feedback reflection essay

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Reflection and Reflective Writing - Skills Guide

• Reflective Assignments
• Reflecting on Your Experiences
• Reflecting on Your Skills

Reflecting on Feedback

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• Audio Playlist
• Further Reading
• Downloadable Resources

Reflecting on feedback

What is reflectiong on feedback?

Feedback is designed to help you to identify your own strengths and weaknesses in a piece of work.  It can help you improve on your work by building on the positive comments and using the critical ones to inform changes in your future writing.  Therefore, feedback forms a critical role in your learning and helps you to improve each piece of work.   As with all reflection, reflecting on your feedback should follow the three stages of reflection outlined in earlier in this guide.

What should I do with feedback?

Try to identify the main points of the feedback.  What does it say?  Can you break it down into main points or areas of improvement?  Writing these down can be good to refer to later. You may find keeping all of your feedback in one place helps, as it makes it easier to look back and identify common mistakes.  Identifying the main points of the feedback is the descriptive stage of reflection.

Once you have done this, move on to the critical thinking stage.  How do you feel about the feedback?  What are you particularly proud of?  Is there anything you are disappointed by?  Are there any points where you need further clarification from your lecturer?

Finally, there is the future focused stage of reflection.  How will this feedback influence how you complete your next assignment?  What will you do the same?  What will you do differently?  You may find it helpful to put together an action plan ready for when you begin your next module.

VP Education's Feedback Guidance

Feedback guidance.

Reflecting on Feedback Video - 2 mins

Naomi discusses top tips for reflecting on feedback from your assignments.

Methods of Reflecting on Your Assignment

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• Last Updated: Aug 23, 2023 3:51 PM
• URL: https://libguides.derby.ac.uk/reflectivewriting

How to Write a Reflective Essay: Easy Guide with Pro Tips

Defining What is a Reflective Essay: Purpose + Importance

Being present is a cornerstone of mindfulness and meditation. You must have often heard that staying in the moment helps you appreciate your surroundings, connects you with people and nature, and allows you to feel whatever emotions you must feel without anxiety. While this is helpful advice as you become more focused and avoid getting lost in thought, how can you truly appreciate the present without reflecting on your past experiences that have led you to the current moment?

We don't say that you should dwell on the past and get carried away with a constant thought process, but hey, hear us out - practice reflective thinking! Think back on your previous life events, paint a true picture of history, and make connections to your present self. This requires you to get a bit analytical and creative. So you might as well document your critical reflection on a piece of paper and give direction to your personal observations. That's when the need for reflective essays steps in!

In a reflective essay, you open up about your thoughts and emotions to uncover your mindset, personality, traits of character, and background. Your reflective essay should include a description of the experience/literature piece as well as explanations of your thoughts, feelings, and reactions. In this article, our essay writer service will share our ultimate guide on how to write a reflective essay with a clear format and reflective essay examples that will inspire you.

How to Write a Reflective Essay with a Proper Reflective Essay Outline

To give you a clear idea of structuring a reflective essay template, we broke down the essential steps below. Primarily, the organization of a reflective essay is very similar to other types of papers. However, our custom writers got more specific with the reflective essay outline to ease your writing process.

Reflective Essay Introduction

When wondering how to start a reflective essay, it is no surprise that you should begin writing your paper with an introductory paragraph. So, what's new and different with the reflection essay introduction? Let's dissect:

• Open your intro with an attention-seizing hook that engages your audience into reflective thinking with you. It can be something like: 'As I was sitting on my bed with my notebook placed on my shaky lap waiting for the letter of acceptance, I could not help but reflect, was enrolling in college the path I wanted to take in the future?'
• Provide context with a quick overview of the reflective essay topic. Don't reveal too much information at the start to prevent your audience from becoming discouraged to continue reading.
• Make a claim with a strong reflective essay thesis statement. It should be a simple explanation of the essay's main point, in this example, a specific event that had a big impact on you.

Reflective Essay Body Paragraphs

The next step is to develop the body of your essay. This section of the paper may be the most challenging because it's simple to ramble and replicate yourself both in the outline and the actual writing. Planning the body properly requires a lot of time and work, and the following advice can assist you in doing this effectively:

• Consider using a sequential strategy. This entails reviewing everything you wish to discuss in the order it occurred. This method ensures that your work is structured and cohesive.
• Make sure the body paragraph is well-rounded and employs the right amount of analysis. The body should go into the effects of the event on your life and the insights you've gained as a consequence.
• Prioritize reflecting rather than summarizing your points. In addition to giving readers insight into your personal experience, a reflective stance will also show off your personality and demonstrate your ability to handle certain challenges.

Reflective Essay Conclusion

The goal of your reflective essay conclusion should be to tie everything together by summarizing the key ideas raised throughout, as well as the lessons you were able to take away from experience.

• Don't forget to include the reasons for and the methods used to improve your beliefs and actions. Think about how your personality and skills have changed as well.
• What conclusions can you draw about your behavior in particular circumstances? What could you do differently if the conditions were the same in the future?

Remember that your instructor will be searching for clear signs of reflection.

Understanding a Reflection Paper Format

The format of reflective essay greatly differs from an argumentative or research paper. A reflective essay is more of a well-structured story or a diary entry rife with insight and reflection. You might be required to arrange your essay using the APA style or the MLA format.

And the typical reflection paper length varies between 300 and 700 words, but ask your instructor about the word length if it was assigned to you. Even though this essay is about you, try to avoid too much informal language.

If your instructor asks you to use an APA or MLA style format for reflective essay, here are a few shortcuts:

Reflective Essay in MLA Format

• Times New Roman 12pt font double spaced;
• 1" margins;
• The top right includes the last name and page number on every page;
• Titles are centered;
• The header should include your name, your professor's name, course number, and the date (dd/mm/yy);
• The last page includes a Works Cited.

Reflective Essay in APA Style

• Include a page header on the top of every page;
• Insert page number on the right;
• Your reflective essay should be divided into four parts: Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and References.

