 

Constructive feedback examples about boundaries 

A manager who expects the entire team to work on weekends.

“I’ve noticed you send us emails and project plans over the weekends. I put in a lot of hard work during the week, and won’t be able to answer your emails until the work week starts again. It’s important that I maintain my work-life balance to be able to perform my best.” 

An employee who delegates work to other team members.

“I’ve noticed you’ve delegated some aspects of this project that fall into your scope of work. I have a full plate with my responsibilities in XYZ right now. But if you need assistance, it might be worth bringing up your workload to our manager.” 

A direct report who is stressed about employee performance but is at risk of burning out.

“I know we have performance reviews coming up and I’ve noticed an increase in working hours for you. I hope you know that I recognize your work ethic but it’s important that you prioritize your work-life balance, too. We don’t want you to burn out.”  

Constructive feedback examples about managing 

A leader who is struggling with team members working together well in group settings.

“I’ve noticed your team’s scores on our employee engagement surveys. It seems like they don’t collaborate well or work well in group settings, given their feedback. Let’s work on building some leadership skills to help build trust within your team.” 

A leader who is struggling to engage their remote team.

“In my last skip-levels with your team, I heard some feedback about the lack of connections . It sounds like some of your team members feel isolated, especially in this remote environment. Let’s work on ways we can put some virtual team-building activities together.” 

A leader who is micromanaging , damaging employee morale.

“In the last employee engagement pulse survey, I took a look at the leadership feedback. It sounds like some of your employees feel that you micromanage them, which can damage trust and employee engagement. In our next one-on-one, let’s talk through some projects that you can step back from and delegate to one of your direct reports. We want to make sure employees on your team feel ownership and autonomy over their work.” 

8 tips for providing constructive feedback 

Asking for and receiving feedback isn’t an easy task. 

But as we know, more people would prefer to receive feedback than give it. If giving constructive feedback feels daunting, we’ve rounded up eight tips to help ease your nerves. These best practices can help make sure you’re nailing your feedback delivery for optimal results, too.

Be clear and direct (without being brutally honest). Make sure you’re clear, concise, and direct. Dancing around the topic isn’t helpful for you or the person you’re giving feedback to. 

Provide specific examples. Get really specific and cite recent examples. If you’re vague and high-level, the employee might not connect feedback with their actions.

Set goals for the behavior you’d like to see changed. If there’s a behavior that’s consistent, try setting a goal with your employee. For example, let’s say a team member dominates the conversation in team meetings. Could you set a goal for how many times they encourage other team members to speak and share their ideas? 

Give time and space for clarifying questions. Constructive feedback can be hard to hear. It can also take some time to process. Make sure you give the person the time and space for questions and follow-up. 

Know when to give feedback in person versus written communication. Some constructive feedback simply shouldn’t be put in an email or a Slack message. Know the right communication forum to deliver your feedback.   

Check-in. Make an intentional effort to check in with the person on how they’re doing in the respective area of feedback. For example, let’s say you’ve given a teammate feedback on their presentation skills . Follow up on how they’ve invested in building their public speaking skills . Ask if you can help them practice before a big meeting or presentation. 

Ask for feedback in return. Feedback can feel hierarchical and top-down sometimes. Make sure that you open the door to gather feedback in return from your employees. 

Start giving effective constructive feedback 

Meaningful feedback can be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. To create a feedback culture in your organization, constructive feedback is a necessary ingredient. 

Think about the role of coaching to help build feedback muscles with your employees. With access to virtual coaching , you can make sure your employees are set up for success. BetterUp can help your workforce reach its full potential.

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Unlock the power of clear and persuasive communication. Our coaches can guide you to build strong relationships and succeed in both personal and professional life.

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

5 types of feedback that make a difference (and how to use them)

Are you receptive to feedback follow this step-by-step guide, handle feedback like a boss and make it work for you, how to give constructive feedback as a manager, should you use the feedback sandwich 7 pros and cons, how to get feedback from your employees, why coworker feedback is so important and 5 ways to give it, feedback in communication: 5 areas to become a better communicator, how managers get upward feedback from their team, similar articles, 30 customer service review examples to develop your team, how to give feedback using this 4-step framework, how to give negative feedback to a manager, with examples, how to embrace constructive conflict, 25 performance review questions (and how to use them), stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Blog > English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

English Presentation Structure (Introduction, Closing) & useful Phrases

02.21.20   •  #powerpoint #presentation #english.

When giving a presentation in english, there are certain guidelines you should follow. Maybe you haven't got a lot of experience presenting - or you would simply like to refresh your already existing knowledge - we're here to teach you the basics about presenting and provide you with a free list of useful phrases and the basic structure you can in your presentation!

1. Structure

The general structure of a presentation is the following:

• Introduction

It is up to you to design these three parts. Using videos or everyday-examples can be a great way to introduce the audience to the topic. The important thing is that you capture the audience's attention from the beginning by making an interesting introduction. The main part is where you present your topic, ideally divided into sections. You can be creative with it - incorporate images, videos, stories or interactive polls . We generally recommend using different kinds of elements, as that makes the presentation more lively. Make sure your main part is well structured, so your audience can follow. In the conclusion, you should give a short summary of the points you made without adding any new information. You can also make an appeal to your audience in the end.

2. Useful Phrases

Here you'll find several phrases that you'll need in every presentation. Of course, you should adapt them and use them in a context that is suitable for your setting. The phrases are divided into subcategories so you can find what you're looking for more easily.

Starting your Presentation

In your introduction, you should:

Welcome your audience

Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone!

Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to my presentation about...

Introduce yourself

I am ... (from company ...) and today I would like to introduce you to the topic of ...

My name is ... and I am going to talk about ... today.

Icebreakers (for audience engagement)

Icebreaker polls are an amazing way to engage your audience instantly. They function as a fun and playful element at the beginning, giving you the perfect start you need to give a successful presentation. Click here to read our detailed post about icebreaker polls!

Mention the presentation topic and the reason for giving the presentation

I am grateful to be here today and tell you you about...

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about ...

I am here today to talk to you about ...

The reason why I am here today to talk about ... is ...

The purpose of this presentation is to ...

My goal today is to ...

Hopefully, by the end of the presentation, you will all know more about ...

Give a short overview of the content

To make it as understandable as possible, I divided my presentation into ... parts. In the first part, I will concentrate on ..., the second part will be about ..., ...

First of all, I will give you a short introduction, then we will move on to ...