Reflective Essay Writing Tips

You may think we've armed you with enough tips and pointers for reflective writing, but it doesn't stop here. Below we gathered some expert-approved tips for constructing uncontested reflection papers.

• Be as detailed as possible while writing. To make your reflective essay writing come to life, you should employ several tactics such as symbolism, sentence patterns, etc.
• Keep your audience in mind. The reader will become frustrated if you continue writing in the first person without taking a moment to convey something more important, even though you will likely speak about something from your own perspective.
• Put forth the effort to allow the reader to feel the situation or emotion you are attempting to explain.
• Don't preach; demonstrate. Instead of just reporting what happened, use description appropriately to paint a clear picture of the event or sensation.
• Plan the wording and structure of your reflective essay around a central emotion or subject, such as joy, pleasure, fear, or grief.
• Avoid adding dull elements that can lessen the effect of your work. Why include it if it won't enhance the emotion or understanding you wish to convey?
• There must be a constant sense of progression. Consider whether the event has transformed you or others around you.
• Remember to double-check your grammar, syntax, and spelling.

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Reflective Essay Topic Ideas

As a reflective essay should be about your own views and experiences, you generally can't use someone else's ideas. But to help you get started, here are some suggestions for writing topics:

• An experience you will never forget.
• The moment you overcame a fear.
• The most difficult choice you had to make.
• A time your beliefs were challenged.
• A time something changed your life.
• The happiest or most frightening moment of your life so far.
• Ways you think you or people can make the world a better place.
• A time you felt lost.
• An introspective look at your choices or a time you made the wrong choice.
• A moment in your life you would like to relive.

You may find it convenient to create a chart or table to keep track of your ideas. Split your chart into three parts:

• In the first column, write key experiences or your main points. You can arrange them from most important to least important.
• In the second column, list your response to the points you stated in the first column.
• In the third column, write what, from your response, you would like to share in the essay.

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Reflective Essay Sample

Referring to reflective essay examples can help you a lot. A reflective essay sample can provide you with useful insight into how your essay should look like. You can also buy an essay online if you need one customized to your specific requirements.

How to Conclude a Reflective Essay

As we come to an end, it's only logical to reflect on the main points discussed above in the article. By now, you should clearly understand what is a reflective essay and that the key to writing a reflective essay is demonstrating what lessons you have taken away from your experiences and why and how these lessons have shaped you. It should also have a clear reflective essay format, with an opening, development of ideas, and resolution.

Now that you have the tools to create a thorough and accurate reflective paper, you might want to hand over other tasks like writing definition essay examples to our experienced writers. In this case, feel free to buy an essay online on our platform and reflect on your past events without worrying about future assignments!

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The Right Way to Process Feedback

• Cameron Conaway

Use these six steps to guide your thinking.

We all receive feedback from time to time. But are we able to process it and make the most of it? Not always. Processing feedback goes far beyond listening to it in the moment and implementing it; it involves continuous reflection, conversation, and practice. While much of this happens because of the way we receive feedback, there is much we can do, too, to make sure we’re processing feedback the right way.

• Poise: Step into your feedback session with neutrality, neither enthusiastically agreeing with the feedback nor forcefully rejecting it. This will allow you to be a better listener instead of simply trying to hear the other person with an intent to respond.
• Process: Take time to metabolize the feedback and let the feedback run through both your body and your mind. That means feeling your feelings and investigating why you may be feeling them.
• Positionality: Consider the feedback provider’s motives, position, and intent. Do you believe they genuinely want to help you? Do you trust them?
• Percolate: Run the feedback you received through a simple decision tree. Take your time as you work through your thinking as you should feel confident in how you will move forward with the feedback you received.
• Proceed: Rolling out the feedback all at once usually isn’t the best way. Using a “drip” method to consistently practice the change over a long period rather than make it all at once.
• Perspective: Ask those who you respect and who have seen your new performance what they think of it to ensure there isn’t a mismatch between how we perceive our performance and how it’s landing for others.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

As an English major, writing was a big part of my curriculum. Whether I was writing literary criticism or a reflection on one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, my papers rarely came back to me with clean white margins. But there was never any formal feedback. The edits just meant the professor had wrestled with my writing and that I had plenty of opportunities to learn. I eventually grew accustomed to seeing my work covered in red pen. As I entered my senior year, however, self-doubt kicked in. Was I good enough to be a writer? Did I have what it took to pursue a master’s degree in writing?

• Cameron Conaway  is a digital marketing and communications leader at Cisco and an adjunct professor in the M.A. Professional Communication program at the University of San Francisco. Conaway holds an Executive MBA from the University of San Francisco and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. A former journalist, he is a recipient of The Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative Fellowship and a grantee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Connect with him on Linkedin .

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12 Reflection and Feedback

Chapter 12 Check-in:

• What, So What, Now What
• Give and Receive

We’ve covered a lot of material around communicating with others.  Communicating with yourself is equally important and reflection and feedback are essential to the process of personal learning and development.

Professions where reflection is encouraged and incorporated into practice are largely academic and health care fields.  However, anyone interested in how to progress in their lives – personally or professionally – can benefit from reflection.

Traditionally a private experience and activity, this kind of self-analysis is part of any performance review in an employment situation.  This is more than a journal or diary of what happened; it is an opportunity to celebrate your growth and chart a path forward.

Types and Methods of Reflection

We conduct superficial reflection when we recount the events or describe an experience and stick to the details.  This is strictly a narrative of the incident with little or no opinion or evaluation of the events prior, during, or after. These are useful records for accident reports, but don’t qualify as reflective practice.

When you step back from an experience and contemplate your actions, your thinking process, and knowledge level, you are reflecting a little more deeply.  This level finds you thinking about the process, and how you felt about the experience.

To dive deeply into reflection, you build on a recount of the event by including an exploration of how the incident shaped how you think about yourself or what you do, and the impact it has on your relationship with others.

Two methods of reflection can assist you in this process.  Adapt the DEAL method ( Fundamentals of Reflective Practice , n.d.), designed for critical thinking in an academic environment, and apply four steps: Describe, Examine, Apply to Learn.  Identify and describe what happened then move on to examine the factors that contributed to the event both actual and attitudes.  Use those elements to determine how you can apply the results of your reflection to learn from the experience.