... and finally, I will give you some insights to ...

Here are a few phrases that you could use during the whole presentation, but especially in the main part.

Engage your audience

In order to raise the audience's attention and improve their engagement, it is extremely important to make contact with them. A great way to do so is by adding interactive elements such as polls. If you would like to know more about this topic, read our article on How To Boost Audience Engagement . You can also use a software like SlideLizard , which allows you to conduct live polls, do Q&A sessions with your audience, share your resources and many more benefits that take your presentation to the next level.

Please raise your hand if you ...

Have you ever thought about ... ?

I would like to do a poll about ...

Please ask any questions as soon as they arrive.

On one hand, … on the other hand…

Comparing … with …, we can see that…

Clearly, … makes more sense than …

Whereas Option A is …, Option B is …

Making new points

Firstly,… Secondly,…

What also has to be mentioned is…

Next, I would like to bring up the topic of…

That being said, now we are going to take a look at…

Let's move on to the next topic.

On the next slide,…

The last thing I would like to mention is…

We made a whole blog post about how to pose questions in your presentation: The Right Way to do a Question Slide .

Talking about images or videos

In this image you can clearly see that ...

We are now going to take a look at a picture/video of ...

I'm going to show you a video by ... about ... now.

I've prepared a video about ...

Talking about statistics and charts

I am now addressing this graph that refers to the results of study XY.

In the graph on this slide, you can see that ...

The average is at ...

This graph clearly shows that the majority ...

According to this graph, the focus should be on ...

What that study tells us for practice is that we should ...

Emphasizing

I would like to emphasize the importance of ...

Moreover, it has to be said that ...

I want to stress the importance of ...

We always have to remember that ...

This is of high significance because ...

That part is especially important because ...

When something goes wrong

I am sorry, but it seems like the projector isn't working.

Could someone please help me with ...?

Is anybody here who knows how to ...?

Could someone give me a hand with ...

I would like to apologize for ...

I apologize for the technical problems, we are going to continue in a minute.

I am sorry for the inconvenience.

End of Presentation

In the conclusion, you should...

Sum up the main points

In conclusion I can say that…

To sum up the main points,…

With all mentioned aspects taken into consideration, I can say that…

Make an appeal

So please, in the future, try to be conscious about...

Please take a moment to think about...

I would like to encourage you to...

Thank your audience and say goodbye

It was a pleasure being here today.

Thank you for listening and goodbye.

Thank you for being such a great, engaged audience. Goodbye.

Thank you so much for listening, see you next time.

What is the structure of a presentation?

Your presentations should always have an Introduction, a Main part and a Conclusion.

What is a good way to begin a presentation?

You can start by introducing yourself, giving an overview of your topic, telling a little story or showing the audience an introductory video or image.

What are good phrases to use in English presentations?

There are many phrases that will make your presentation a lot more professional. Our blog post gives you a detailed overview.

Related articles

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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The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Slide transitions.

Slide transitions are visual effects which appear in PowerPoint when one slide moves to the next. There are many different transitions, like for example fade and dissolve.

Solution Presentation

A solution has already been found during a solution presentation. The only thing that remains is to find a solution on how to realize the decision.

Learning Management System (LMS)

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are online platforms that provide learning resources and support the organisation of learning processes.

Corporate Events

A corporate event is an event organised by a company and intended for employees, stakeholders, customers, a charity event or public. The audience depends on the goal of the event.

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#275: How to Give Feedback in English: Tips and Phrases for Success

May 17, 2023 | Business Professional English , Communication Skills , How To Develop Skills

Giving feedback is an important skill for anyone who wants to excel in the workplace. Whether you’re a manager providing constructive criticism or a colleague offering feedback on a project, communicating effectively can help you and your team achieve better results. 

When you give feedback in English, it can be challenging to find the right words and tone to give feedback in a professional setting. Moreover, there are cultural differences to consider.

For example, you may worry that giving critical feedback in English is impolite, so you avoid encouraging others to make improvements.

Or perhaps you feel misunderstood by others at work? You give feedback to be helpful but others feel the feedback is too harsh.

Giving constructive feedback is tricky in any language. However, with some practice and a few key strategies, you can deliver feedback that is clear, helpful, and respectful.

In this Confident English lesson, you’ll learn precisely how to give feedback in English with tips and phrases that will lead to success.

How to Give Feedback in English

What is constructive feedback.

Let’s start with a clear understanding of what it means to give constructive feedback in English. 

Constructive feedback is a form of negative feedback that focuses on highlighting areas of improvement in a positive manner. 

The goal of constructive criticism or feedback is to provide clear, actionable, and objective feedback that is beneficial to the individual.

Constructive feedback is not:

• Unspecific or vague
• Hypercritical, rude, or impolite
• Personal attack

Constructive feedback is:

• Specific and actionable
• Discussed privately
• Focused on the area of improvement
• Focused on establishing mutual interest and trust

The Sandwich Method in Giving Feedback

In English-speaking cultures, such as the United States & Canada, the sandwich method is a common method for providing feedback. 

We start by appreciating the good and/or acknowledging the person’s efforts. Then, we highlight the area of improvement before ending our feedback on another positive note. 

The purpose of this method is to help soften the harshness of the criticism and avoid friction with others. 

Ex . Imagine you’re providing a graphic designer with feedback on the logo they created. You may say, “ I like the color palette and the minimal style . To sharpen the design and improve this logo, we should limit it to 2 colors and readjust the layout for more balance. Otherwise, I like the direction you’re going in and can’t wait to see the final result. ”

However, this method can be confusing to those who are used to receiving direct and straightforward feedback. The positive messages might hide the real feedback.

This method can also be too direct and discouraging to cultures that are used to reading between the lines when receiving feedback.

So, how can you provide constructive criticism in an effective and meaningful manner, while using the sandwich method?

While it’s impossible to adapt to every single culture present in your work environment, it is possible to effectively adapt the sandwich method in a culturally-sensitive manner. 

To do this, we should:

• Approach feedback as an open dialogue in a safe space;
• Be mindful of our tone;
• “Soften” our words and avoid imperatives;
• And, always end on a positive note.

Let’s review essential tips and phrases to keep in mind for offering feedback in English successfully. 

Strategy #1: Establish a Safe Space

Feedback will never be well-received if the receiver feels attacked, blindsided , or publicly humiliated.  

Be sure to provide a goal-oriented agenda ahead of time. 

For example, you might say you’re setting up the meeting to:

• discuss next steps
• review the past few months and discuss areas for improvement
• and/or establish a success path. 

Then, focus on prefacing and ensuring everyone is on the same page to create a safe environment. 

To do this, the following phrases are useful: 

• I want to ensure that we all find ways to thrive and be successful in our roles.
• My goal is to ensure that you feel confident in your skills.
• I want to see you perform this task successfully and I’m here to support your growth.
• We’re here to find solutions together and I want to hear your thoughts. 

Scenario #1 : Perhaps, a coworker struggles to ask for help when she needs it. Her previous employer created a work culture where requests for help were seen as a sign of weakness. Prior to providing feedback, you may reassure her and say, “ Our goal today is to create a success path for you . I want to see you thrive in your role and my goal is to support your growth. ”

Strategy #2: Be Mindful of Your Tone

In other words, focus on using a neutral, unemotional tone to share your thoughts. 

Remember, your goal is to reassure the other person that you want to help them improve their knowledge, skills, or performance. 

An accusatory tone will be counterproductive and will likely cause friction. 

Scenario #2 : Imagine a team member struggles with handling upset customers.

Instead of: “ I see you’re having problems with handling upset customers .” Try this: “ I noticed that handling upset customers is challenging. ”

In the second response, the focus is shifted to my observation of the issue, rather than the person. 

Strategy #3: Soften Your Words & Avoid Imperatives

Scenario #3 : Perhaps a new coworker does not communicate her progress. In her old work environment, she may not have been expected to report progress but completion instead. 

You may wish to communicate that this is not helpful to your team and say, “ You must report your progress to the team on a weekly basis. By not doing that, you disrupt the workflow. ”

Does that sound harsh and demanding? Regardless of whether or not you expect direct feedback, strongly-worded feedback can disrupt the harmony in your team.

Instead, focus on eliminating demanding imperatives and soften your word choice:  “ As a team, we work best when we know where each of us is in our progress. Going forward, please share a weekly update, so we can all be on the same page .”

Strategy #4: End on a High Note

Don’t forget that we often carry the emotions that we’re left with at the end of a conversation. 

When providing constructive criticism, it’s essential to reassure the recipient that they are safe, supported, heard, and seen by you. 

Therefore, it’s necessary to reiterate what they’re doing well and that you look forward to seeing them improve.

Scenario #4 : Imagine a newly-promoted team member accidentally sent the wrong marketing materials to clients. You may use the sandwich method to provide feedback: “ I appreciate that you were quick to communicate with both clients and team members. I understand that this resulted from a misunderstanding of the instructions and I want to ensure we work together to avoid a similar event in the future. So, I’ve created a short SOP to review. I expect that this will be followed prior to sending out any future communications to clients. Please review it and let me know if you have any questions. I have every confidence that you’ll do well in this role and I’m here to support you in any way that I can.”

It’s time to practice!

Let’s practice providing feedback for the following scenario: 

A team member missed deadlines and did not communicate that they were struggling until the last minute. This has disrupted your team’s workflow and ability to complete an important project on time. Keep in mind, your coworker comes from a work culture where a request for help is seen as a sign of weakness.

Using the sandwich method, as well as the strategies from today’s lesson, share how you might provide constructive feedback.

 You can share your answers — as well as your questions — with me in the comments below. I’ll also add possible answers at the top of the comment section.

~ Annemarie

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Free English Lessons

Giving and receiving feedback – business english video.

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In this lesson, you can learn how to give and receive feedback in a professional environment.

You’ll see different ways to give positive or negative feedback, and how to give negative feedback in a more direct or indirect way., quiz: giving and receiving feedback.

Test your understanding of the vocabulary and ideas you saw in this lesson! The quiz has 20 questions, and you’ll see your score at the end.

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1 . Question

True or False: feedback can be negative as well as positive.

2 . Question

Complete the missing word in this positive feedback. Some of the letters are given already.

I r y liked how you answered those difficult questions at the end.

3 . Question

Choose the correct missing word for responding to feedback.

I’m ______ of that.

4 . Question

True or False: feedback includes giving an opinion on what someone did and making suggestions that might help the other person.

5 . Question

The way you organised the slides was very imp .

6 . Question

I’ll ______ what I can do.

7 . Question

True or False: the reason to use indirect language when giving feedback is to impress the other person with your grammar.

8 . Question

I a d the way you gave your presentation without looking down at your notes.

9 . Question

I take your ______.

10 . Question

True or False: ‘Don’t cut corners’ is a direct way to tell someone to be more careful about checking the details in their work.

11 . Question

Complete the missing letters to complete this phrase of positive feedback.

K u the g w !

12 . Question

Write the missing word in this indirect feedback.

is advisable not to be too critical when giving feedback to one person in front of others.

13 . Question

Choose the correct missing word for showing that you will take action in response to feedback.

I’ll ______ on it right away.

14 . Question

True or False: in indirect language, it is more common to use the word ‘you’ than in direct language.

15 . Question

I can ______ into that.

16 . Question

‘s a company communications style that should be adhered to in all correspondence.

17 . Question

Put the words in the right order to create the expression of direct feedback.

View Answers:

18 . Question

Complete the expression of direct feedback.

I’ll cut to .

19 . Question

Which version of this feedback is more indirect?

• You need to take more care when proofreading your reports before you send them.
• It’s important to take care to proofread all reports before sending them.

20 . Question

Rewrite this indirect feedback in a more direct way. Use verbs related to the words highlighted in the original sentence.

It is advisable to get your proposal read by a colleague before it is sent to the client in future.

I you to get a colleague to read your proposal before you it to the client next time.

1. Giving Positive Feedback

Oli: Hi, you wanted to talk to me?

Marie: I did? Ah, yes, I remember! It won’t take long.

O: Is there a problem?

M: No, not at all! Actually, I just wanted to tell you I really liked how you handled the meeting with Omnitouch.

O: Oh, thanks!

M: It was a challenging situation. None of us thought they would come in with so many difficult, technical questions, and, honestly, that guy – what was his name? Brian? – I thought he was being quite aggressive. I admired the way you were able to keep your cool and stick to the point.

O: Sure, I suppose it wasn’t the easiest meeting, but it wasn’t too stressful. I’m used to situations like that.

M: Yes, but still, not everyone can stay calm in that position. Also, the visuals you prepared for our presentation were very impressive. They looked professional, but also communicated key information clearly.

O: Glad you think so.