Driscoll (2007) developed the “What, So What, Now What” approach for reflective practice ( Fundamentals of Reflective Practice, n.d.) to streamline the process.  Determine and describe the event, explore who was involved, how things unfolded and why, what that means to you, how you think and feel about the incident, and how you will approach similar situations and work.  The “Now What” is an essential part of the strategy as it includes your plan for implementing an action for you to follow as a result of the experience.

That’s reflective practice in action.

Like reflection, feedback is a useful element to change course in your development.  Unlike reflection, another person such as a colleague or supervisor provides feedback.  Whether you are giving or receiving, particular skills are necessary to give and receive feedback effectively.  First, you need to understand that type of feedback you are to provide: informal, formal, formative, summative.

Informal is usually verbal, light on detail or specifics, and is very brief.  When a teacher tells you after class, “You did well on that presentation”, that is an example of informal feedback.  For it to be effective there must be a generous with time, private, motivating, moving forward, type of approach.

Like the name, Formal feedback is traditionally in writing so there is a record and it is usually part of a review process.  It provides more detail and specific examples and an action plan or corrective measures with deadlines.

Shifting to a focus on the learning or development of a skill, we find Formative feedback.  This kind of feedback is instructive and aims to provide direction for improvement.  There may be no or minimal grade associated with this kind of feedback as it is meant to help in the development of your understanding and skill.

Summative feedback is that final review which is traditionally done with reference to a rubric or formal assessment.

Feedback usually follows one of three methods.  There is the Sandwich approach where you start with something good, something that needs improvement, and something the reviewer appreciated.  Another way of providing feedback is to review the action step-by-step in Chronological format.  This can be very effective when it is necessary to find where something went wrong in either action or assumption.

The Pendleton method, developed in 1984, takes a four-step approach.  After you verify the receiver wants the feedback, you use open-ended questions and reflection to reach conclusions.  Ask first what went well.  Move on to what could have been done differently.  Ask the receiver to identify what could be improved.  End the feedback with asking how – what actions – could be done to accomplish the improvements (Hardavella et al., 2017).

As with every communication situation, there are potential barriers to giving and receiving feedback.

Know your audience, context, and potential response to minimize those barriers.  Feedback should be timely; soon after an incident or at regular intervals like an annual review or part of a training process.  Feedback must be specific and clear.  Feedback needs to be respectful of each participant personally and professionally.  Private delivery of feedback demonstrates that respect, especially if corrective measures are necessary.

Make sure your feedback is well received by taking the time to plan.  Plan the meeting in advance, so the recipient is ready to talk and has time to prepare as well.  Ask open-ended questions to make the meeting participatory and listen to the answers.  Keep your comments specific, clear and goal oriented.  Limit the number of concerns or comments.  Minimize blame language and focus on future actions.  Listen to what the individuals says and what their body language says: do not continue if they are uncomfortable or distressed or have otherwise shut down.

When receiving feedback the most important thing is to listen.  It can be overwhelming to receive any kind of negative information about your performance.  Ask open-ended questions to clarify comments.  Ask for examples or specifics. Take time to reflect on the discussion: you don’t have to respond immediately.  It is also a good practice to be pro-active and request feedback.

Examples of how to give and receive feedback can be found in reality competition shows such as The Great British Baking Show, The Great Canadian Baking Show, and the glass-blowing competition Blown Away.  The participants demonstrate how self-reflection and feedback help them improve their abilities for the next episode.

Chapter 12 Check-out:

When did you last reflect on your career path?  What adjustments did you make to your plan?

What feedback have you received that inspired you to change something you do?

References and Resources

Essential Guide for Giving and Receiving Feedback. (n.d.) Virtual Speech .  https://virtualspeech.com/blog/advice-for-giving-and-receiving-feedback

Fundamentals of reflective practice (reflective writing). (n.d.) The Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre . https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/sites/files/asc/public/shared/Fundamentals%20of%20Reflective%20Practice%20%28Reflective%20Writing%29.pdf

Hardavella, G., Aamli-Gaagnat, A., Saad, N., Rousalova, I., and Sreter, K.B. (December 2017). How to give and receive feedback effectively.  Breathe (Sheff) .  13(4): 327-333. DOI; 10.1183/20734735.009917

Reflective Practice . (2022). Southern Cross University.  https://libguides.scu.edu.au/reflectivepractice/types

Reflective Practices . (2022). Skills You Need: Helping You Develop Life Skills.  https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/reflective-practice.html

Copyright © by Wendy Ward is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Jessica McIntosh's ePortfolio

Ma1 learning journey, my reflection on feedback.

Personally, I feel that feedback is very beneficial. Feedback is given to improve you as a person and ensure that you can do the job to the best of your ability. I am a dancer and a horse rider and both these sports involve a lot of feedback. You should not feel embarrassed by negative feedback as it is only being given to make you better. Both in horse riding and dancing, I have had private lessons during which I was given a lot of feedback and criticism to take on board. I have learnt not to be offended by it as my teacher only wants me to be the best that I can. Also in group lessons and classes, we learnt to give feedback to each other to ensure that we were all kept safe and that our group could come out on top and win competitions.

The benefits of feedback is that it helps you grow as a group. It makes you feel that you can rely on others and that they will help you when needed. It also helps you to improve your skills and allows you to identify where more work is needed. Also sometimes, having another person’s perspective changes your view on something and allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the topic. However, a disadvantage of peer feedback is that it could be used incorrectly. Sometimes, people respond harshly when they originally didn’t intend to which can led to disagreements and frustration.

I have found that receiving postive feedback makes me feel more confident in my work. Any negative feedback I receive makes me even more determined to work harder to ensure that I do not make the same mistake again. I feel that when you are given feedback, it encourages you to work harder due to the confidence boost and also because you want to prove to the person that you have taken their views on board and have improved.