M: Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. Keep up the good work!

O: Will do!

In the dialogue, you heard different ways to praise someone’s work by giving feedback that’s positive.

Look at some sentences.

• I ________ liked how you handled the meeting with Omnitouch.
• I ________ the way you were able to keep your cool and stick to the point.
• The visuals you had prepared for our presentation were very ________.
• ________ up the good work!

Can you remember the missing words? If not, you can review the dialogue if you want.

Here are the answers.

• I really liked how you handled the meeting with Omnitouch.
• I admired the way you were able to keep your cool and stick to the point.
• The visuals you had prepared for our presentation were very impressive.
• Keep up the good work!

You can use these phrases in other ways. For example:

• I really liked how you explained everything so clearly.
• I admire the way you never miss a deadline, even when we’re under a lot of pressure.
• The way you dealt with that customer’s complaint was very impressive.

What about you? Can you think of other ways to complete these sentences?

• I really liked how…
• I admire(d) the way you…
• …was/were very impressive.

Think about your work recently. Have your colleagues done anything which impressed you? Use your own ideas to complete these sentences. Pause the video and say your examples out loud now.

What about ‘ keep up the good work’ ? This is a general phrase. You can use it when you’re pleased with someone’s work, and you want to encourage them.

Next, what if you need to give feedback that is negative?

2. Giving Negative Feedback Directly

Oli: Can I have a word?

Marie: Sure, what is it?

O: Well, I had a chance to look through your draft proposal.

O: I’ll cut to the chase: it needs a lot of work. This is a long, complex document. It needs to be well-organised, clearly laid-out, and make a good impression on whoever reads it.

M: So, what needs changing?

O: Honestly, I think you need to go back to the drawing board and think about how to organise your ideas. Currently, it’s hard to follow because it’s incoherent. You jump from one topic to another, which makes it difficult to focus on your main idea.

O: Also, you need to pay more attention to detail. I checked some of the data you quote, and many of the figures are inaccurate. I didn’t check everything, because that’s your responsibility. Remember that their legal department will also be looking through this, so it needs to be watertight. Double check any figures or other data you’re using and don’t cut corners.

M: OK, that’s my fault. I’ll be more careful.

O: Finally, you need to tidy up the language. There are spelling mistakes, ungrammatical sentences, missing punctuation, and so on. I hope it’s obvious that you can’t make spelling mistakes in a piece of writing like this; it won’t make a good impression.

M: No, of course not.

O: So, do you think you can deal with this and get a revised draft to me by the end of the week?

M: Sure, I’ll do that.

When giving negative feedback, you can choose between being more direct or more indirect.

This depends on many things: the country you’re in, corporate culture, your relationship with the person you’re talking to, and more.

Here, you saw some ways to give feedback that is negative directly. Look at some phrases from the dialogue.

• I’ll cut to the chase…
• You need to go back to the drawing board.
• Don’t cut corners.

Imagine someone asks you to explain what these phrases mean in English. How would you do it? Pause the video and think about how to explain the meaning of these phrases.

‘I’ll cut to the chase’ signals that you’re about to say something negative in a direct way. It’s a way to introduce a criticism.

‘Go back to the drawing board’ means to start something again. You use this phrase when something is not going to plan, and you need to start again from zero.

If you cut corners, you rush your work, or you don’t pay enough attention to it. If you tell someone ‘don’t cut corners’, you are telling that person to work carefully and pay attention to detail.

Generally, if you want to give feedback directly, you’ll use simpler statements with ‘you’. For example:

• You need to pay more attention to detail.
• You should double check your figures before you send it.
• You can’t go into a meeting like that unprepared.

Direct language is generally simpler. You can use ‘you’ + a verb, as in ‘you need to’, ‘you should’, ‘you shouldn’t’, ‘you can’t’, and so on.

Learn more about ‘should’ in this Oxford Online English lesson: How to Use the Modal Verb Should .

Now, what about giving feedback that’s negative in a more indirect way?

3. Giving Negative Feedback Indirectly

Marie: Do you have a minute?

Oli: Sure, what’s up?

M: There’s a little issue I wanted to discuss with you. Actually, there have been some complaints about the language and humour you use in meetings and in the office generally. More than one person has complained to me that they find it unprofessional and offensive.

O: Really? Like what?

M: I don’t want to get into specific cases. I just want to remind you that this is a workplace, and there are certain standards of conduct that we all have to adhere to.

O: So what? No jokes allowed?

M: That’s not what I’m saying, but it’s important to understand that not everyone will have the same perspective or sense of humour as you. It’s advisable to be cautious with your choice of words, especially in meetings or other situations where perhaps not everyone knows each other.

O: This seems a little unfair, given that you’re not saying who made these complaints, or what I’m supposed to have said.

M: Well, this is just a friendly chat, but I have also observed some examples of these issues directly. I don’t want to take this further, but I would like you to keep these things in mind; hopefully we can avoid similar issues in future.

In this dialogue, you saw how to give feedback that is negative indirectly. Here’s a question: what are some features of indirect language? How is indirect language different from the direct language you heard in part two?

Indirect language is generally softer and more impersonal. When giving negative feedback, if you want to be indirect, you’ll generally avoid sentences with ‘you’.

Instead, you’ll use impersonal constructions, for example with ‘there’. You heard

• There have been some complaints about the language and humour you use in meetings.
• There are certain standards of conduct that we all have to adhere to.

Or, you might use impersonal constructions with ‘it’, as in:

• It’s important to understand that not everyone will have the same perspective or sense of humour as you.
• It’s advisable to be cautious with your choice of words.

Take that last example. How would you say this in more direct language?

You would say something like: ‘You need to be more cautious with your choice of words’, or ‘You should be more cautious…’

Also, indirect language tends to be less specific. In the dialogue I avoided going into details about the problem. I didn’t say who had complained, or describe specific incidents.

Think about the differences between direct and indirect language that you’ve seen here. When you need to give someone negative feedback, it’s good to decide which approach to use, and control your language accordingly.

4. Responding to Feedback

Oli: Right, so, about the new design for the logo…

Marie: Yeah, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

O: First of all, the colours look strange, don’t you think?

M: Sure, I’m aware of that. I made the prototypes on my laptop while I was on the road, and the screen isn’t good enough for design work. I’ll adjust the colours on my desktop. I know how I want it to look.

O: OK, that sounds good. Now, I like the basic design, with the overlapping circles. I do think the text should be larger.

M: Alright, I can look into that. Sometimes it’s hard to balance the proportions when you start changing things, but I’ll see what I can do.

O: Then, I think the thing I like least is these triangles on the right. Overall, it looks too busy. There are too many shapes and different parts.

M: Well, there I have to disagree with you. Our logo now has triangles inside a circle. This new logo takes the same elements, but presents them in a new way. It’s different, but there’s also some continuity with the current logo, which I think is important.

M: I mean, I can try to come up with some more ideas, but I don’t think this particular logo makes sense if you take the triangles out. Plus, it’ll look unbalanced.

O: Look, I like it overall, but I don’t want to rush this decision, and I think you could improve on this design with a bit more time. How about you come up with one or two more versions, and then we’ll decide as a team?

M: OK, that sounds fair. I’ll see what I can do.

When someone is giving you feedback, you can receive feedback by responding in different ways.

You can acknowledge their point, or agree with it. You can promise to take action. Or, you can disagree.

Look at five phrases you heard in the dialogue. Can you remember the missing words?

• I’m ________ of that.
• I can look ________ that.
• I have to ________ with you.
• That ________ fair.
• I’ll ________ what I can do.

Pause the video if you need more thinking time.

Let’s see the answers together.

• I’m aware of that.
• I can look into that.
• I have to agree with you.
• That seems fair.
• I’ll see what I can do.

To acknowledge or agree with a point someone makes, you can say ‘I’m aware of that’ or ‘That sounds fair’.

You could also use phrases like ‘I understand,’ ‘I get it’, or ‘I take your point.’

Learn more about this topic with our lesson: Ways to Agree in English .

To promise to take action when someone gives you feedback, you could say ‘I can look into that’ or ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

You could also say ‘I’ll work on that’ or ‘I’ll get on it right away’. ‘Get on it’ means to start working on something. It’s a more informal phrase.

To disagree with someone when you receive feedback, you could say ‘I have to disagree with you.’

If you want to be more indirect, you could say ‘I’m not sure I agree’, or ‘I have a different perspective on that.’

If you want to be more direct, say something like ‘I don’t think that’s true’ or ‘I don’t agree with that.’

Now, you should know different ways to give and receive feedback. You can review parts of the video again if you need to.

Thanks for watching!

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• May 11, 2022

How To Give Feedback In English

Many top managers set up regular updates with their employees and consider them an aspect of their schedule that is set in stone. These meetings can be used for a variety of things: catching up on administrative topics, deliberating about any ongoing issues that need be resolved, discussing any necessity for management intervention, or simply chatting together casually about work in general. Importantly, these moments are also an ideal opportunity to let an employee know just how great you think they’re doing and why! As a manager, giving appropriate feedback to your team is a critical element in its success.

‘Feedback is one of the greatest ways that a person can improve and simultaneously better his immediate environment.’ It’s quite popular, nowadays, to put great emphasis on the improvement and development of employees. It’s rare now to find someone in the corporate world without a formal PM form (performance management), PIP (performance improvement plan), or whatever other acronym the company uses for measuring the output of an individual. Often, these documents are built upon gaps between where the employee is at that moment and what his or her ideal output is.

This is a positive practice that any organization should have. The quest for continuous self-improvement is fundamental to our evolution as human beings and any structure. As Mme. Du Defend once wrote, “Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; one either progresses or retrogrades.

Feedback is one of the greatest ways that a person can improve and simultaneously better his immediate environment. It also has the capability to motivate people to strive for greater things and, also, subconsciously continue practicing behaviours that lead to positive results. Providing employees with positive feedback, as well as highlighting points for improvement, is essential to achieve this.

According to certain research , it is manifested that “positive feedback is more effective for motivating goal pursuit than negative feedback because it increases outcome expectancy of the goal and perceived self-efficacy of the pursuer”. In short, the confidence boost that people obtain from words of encouragement makes them think that their goal is that much more attainable. As a result, they push further to achieve it.

In addition to that, according to other sources , criticism can lead to feelings of under-appreciation, which negatively affects morale and productivity. By contrast, it is suggested that positive assessments promote engagement and boost performance.

Do all cultures feel the same about positive feedback?

Notably, there are some cultures in which frequently giving words of encouragement to employees may not be standard practice. In Germany, for example , praise is provided only in very exceptional cases. The perspective there is that a decent level of performance is just part of a person’s job.

Likewise, providing positive feedback in Japan to subordinates is not customary. Kopp suggests that this has to do with Japan’s never-ending search for perfection and the fact that one doesn’t praise something that isn’t perfect. Then, it may be connected to the notion that praise can inflate the receivers ego and hence lead to a relaxation in efforts at work. Or perhaps, it’s connected to the fear of homegoroshi, the practice of giving lavish, back-handed compliments that are meant to seem sarcastic.

On the other hand, if you’re a manager in countries like the U.S. or Canada, positive feedback is highly encouraged and definitely welcome. Nonetheless, in western countries, the concept of insincerity in praise is also present. It’s for this reason that there are different theories about how to structure feedback so that it’s taken the right way and has an important impact on the organization, rather than falling into the black abyss of fruitless good job s and fantastic work s.

The STAR model is one of these structures which helps the commenter to give objectively “good” and believable feedback. This is quite fitting to the nature of the activity, because in English when you say to someone that they’re a star, you’re telling them that they’ve done something really well.

In short, the STAR approach leads to feedback that describes a specific SITUATION or TASK, includes details of the ACTION performed, and describes the impact or RESULTS of that action.

So now that we know how to structure our positive feedback, you’re probably wondering what English words or phrases you can use when constructing effective feedback.

We’ve compiled a list of English phrases that you could use to let your employees know just how great of a job they’re doing. We’ll also use these phrases in some sample sentences, keeping in mind of course the vital formula for making any sort of feedback meaningful -STAR!

English Phrases for Effective Positive Feedback

I was quite impressed with your presentation at our monthly sales meeting. It was very concise and you used the slides to pass your message effectively. Everyone in the room really appreciated that.

It was amazing how you were able to get a yes from the customer within 20 minutes. That account will bring in a substantial chunk of revenue for us this quarter.

I am very pleased with how you are supporting the junior staff members. I know how much time you spent helping them learn the operating system; they’re catching on very quickly thanks to you. Please keep doing what you’re doing.

I appreciate that you were an active participant in this morning’s meeting. You had some great insights about the project that I think will help us to avoid any further delays. Thank you.