When given feedback, I find it easy to give positive feedback but I find it more difficult to express the negative feedback. I have learnt that if you word it in a certain way it comes across better. For example – maybe next time, you should think more about…

Feedback is something which is used throughout life and as a teacher it is important to give feedback to pupils and fellow teachers. As a student teacher, I will be receiving a lot of feedback from lectures and teachers on my placement and I understand that not all of it is going to be positive but I know that it will make me even more determined to succeed and try harder.

2 thoughts on “ My reflection on Feedback ”

I really enjoyed reading your post. I agree with what you say about positive feedback building confidence, and how negative feedback can make you all the more determined! It’s sometimes difficult to not take comments personally, but as you say, feedback is something used throughout life, and as teachers we need to embrace the use of it to our advantage and to encourage our pupils in the future.

I love how you associate critical feedback with determination to improve. We could all take a leaf out of your book here! It’s true that no-one can become an expert at what they do without constructive feedback from others, and so I feel that you have a really healthy way of viewing it.

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• Writing Tips

How to Give Feedback on an Essay

4-minute read

• 9th May 2019

Whether you’re teaching or just helping a friend, being asked to offer feedback on an essay can be intimidating if you’ve not done it before. We do, though, have a few tips to share on this subject.

Content vs. Quality of Writing

There are two main things you may want to offer feedback on when reading an essay. These are:

• The content of the essay (i.e. what the author is arguing)
• How it is written (i.e. how well they communicate their argument)

The exact nature of the feedback you provide will depend on the topic and type of essay you are reading. But there are some things you might want to comment on for any paper, including:

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
• Overall structure and readability
• Academic vocabulary and writing style
• Factual inaccuracies or ambiguities
• Whether the author provides evidence for their arguments
• Clarity and consistency of referencing

Ideally, you’ll provide feedback on all of these. However, if you’re simply reading the first draft of a paper to help a friend, you may want to check what kind of feedback they want.

Try, too, to balance the positive and negative feedback. It’s just as important to note things that are good as things that need clarifying. After all, if the author sees nothing but negative comments, they could be discouraged. Positive feedback, on the other hand, is a great motivator.

Comments in Margins vs. In-Depth Feedback

One way of leaving feedback is to make notes in the margins (either on paper or using the comment function in Microsoft Word). These should be short notes related to a specific issue, such as highlighting a misspelled word, an incorrect fact, or a missing citation.

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Try not to leave too many comments in the margins, though. If there is a recurring problem, such as a word that the author has repeatedly misspelled, don’t comment on it every time. Instead, leave a comment noting the pattern of errors. This highlights the issue without overwhelming the reader.

You may also want to provide overall feedback at the end of the paper. Ideally, this in-depth feedback should:

• Start positive (e.g. This is a well-researched, well-organised paper ).
• Focus on one or two major issues rather than repeating everything you commented on in the margins. If there are too many big problems to pick one or two, you may want to speak to the author in person instead.
• Provide concrete criticism on specific problems, including page or section numbers where relevant, not just general criticisms (e.g. You are missing several citations in section three, so please check… rather than just The referencing in this paper could be improved… ).

If you’re offering feedback on an essay that is currently in progress, focus on issues that the author could improve in the next draft. If you’re marking a final draft, however, you may want to focus on what they can learn from the essay’s overall strengths and weaknesses.

Marking Criteria

Finally, if you’re teaching on a university course – or even just marking papers – you should have access to the marking criteria. These will be set by the university or whoever is teaching the class. And, crucially, these guidelines will set out in detail what a good paper should do.

These criteria can also be useful when planning a paper, so it’s worth asking about the marking criteria even if you’re writing an essay rather than offering feedback! And if you’re not sure where to find the marking criteria for your course, check the university website or ask your professor.

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Reflecting on feedback: using forms to formalise the process

Students on the IOE's EdD graduate research programme have found reflecting on each of their previous essay’s feedback has helped the way they approach their next assignment.

13 July 2016

Dr Gwyneth Hughes describes how this technique can be adopted and tailored to use on any programme.

The taught element of the Doctor in Education (EdD) programme requires students to reflect on their research skills and their professional learning by drawing on feedback from three pieces work to produce a portfolio assessment.

However, in the past many students have not reflected on the feedback they received except to say that it was (or occasionally was not) useful.

Reflecting on feedback after each draft submission

Dr Hughes, who led the project team researching the use of formal feedback forms, and programme leader Dr Denise Hawkes, designed a form asking students to share what feedback had been used to inform their assignment.

The form was submitted with their assignment. The purpose was to help students reflect on feedback after each draft submission so that they could review their feedback regularly.

They also submitted the form with their final version so that they could see how the overall feedback helped with the final version and could request feedback from the assessor.

Making feedback a formal process to gain understanding

The aim of formalising reflection of feedback throughout the course was to help students learn to self-assess regularly.

For staff, the forms were an opportunity to see the individual approach students took to reviewing their work and to understand what the group collectively thought made feedback useful.

It was useful in setting up a longer term dialogue with students’ about their progress.

It also might alert staff to any problems students have about feedback at both an individual and group level.

“If students feel like they don’t have enough feedback to reflect on in the first place, the forms might flag this issue and give an opportunity to address the problem,” says Dr Hughes. “Some students may need reminding where the feedback is and how it might be useful to reflect upon.”

Students learning how to actively use their feedback

In focus groups Dr Hughes ran, many students said they reviewing their feedback was useful.

Although it may not attributed to use of the form alone, students stated how formalising the reflection process by writing down their thoughts had encouraged them to revisit past feedback often and find ways to improve.

One student said: “It’s a good idea to revisit old work so you don’t make the same mistakes and build on positive feedback. “Another said: “The more reflection you can do the better”.

Importance of explaining the process carefully to students

However, Dr Hughes advises, “This approach needs careful introduction so that students are aware of the benefits of documenting a feedback response and so that they do not see the process as bureaucratic or just another form to fill in.

Students also need to have enough time for the reflection process so that they do not leave completing the form until the submission date.” Students on the EdD attended a session to hear more about how to get the most out of the process.

This approach can be adopted by any programme looking to improve students’ self-reflection.