In my opinion, your reporting is top notch / stellar / outstanding . I just received the summary from the recent trade-show in Hamburg and I felt like I was there myself. I especially liked how you included a short description about all of the key companies that visited the stand. That significantly helped to validate our target market.

I wanted to let you know that your observation on the market trends was extremely valuable for the organization. Thanks to your analysis , management finally made a decision regarding the merger.

You’re really mastering the SAP system. I don’t know many people who are able to access information as quickly as you do. For example, when we needed the details of that order urgently on Monday, you were able to get it to us within a matter of minutes. That really avoided a major issue with the customer. Would you be willing to become an official power user? I know you would be highly appreciated by the entire team.

It was great how you handled that angry customer. Not only did you manage to calm him down within just a few minutes, but, he extended his membership by another year! We’re really lucky to have you on the team.

I’d like to commend you for the effort you’ve put into the Jackson account. It’s really been paying off. I heard that the key buyer has signed a purchase contract to double their volume next year. Congratulations!

I’m really thankful for the way you stepped in as team leader while I was away. Everyone knew what their roles were and I came back to a smooth organization. All of the invoices were paid on time, you successfully reorganized the schedule when Chris called in sick, and you made the right decision in reimbursing that customer regarding his complaint. I’m confident that the next time I leave, the office will be in very capable hands.

John, do you have a moment? It’s important that I tell you just how pleased I am with your performance this month. Thanks to the additional 100 units that you’ve sold, our team will be above the quarterly budget by 5%! Outstanding work. As a token of appreciation , I’ve added a bonus to June’s salary.

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ESL Feedback Examples: 4 Types of Feedback for Any ESL Class

Humans are great at learning by example, so if you’re an ESL teacher, it could be handy to check out some good examples of ESL feedback you can use for your class!

Your goal as a teacher is to create an environment where students can learn and succeed. This is very hard to do if they feel like every word is judged and criticized.

However, neglecting to provide adequate critiques will not help students either, because they will have no idea how to improve.

This is where constructive feedback comes in.

Here are some examples of different kinds of feedback you can use in your own classroom.

Example Feedback for Writing Assignments

Focusing on specific skills, using indirect and direct correction marks, example one-on-one feedback, discussing strategies based on student priorities, outlining steps for improvement based on learning styles, example feedback for group work, real-time pronunciation work, topical cultural insight, examples of student-driven feedback, students assessing themselves, students exchanging papers, why is constructive feedback so important, it creates a positive classroom environment, it accelerates learning, it goes beyond grades.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Written assignments provide a great opportunity to carefully examine students’ work in a way that is not always possible with presentations or activities. To make the most of written feedback, pay attention to:

It’s important to focus on the specific grammatical skill set that your class is currently working on. This will help you to prioritize corrections rather than filling an entire paper with red pen! It’s not the end of the world if students aren’t correctly using tenses they never learned. But they do need to master the skills you’re actively teaching.

Instead of simply marking up a paper or worksheet, you can also provide a couple of brief takeaways at the end identifying the primary grammar concepts that should be reviewed. You could write something like:

“Great job organizing your ideas. You used the new vocabulary words very well. There are a few times where you confused the past simple tense with the past perfect. Please make the corrections where indicated and turn in your corrected paper by Friday.”

This shows students what they are doing well and gives them a specific skill to improve, along with an opportunity to practice it.

You already know grammar, which is why you’re teaching it. It’s not a useful exercise for you to make the corrections for students.

But you can empower students to learn by having them correct their own errors . When students are responsible for their own mistakes, they’re more likely to learn from them and not repeat them, thereby saving themselves from making the same corrections in the future.

It’s helpful to have direct marks such as consistent abbreviations that tell students what kind of corrections they need to make. Perhaps something like “sp” for spelling, “vt” for verb tense, “pr” for preposition, “wc” for word choice and “ar” for article.

But don’t be afraid to use indirect marks like underlining and highlighting to help guide students to make their own corrections without telling them exactly what to do.

Not only does this technique clue students into the changes they need to make, but it also helps train their eyes to pick out errors in written texts.

Sitting down with a student one-on-one is a great chance to discuss that student’s specific goals, challenges, and learning style.

A one-on-one conversation is a smart time to look at some of the bigger goals students might have for the class. Perhaps they want to master conversational English because they are planning to study abroad in England and want to be able to communicate effectively. Highlighting what students want out of the class is a good first step, and then you can discuss strategies for getting there.

Discuss with students how they are studying  and what they spend less time on . This will help quickly identify problem areas and how to address them.

Maybe a student excels in written work but never speaks during class. They could find a conversation partner to practice speaking with a couple of times a week or join an English club to practice conversing with other students.

Maybe a student always turns in homework but struggles to remember vocabulary words on tests. They might need to adjust test preparation to involve more flashcards or practice using vocabulary in writing.

In any given class, you will have some visual learners who need to associate new vocabulary with images, conceptual learners who rely on mnemonics and creative learners who need to apply lessons in their own way. Speak one-on-one with your students to identify their learning styles and discuss whether they’re studying in a way that matches them.

Sometimes quality feedback goes beyond helping a student with a specific skill. Instead, you might need to help students change their learning approaches , whether they are prioritizing the wrong things or prone to cramming rather than consistently studying. 

Save this one for your group work, classroom activities and post-test games . These informal settings provide a great opportunity to give real-time feedback on the nuances of English, especially pronunciation.

Getting down the correct pronunciation of a new language can be challenging even for those who have studied it for years. Taking every opportunity to improve pronunciation as early as possible will help students succeed and eliminate some of the uncertainty of, “Am I saying this right?”

When your class is split up for group work, take the opportunity to drill pronunciation. Go around to each group and work on correctly pronouncing the English phrases they are using. Have them repeat after you a few times until they are saying it correctly. You can also explain how it sounds when they say a given word or phrase compared to how it sounds when you say it so that they can hear the difference.

Use your real-time feedback to impart some cultural insight. There are some cultural phenomena that students will need more feedback to understand. For example, if your students are from Spain, they might struggle to understand American punctuality.

If your topic is time and a student mentions showing up 20 minutes late to lunch, you have the chance to introduce them to a different culture’s perspective. Then you can have them make a sentence that is culturally accurate as well as grammatically correct.

Remember to keep your real-time feedback specific to the topic you are currently teaching. Chime in when students misuse key vocabulary or get tripped up on a relevant concept, rather than interrupting and possibly confusing students by correcting every single mistake.

Sometimes, giving students the opportunity to play teacher can be quite rewarding. After all, we sure learn a lot while teaching! Student-directed feedback can include:

It is always important for students to take responsibility for their own learning. As teachers, we can facilitate the process, but ultimately, students will learn as much as they choose.

While a self-assessment is not a good idea for every class, at least once a quarter it is a good opportunity to put students in the driver’s seat of their own education.

Likewise, it can be a useful activity to have students critique one another. It is important to keep it positive because students might be apprehensive about criticizing their peers.

Have students exchange papers with one another. They could write a couple of things they think their classmate does well , a couple of things they think their classmate could improve and a couple of overall suggestions for how they might make the paper even better.

This type of feedback encourages students to think critically while helping one another to improve. They do not necessarily need to grade one another’s papers; it is more important for them to analyze a student’s work to see what makes it good and what could make it better.

This is a useful skill that they can use when doing their own work as well. When students are able to give themselves feedback on their own work, they will continually improve. Feedback will be an integral part of their learning.

Giving students encouraging, forward-focused feedback motivates them by making the “next level” much more tangible to them.

When progress is rewarded, goals are explicit and concrete steps are laid out for improvement, the result is a learning-friendly classroom environment.

Providing constructive feedback allows students essentially to compete with themselves and to strive to be better every day.

If a student is failing a course, a reasonable expectation is not for him or her to simply ace the next exam. But by setting attainable goals based on specific skills, you can help students gradually and consistently improve.

It is this mindset of improvement that ultimately empowers students to succeed. If a student gets a low mark on a paper, they might feel deflated or question their intelligence. But by showing them how to do better in the future, you will empower them to move forward and take clear steps toward improvement.

Students’ skills will eventually be judged. There is always a quiz or exam lurking around the corner. But helping them succeed at these assessments requires a lot more than just grading.

A grade on a worksheet or activity might help students see where they are at present, but it does not show them how to grow. Constructive feedback goes beyond evaluation and gives useful information for improvement. It also makes class about learning rather than just getting results.

This encourages students to become lifelong learners who value continual improvement over momentary “perfection.”

Good feedback helps to set up ESL students for lifelong success, so try these four feedback strategies and see how they can help your students achieve their potential!

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Presentation Feedback

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A Peer Evaluation form is a form template designed to streamline the process of collecting feedback and evaluations from peers in the workplace. With this peer feedback form, Human Resources departments can eliminate paperwork and gather all evaluations online. The form includes questions about feedback for success in the job, the person's strengths and weaknesses, and their ability to collaborate with other team members. This form is essential for HR professionals looking to gather comprehensive feedback on employees' performance and foster a culture of continuous improvement within the organization.Jotform, a user-friendly and drag-and-drop online form builder, provides a seamless experience for creating and customizing the Peer Evaluation form. With Jotform's extensive field options and widgets, HR professionals can easily tailor the form to their specific requirements. Additionally, Jotform offers integration capabilities with popular apps and services like Google Drive, Salesforce, and Dropbox, allowing for seamless data transfer and automation. The platform also provides the Jotform Sign feature, which enables users to collect electronic signatures on forms and documents, ensuring enhanced security and compliance. With Jotform's ease of use, ease of -customization, and ease of -collecting e-signatures, HR professionals can streamline their evaluation processes and make more informed decisions based on comprehensive feedback.

Employee Peer Review Template

An employee peer review lets employees evaluate their coworkers’ performance and behavior in the workplace. Use our free, online Employee Peer Review Template to simplify and speed up the evaluation process at your company. Once you’ve customized it to meet your needs, publish the form on your company site or send a direct form link to employees. Your staff will be able to name the employee they’re reviewing, describe the review period, and rate their coworkers on a scale from exceptional to unsatisfactory. Using our drag-and-drop Form Builder, you’re free to change the rating scale however you like. You can view submissions from your Jotform account on any device, even offline with Jotform Mobile Forms.Need to make some changes to our Employee Peer Review Template? With our drag-and-drop Form Builder, you can easily customize this template to perfectly align with your needs — no coding necessary! Feel free to replace the input table with questions or slider rating scales. You can even upload your company’s logo for a more professional look! While you’re at it, sync your Employee Peer Review Form to apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Airtable to store evaluations in your other online accounts too. Boost employee performance with a custom Employee Peer Review Template that makes it easier for employees to evaluate their coworkers!

Student Peer Evaluation Form

A student peer evaluation form is a tool used by teachers to collect feedback about students from their peers. Whether you teach at a middle school, high school, or college, collect peer evaluations from your students with a free Student Peer Evaluation Form! Embed this form in your online class website, or share it with students to complete with a link to keep communication between you and your students fast and easy. You can easily customize this form to match your classroom and grading scheme.You can even add questions, edit the layout, or choose a new background image, making your Student Peer Evaluation Form match your needs exactly. Integrate with online storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox to make the most of your data. You can even send students’ evaluations and others’ submissions to CRM platforms like Salesforce (also available on Salesforce AppExchange). Save yourself time and effort by using a free Student Peer Evaluation Form to get peer evaluations from your students.

• Form Templates /
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• Peer Feedback Forms /

Peer Feedback Forms

A Peer Evaluation form is a form template designed to streamline the process of collecting feedback and evaluations from peers in the workplace

Whether you just gave a presentation or were a viewer at a seminar, a presentation feedback form is a great way to collect constructive feedback. Customize the presentation feedback form template to include the presenters name, commentary fields and grading rubrics. Additionally, presentation feedback templates have access to Jotform's collection of themes, apps, and widgets to help user engagement. Use our presentation feedback form sample as a guide for creating your own, customizing it to fit your needs.

An Employee Peer Review Template is a form template designed to facilitate the evaluation of coworkers' performance and behavior in the workplace.

A student peer evaluation form is a tool used by teachers to collect feedback about students from their peers. No coding!

Presentation Peer Feedback Form

A presentation peer feedback form is used by students to give feedback on presentations that their peers have created in the classroom. Customize and share online.

Feedback For SSDP Graduate

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Feedback Session GLSS

Testing prototype

About Peer Feedback Forms

Whether you need feedback on employee performance reviews or a group project, gather the data you need with Jotform’s free online Peer Feedback Forms. Start by choosing a free template below and customizing it with no coding required — then embed the form in your website or share it with a link to start collecting feedback from your peers on any device. All responses are stored in your secure Jotform account.