The form can be tailored before being made accessible to students through Moodle or a virtual learning environment. The form can also be adopted and suited to other mediums such as online discussion forums or blogs.

Other programmes within the IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, have already begun to use this model.

• Download the feedback form  (word document)

Further information

The form for self reflection on feedback (word document)

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Assessment and feedback events

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Assessment and feedback case studies

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Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, you want me to do what to my paper interpreting your professors’ feedback.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Alexandra W. Watkins

Feedback is one of the major components of effective writing. Professional technical writers may get feedback from clients or members of their target audience before producing a deliverables; creative writers may ask other writers they trust or a sample of their target demographic to provide feedback; and workplace writers may receive feedback from their boss or coworkers before releasing the final version of a draft. What these writers know is that feedback provides an invaluable opportunity to understand the needs and perceptions of their audiences, so it’s important to take that information into account to produce a rhetorically sound final product. 

In most classes that require you to produce writing, you will get feedback from your professor, and you’ll need to know how to respond effectively to that feedback. If your class doesn’t have feedback included as a required component, you can always ask your professor or someone at your school’s writing center to give you feedback that will improve your writing for the class.

For some writers, this part of the process can feel like taking a step back. You already spent weeks researching, writing, and rewriting the paper, and a week later, your professor sends you back your draft, marked up with questions, comments, arrows, and a long paragraph talking about strengths and weaknesses in your paper. Next, you’re supposed to take this feedback and change your paper–that paper you already worked on so hard! At this point, many students may feel frustrated and stuck. They may misunderstand some of the comments, or be unclear about what their professors are asking them to do. The purpose of this article is to walk you through some common comment types, and help you respond effectively to improve your writing. 

Most professors will provide an overall comment on your paper, which often identifies the strengths of the paper, an overarching note about the places where you need the most improvement, and sometimes, actions you can take or resources that might help you. Some students skip over this part altogether, or focus only on the positive or negative commentary. However, if your professor is giving you an endnote, it’s intended to give you a strong overall sense of what works in the paper (as well as what doesn’t). 

The best way to start thinking about your professor’s feedback is using this statement as a road map to understanding your in-text feedback. Here’s an example of an endnote I might write to a student: 

Hi Student,  Thank you for submitting your draft of the research paper! I think you make a really strong claim in your thesis that corresponds to the conversation about your topic that you identified in the annotated bibliography. Nice work! In the next draft, I would like to see you use more specific examples from your research to support your claims, especially in the second paragraph. The slideshow from class Thursday might help you there. Please let me know if you have any questions!

First, let’s start with the positive. If your professor identifies your thesis as a strength, you have a solid foundation for your claim, which means you can stick with this position as you move into the next stages of drafting. Now, you can focus on how you can make that claim better throughout the paper. For example, you might take a look at your thesis statement and ensure that your topic sentences in each paragraph have a similarly strong argument that consistently supports that strong thesis statement you wrote.

Then make note of what strategies you used to create the thesis. Did you include a counterargument? Is the position particularly compelling because of the structure of the sentence? By making note of what is working and why, you can improve your writing, for example, by using similar processes next time you have to write a paper. 

Next, focus on the improvement. Typically, your professor will not list everything that needs to be addressed in the end note. Instead, the end note identifies what they believe is the most important step you can take to improve your paper. Often, these improvement comments will focus on big picture issues, which will require some effort to address, but will also pay off by strengthening your argument significantly. 

In this example, the professor refers to a previous document showing research, an annotated bibliography. In that case, the professor most likely wants you to go back to that document and/or the research cited in the document to improve your claims. The professor has also referenced an in-class slide show as a resource for integrating evidence; try to review any resources your professor provides so you can use these tools effectively. You might consider reviewing any in-text comments that mention evidence, and especially taking a look at specific places the professor has asked you to review (e.g.,  the second paragraph).

Finally, block out some time to attend office hours, make a note in your peer review document about evidence, attend your school’s writing center, or volunteer part/all of your paper for class workshops so that you can get feedback on your evidence use before submitting the next draft. 

So, to simplify, when reading the end note: 

• Analyze and enhance the positives.
• Return to previous classwork to identify work you’ve already done (especially if the professor mentions it!).
• Review resources from the class that address topics referenced in the endnote. 
• Review in-text comments in light of the endnote. 
• Make time to attend office hours or get another form of feedback to discuss any questions you have and/or to make sure you’re on track. 

In-text Comments: Directions

Students tend to feel most comfortable responding to direct feedback, where a professor writes down a specific action for you to take on your paper, like “Move this sentence to the end of the paragraph” or “Use a different word here to communicate your meaning.” In this type of commentary, professors are providing suggestions or actions they think you should take to improve your paper.

While these directions are certainly the most simple to decode, you might find yourself disagreeing with the professor, and being tempted to just ignore the comment. However, what you would miss if you simply did not make that change is an opportunity to understand your audience more clearly. If you’re ever questioning a specific, direct comment from your professor, then try to block out some time to ask them, “Why?” The ensuing conversation will most likely help you improve as a writer, which is the goal of feedback. 

Often, these specific directions may be connected to elements in the endnote, so be sure to take note of the key course concepts you’ve identified in the endnote as you frame and interpret direct in-text comments and make decisions about how to address them. 

In-text Comments: Questions

One really great form of feedback that professors rely a lot on are questions. Questions provide a direct line to the reader and also invite dialogue between the reader and the writer. Unlike directive comments, which tell you what to do, a question is a version of non-directive feedback, or feedback that acknowledges that you, the writer, have the capability to find solutions to problems without specific, explicit direction from your professor. If a professor asks a question in feedback, they are expecting you to revise your paper in a way that answers the question or addresses the issue raised by their question. Following are some examples of questions you might see in a paper, and what your professor is referring to when they ask those questions. 

What is the main purpose of this paper?

When your professor questions what your purpose is, they are most likely commenting on your thesis. You may have forgotten to include a clear statement of your purpose early in your paper. Conversely, you may have changed your mind while you were writing, and you may need to revisit your thesis to account for this shift in your understanding. You may have misunderstood a piece of evidence you included that doesn’t support your claim, or you may have forgotten to refute a counterargument.