Feel free to add more questions, choose new fonts and colors, or upload photos with our drag-and-drop builder. If you’d like to analyze feedback to reveal important insights, create reports instantly with Jotform Report Builder — or send feedback to other accounts automatically with 100+ readymade integrations! Switch from time-consuming paper forms or emails and collect feedback more efficiently with free Peer Feedback Forms from JotForm.

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View, manage, and install add-ins for Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

When you install and use an add-in, it adds custom commands and extends the features of your Microsoft 365 programs to help increase your productivity.

Note:  This article only applies to add-ins in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. For guidance on how to view, install, and manage add-ins in Outlook, see  Use add-ins in Outlook .

View installed add-ins

You can directly install add-ins from this page or select  More Add-ins  to explore.

In the Office Add-ins dialog, select the  My Add-ins  tab.

Select an add-in you want to view the details for and right-click to select  Add-in details  option.

Install an add-in

Tip:  If you selected  Home  >  Add-ins , directly install popular add-ins from the menu that appears, or select  More Add-ins to view more options. 

Select  Add  from the add-in you want to install.

Manage installed add-ins

To manage and view information about your installed add-ins, perform the following:

Select  File > Get Add-ins .   Alternatively, select  Home  >  Add-ins > More add-ins .

In the Office Add-ins dialog, select the  My Add-ins tab.

Select  Manage My Add-ins . This opens the Office Store page in your preferred browser with a list of your installed add-ins.

Remove an add-in

To remove an add-in you installed, follow these steps.

Select  File  > Get Add-ins . Alternatively, select  Home > Add-ins .

In the Office Add-ins dialog, select  My Add-ins  tab.

Select an add-in you want to remove and right click to select  Remove  option.

Note:  Add-ins that appear in the  Admin Managed  section of the Office Add-ins dialog can only be removed by your organization's administrator.

Cancel an add-in subscription

To discontinue your subscription to an add-in, do the following:

Open the Microsoft 365 application and select the Home  tab.

Select  Add-ins from the ribbon,   then select  More Add-ins .

Select the My Add-ins tab   to view your existing add-ins.

Select  Manage My Add-ins .

Under the Payment and Billing section, choose Cancel Subscription .

Select  OK ,   then Continue .

Once you've cancelled your subscription, you should see a message that says "You have cancelled your app subscription" in the comments field of your add-in list.

Manage an add-in's access to your devices

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Quebec says education ministry presentation for parents could have been in English after all

In the latest example of the confusion surrounding Quebec's new language law, the education ministry has confirmed that a presentation delivered only in French to English-speaking parents last week could have been done in English after all.

It's a major development in the case that has drawn lots of reaction from the interim leader of the Liberal Party at the national assembly as well as upset parents who were seeking information about programs for their special needs children who attend English schools.

The parents, whose children have intellectual disabilities and cognitive difficulties, were angered that the officials on the Zoom videoconference said they could only explain the programs in French due to the language law. One parent, whose 14-year-old son has autism, told CTV News that the way she was treated was "discriminatory."

However, on Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Education (MEQ) said in an email to CTV News that the French language charter, which was revamped under Bill 96, allows for certain exceptions for administration officials to use a language other than French.

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"In this case, the presentation could indeed have been made in English, and the Ministry will ensure that the circumstances permitting the use of another language are specified," wrote spokesperson Bryan St-Louis.

"In order to clarify practices, the future MEQ directive currently in preparation will clarify the conditions and circumstances allowing staff members to use languages other than the official language in this type of situation."

'Rules were misunderstood,' education minister says

During the session for parents, a special education coordinator told the roughly 65 parents that, "I would like to do it in English, but the law will not allow me to. We were able to translate the slides but I don't recall being told that we could verbalize it in English. It doesn't bring me pleasure to do this but we aren't allowed to give the presentation in English."

The province had previously said that, in this case, the exception that was permitted under the law was the English-language slides of the presentation . The question and answer portion of the virtual session was also held in English.

On Thursday, Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville admitted "the rules were misunderstood."

"There was a misunderstanding of the rules. Now, I'm making sure that the rules are better understood and therefore it should be made clear in the circumstances that occurred there was a possibility to have a presentation in English — and there should have been one," he told reporters in Quebec City.

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Drainville said it would be "a good idea" to offer the presentation again to the anglophone parents.

The minister was also asked how he can expect the public to understand Bill 96 "when your own bureaucrats don't understand what the law requires."

"Look," he responded, "explaining, understanding, clarifying — this is what we're doing."

Earlier this week, Marc Tanguay, the interim leader of the Official Opposition at the national assembly, called into question the provincial government's interpretation of its own language law, which limits the use of English in certain settings.

The officials on the Zoom call should have presented in English, he said, because they were providing "key information" to parents about the wellbeing of their kids that "should be understandable."

Sara Hossaini, who attended the session, said in an interview that she had a hard time understanding the French portion of the meeting because the special needs coordinators with the ministry were explaining complex terms in French only.

Reached again by CTV News on Thursday, she said, "The use of language is for communicating and for understanding each other. If they use language to stop communication and building bridges and helping out each other and supporting each other, it's strange. It's a strange use of language."

'Too bad it had to happen this way'

Katherine Korakakis, the president of the Quebec English Parents' Committee Association, helped organized the Zoom session over several months and said she was assured during that time that the meeting for parents would be completely in English.

On Wednesday, she said she was happy to finally get clarity on what is and isn't allowed under the law, but said it speaks to the overall confusion Bill 96 has created for the English-speaking community since it was introduced.

"It's too bad it had to happen this way. It's too bad that an event like this had to happen for us to get clarification," she said in an interview.

"Things should have been clear when the law was put forth. There should have been clear directives. So we're not there. And it's unfortunate that this had to blow up the way it did for us to move forward in a way that we need it to move forward so we can understand what we're doing."

Korakakis said she hopes to organize a new session for anglophone parents in the future "because it's important information."

Eric Maldoff, a Montreal lawyer and chair of the Coalition for Quality Health and Social Services, said this latest controversy with the education ministry flies in the face of previous promises from the Legault government that rights to health and social services in English would be untouched.

"The fact of the matter is if people can't get access to the information that allows an autistic child to get the services they require that certainly is impinging on their health — and it is a question of health. Not all things that touch upon health are in the health ministry; they're also in the education ministry," he said.

He also lamented the fact that the government's directives for Bill 96 still have not been released almost two years since it was adopted.

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