If your professor is questioning your purpose or argument, then a great first step is to try, without looking at your paper, to write down in one sentence what you think your main argument is. Then, re-read your paper and ask yourself the following questions:

• Where do I include a clear statement of this purpose? If I don’t include that, where can I add it? If I do, could it be better placed so the reader can easily locate the purpose?
•  Do my paragraphs support that purpose? If they do, how can I explain that connection  to the reader? If they don’t, should this information be removed? 

How does this evidence support your claim?

This question often comes up in body paragraphs. When a professor asks this question, they’re letting you know that the connection between the evidence you’ve included and the point you’re making in the thesis or topic sentence is unclear. You may have missed an explanation altogether, thinking the evidence stands alone (hint: it doesn’t!) or your connection language might not be as clear as you hoped. You can address this issue by adding in explicit connections between the information and your main point in the paragraph/section of your paper. 

How do you know this is true?

This question, or questions like it, typically mean your professor is looking for you to add evidence to a claim. You may have thought that information was self-evident, or obvious, but your professor is telling you it is not. This comment is an opportunity for you to show what you know, and to build your ethos by providing specific information from your research to support your claim. 

What do you mean here?

This question is tricky, and it can mean all sorts of things! Try reading through the sentence at varying levels to try to decode the question. First, check the sentence-level meaning and ask yourself the following questions: 

• Did you try out any new words that you weren’t super comfortable using? If so, that word may not have the meaning or use that you wanted it to in the sentence.
• If you read the sentence aloud to someone else in the room out of context, do they understand the point you’re trying to make? If they can’t, then you might need to revise, add, or simplify so the meaning becomes clearer. 

If the issue isn’t at the sentence level, then the next step is to check the meaning in context. You might have accidentally said something harmful, untrue, or inconsistent with your argument that your professor wants you to think through more carefully. If you’re still in doubt, then ask your professor what they mean by “what do you mean here.”

Specific question about your paper’s topic.

Although harder to model, specific questions about your paper are often the most rewarding because you know that your professor is really reading and trying to process your point. For example, if you are writing a paper about the camping ban in Austin, Texas, and your professor asks you a question like “How does recent legislation influence the point you make here about visibility of people who are homeless?” then your professor is trying to really engage your curiosity and add depth to the argument you’re making. If you’re not familiar with the legislation, look it up! If you are, then you should provide the answer to the question somewhere in the paper, whether it is in an added sentence, paragraph, or another entire section.

While questions can be frustrating, they also offer you opportunities to dialogue with your professor and grow as a writer. 

In-text Comments: Shorthand/terminology comments

Some professors make use of shorthand to provide comments to students. If your professor is using abbreviations that you’re not familiar with, check your course resources to see if they have provided a key. If you can’t find the key, then you should check with the professor to see if they have provided one, or if not, if they can help you decode their abbreviations. 

 Similarly, if the professor uses terminology you don’t know, like “comma splice,” “split infinitive,” “present participle,” etc., also try first to see if any course resources can help you understand those terms. Next, try Google (or another search engine) to see if you can find a helpful resource, like Writing Commons, or a video on Youtube that can explain the issue to you. If you’re still stuck, then you can send an email to your professor asking for additional feedback on this issue. 

When in doubt, talk it out

Remember–your professor is providing you with feedback to help you improve as a writer. Feedback is an act of care for many professors, an attempt to engage specifically with your writing and to help you become stronger. I have never met a professor who did not genuinely want their students to understand the comments they were spending a lot of time providing to students. If you need help understanding feedback, please reach out for more feedback, either from your professor, or from someone in your school’s writing center.  While the process of revising with feedback can be difficult and time-consuming, you don’t have to struggle alone to interpret your professors’ feedback. 

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How to give and receive feedback effectively

Georgia hardavella.

1 Dept of Respiratory Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London, UK

2 Dept of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, King’s College London, London, UK

Ane Aamli-Gaagnat

3 Dept of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

4 Faculty of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, UK

Ilona Rousalova

5 1st Dept of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Care, 1st Medical School and General University Hospital, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Katherina B. Sreter

6 Dept of Clinical Immunology, Pulmonology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Centre “Sestre Milosrdnice”, Zagreb, Croatia

In most European countries, feedback is embedded in education, training and daily professional activities. It is a valuable tool for indicating whether things are going in the right direction or whether redirection is required. In the world of healthcare professionals, it is intended to provide doctors with information about their practice through the eyes of their peers. Feedback is a valuable tool for doctors to gather information, consolidate their awareness of strengths and areas to improve, and aims to support effective behaviour. Doctors of all levels may be approached by peers or juniors to give feedback, or they may ask others to give feedback on their own performance.

Short abstract

Giving and receiving effective feedback are skills that are central in healthcare settings http://ow.ly/zZ1C30eVrH1

Feedback is the breakfast of champions . Ken Blanchard

Feedback is the fuel that drives improved performance . Eric Parsloe

Giving and receiving feedback is not an easy task and poses significant challenges for both sides. In this article, we will discuss pragmatic feedback models, how to overcome barriers to an effective feedback and tips for giving effective feedback, as well as how to receive feedback and make the most out of it.

Types of feedback

• Informal feedback is the most frequent form. It is provided on a day-to-day basis, and is given on any aspect of a doctor’s professional performance and conduct, by any member of the multidisciplinary team. It is usually in verbal form.
• Formal feedback comes as part of a structured assessment; it can be offered by any member of the multidisciplinary team, but most frequently by peers or superiors. It is usually in written form.
• Formative feedback, “for learning”, is about a learner’s progress at a particular time through a course or during the acquisition of a new skill. It provides opportunities to gain feedback, reflect and redirect effort (where appropriate) before completing a final assessment. It gives you the experience of writing or performing a task without it having a direct impact on your formal progress and relies on continuous encouragement.
• Summative feedback, “of learning”, measures performance, often against a standard, and comes with a mark/grade and feedback to explain your mark. It can be used to rank or judge individuals

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on formal and informal feedback.

Why is feedback important?

As a general rule, it seems that learners value feedback more when it is given by someone they respect as a role model. Appropriate feedback contributes significantly in developing learners’ competence and confidence at all stages of their professional careers; it helps them think about the gap between actual and desired performance, and identify ways to narrow the gap and improve. For health professionals in particular, it promotes reflective and experiential learning ,which involves “training on the job”, and reflecting on experiences, incidents and feelings. More importantly, feedback aims to develop performance to a higher level by dealing with underperformance in a constructive way.

If we do not give feedback, this will come with a cost. The learner can assume that everything is fine and will continue practicing in the same way. This leads into a false assessment of their own skills and abilities, and builds up a false perception.

Who gives feedback?

In professional life, your patients and anyone working with you as a member of the multidisciplinary team can give you feedback. Feedback in these cases is meant to be given reciprocally, i.e. you will also need to give feedback to your peers. We have listed the most common sources of feedback in figure 1 .

Sources of feedback.

Educational or clinical supervisors

Your educational or clinical supervisor can be a major source of feedback. They are meant to act as your mentor, monitor your clinical and educational progress, and ensure you receive appropriate career guidance and planning. Educational or clinical supervisors do not formally exist in all respiratory medicine training programmes across Europe and this role may be informally undertaken ad hoc by the clinical lead of the department, a supervising consultant or a PhD/MSc supervisor. Regardless of the role allocation, feedback is integral to the process, and should cover clinical and academic practice, professional conduct, complaints and/or serious incidents that should be discussed in a reflective, nonjudgmental manner to allow improvement and personal development. Should this occur in a structured and organised manner with a delegated supervisor, it will be helpful for the learner.

As previously stated, the feedback process should be reciprocal. Departmental trainee feedback is essential to monitor and improve the quality of specialty training. Trainees’ feedback must be used with other sources of information to review and improve the training programmes and posts. Obtaining this type of feedback can sometimes be challenging as it may be biased by the fear of identification and labelling of trainees; therefore, in some countries, it is given anonymously. This feedback should also be an opportunity to raise concerns about patient safety or colleague bullying and undermining.

Peers and colleagues

People you work with as members of a multidisciplinary team are expected to provide their feedback in a constructive manner, being open and supportive. This multisource feedback aims to improve your own understanding of where things stand; it is a clear “reality check” and, at the same time, gives a clear direction of travel in terms of improving behaviours, attitudes and skills. If you have not received such feedback, ask for it.

Patients’ feedback provides valuable information about what patients and service users think about the healthcare services offered. Examining patients’ feedback will give a direct insight into what is working well and what needs further improvement in the way care is delivered. Furthermore, patient feedback to healthcare professionals is also important as it highlights examples of good practice where lessons can be learnt and areas of concern where improvements can be made. Measuring patients’ feedback and experiences of care/treatment highlights areas that need to improve to provide a patient-led healthcare service.

Feedback models

There are several different models of giving feedback. Not every model is applicable in all daily cases of providing feedback. Below we have listed some feedback models.

The “feedback sandwich”

The feedback sandwich starts and concludes with positive feedback, and what can be considered as the more critical feedback is “sandwiched” between the positive aspects. This can be applicable in everyday clinical practise. However, if you use this method continuously, it might lose its effectiveness. The person receiving our feedback will only wait for the “but” in the middle of your sentence. In this case, make sure to give positive feedback on its own when the opportunity arises. If your coworkers feel acknowledged daily, they will be more open to all kinds of feedback when applicable. A couple of examples of the feedback sandwich follow.

“You have done really well in the acute take; you prioritised cases efficiently and your management plans were well structured. I was thinking we could discuss a few things I believe you can further improve such as timely communication of messages to the nursing staff and emphasising the urgency of particular tasks. After completing your management plan in the medical notes, you can consider discussing verbally the urgency of some tasks with the nurse looking after the patient so that they are alerted and can proceed with them promptly rather than relying on them going back to read the medical notes, which can take longer due to the overwhelming emergency department. Additional verbal communication will complement the excellent quality of your work, will ensure your well-structured management plan is implemented in a timely manner for the patient’s benefit and will further improve your patient’s outcome.”

“I noticed you made the patient and relatives feel very comfortable while you explained the bronchoscopy test to them, and your explanation was very clear. It would have helped further if you had given them patient information leaflets, as at times they were looking a bit overwhelmed. However, you have set a time for meeting with them again, and this will give you the opportunity of answering any questions and giving the leaflets.”

“Chronological fashion” feedback

Chronological fashion feedback focuses on reflecting observations chronologically, reiterating the events that occurred during the session back to the learner. For instance, an observer can go through a learning session and give feedback from beginning to the end.

“The first thing you did really well when you entered the room was to introduce yourself to the patient. Then, you proceeded with physical examination without getting the patient’s consent for this and at that point, the patient looked distressed. It was after that when you explained what you would do and got their consent, and consequently, the patient was more relaxed during the rest of the physical examination.”

This is helpful for short feedback sessions but you can become bogged down in detail during long sessions.

Pendleton model

The Pendleton model was developed in 1984. It is more learner centred, conversation based and identifies an action plan or goals: “reflection for action”. The facilitator needs to check whether the learner wants and is ready for feedback. Then, the learner gives some background about what is being assessed and states what was done well. This aims to create a safe environment first by highlighting positives and consequently this prevents defensiveness. The facilitator then reinforces these positives and the learner suggests what could be improved. This is important, as weaknesses are dissected to offer opportunities for reflection. The facilitator advises how this could be improved and a mutually agreed action plan is formed. The main idea is to use open questions and give the learner the opportunity to think and reflect.

“What do you think went well?”

“What do you think could be done differently?”

“What could be further improved?”

“How can this be achieved?”

Barriers to effective feedback

Various factors can impact on effective feedback and act as barriers ( table 1 ). It is important to be able to identify and overcome them. Effective feedback is dependent on communication skills and as such, it is vital that the message intended by the sender is understood by the receiver in the same terms.

Generalised feedback that is not related to specific facts and does not give advice on how to improve behaviour

Generalised feedback is unhelpful and can be confusing. The person receiving feedback remains unclear about the actual purpose of the session and usually starts exploring hidden agendas that might have triggered the feedback. It disrupts professional relationships and causes unnecessary suspicion.

A lack of respect for the source of feedback

We all tend to accept feedback more from people we value. In the opposite case, it is advised that you ask another colleague that was present to provide informal feedback rather than doing it yourself as otherwise, this might impact on professional relationships and feedback will be ignored.

Fear of upsetting your colleague or damaging your professional relationship with them

The person giving feedback might be different from the recipient in terms of sex, age, hierarchy, and educational and cultural background. These factors may result in a demotivating feedback session. Therefore, feedback needs to be given in a supportive, empathic and relaxed manner, and on a background of a working relationship based on mutual respect.

The recipient of feedback being resistant or defensive when receiving it

Poor handling of situations in which the recipient is resistant or defensive can result in a dismissive approach; therefore, feedback will be disregarded.

Physical barriers

Giving feedback loudly in a noisy corridor, or in the presence of other colleagues or patients, is inappropriate. Such feedback loses its objectivity and the recipient may consider this as an insult that will impact their professional relationship with their peers and patients.

Language barrier or lack of knowledge regarding cultural diversity

Language and cultural barriers convey unclear messages and result in unclassified assumptions. It is important to confirm the message sent is the message that is actually received. All feedback sessions should be held in a respectful and supportive manner.

Personal agendas

Personal agendas should not influence feedback. As soon as you realise this is a possibility, it is best not to give feedback as this will be perceived by the recipient negatively. Personal reflection will identify the reasons behind this and will be crucial in improving this aspect.

Lacking confidence

A person given feedback who lacks confidence may exhibit shyness, difficulty in being assertive, or lack of awareness of their own rights and opportunities.

Tips for and principles of giving effective feedback

When preparing to give feedback, think about what you would like to achieve. What do you want to highlight, what went well and where could there be some improvements? Table 2 summarises tips on giving feedback. Planning in advance is crucial to the process. Planning should encounter to whom you are giving feedback. There is no “one-size fits all” approach; feedback should be tailored to each individual and the corresponding situation. It is of vital importance that you reflect carefully about how you want to convey your message and focus on a couple of key points without overwhelming the learner. The learner might not be ready ( i.e. not receptive), which could have adverse effects. Therefore, think about how they will react to the feedback and what your response might be.

Tips on giving effective feedback

Generally, you will provide one-on-one feedback and you must make sure to give it privately. Offering public feedback will only be perceived as a criticism by the learner and overall it may have detrimental effects on departmental relationships. The learner may feel insulted and undermined whereas their self-confidence will also be affected as they feel this may result in losing their colleagues’ respect. On some occasions, it is possible to give group feedback but then you need to restrict your feedback to the group as a whole without singling out individuals.

It is best to ensure that feedback is given in a timely manner, i.e. as soon after the event as possible, and most organisations will have a regular feedback scheduled (weekly or monthly). However, should the situation mandate it, you can schedule an ad hoc session. Feedback and reflection work best when the memory is still fresh. When feedback is given with great delay ( i.e. months after the incident), then its objectivity will be debated.

In preparing for the feedback, think of specific situations and, if you want to highlight some negative actions, potential alternatives. Do not bring up past actions unless you wish to underscore a certain behaviour or pattern. Also, focus on tasks, actions and objective events rather than personality traits, which tend to be more subjective.

When giving feedback, start off gently trying to implement one of the feedback models mentioned above. For example, you could ask the learner how they think things went. This will give you insight into their experience and enables you to assess how well they can judge their actions, behaviour or performance. Encourage self-reflection as this will allow the learner to be mindful of their actions or behaviour ( table 3 ). As a rule, start with the positive and then move on to negative events. Be very specific and give examples of certain actions or situations, and use “I” when giving feedback.

Open-ended questions for giving feedback that encourage self-reflection

“When you said…, I thought that you were…”

Moreover, link the feedback to the learner’s overall development and/or stated outcomes, which might provide an additional reason for being receptive to the feedback.

Finally, be aware of nonverbal clues, such as your facial expression, body language, posture, voice and eye contact. These might convey their own message, which could be in contrast with what you are trying to achieve.

• Emotions are deduced through facial expression. Thus, smile in the correct manner to express warmth and goodwill.
• Eye contact creates a feeling of connection but can also be too intense. Make eye contact without staring.
• The way we feel about different people effects the way we speak. The tone and the volume of your voice can give away how you feel. Try to match body language, how you use your voice and tone in a natural way.
• Avoid looking strict by keeping your arms crossed or like you don’t care by sitting slumped. An open posture gives the expression of an open conversation.
• Stressed situations make us breathe faster; when we are tired, it is easy to sigh more. Long breaths make us calmer and are likely to make people around us calmer. Try to take a few deep breaths before giving feedback.
• Smartphones and screens with emails, Facebook messages, recent meetings or phone calls: there are so many things to steal our attention and this can only be evident. The person in front of you will notice when you are looking at the screen, and you are less likely to hear and understand what they are saying. Focus your attention on the person in front of you when giving feedback and when you are listening. After giving the feedback, reflect on how it went. Did it go as you expected and how do think it was perceived by the learner? Sometimes, you can misjudge the delivery of your feedback but make sure you learn from this for the next time. Every learner is different and requires a different approach.

In the end, remember to summarise the session in a letter/e-mail and to follow up on what has been discussed. Feedback aims to improve performance and it is advised that time is given to the recipient of feedback to rectify behaviours, then proceed with a follow up session to measure whether or not that is happening, and then make adjustments as you go.

Receiving feedback

A learner-centred approach is often recommended to effectively receive feedback. This involves adopting an open-minded listening strategy, reflection and a willingness to improve one’s performance. The recipients of the feedback are asked to evaluate their own performance and assess how their actions impact others. This approach works best when the feedback is ongoing, regular, supportive, and originating from a wide range of reliable and valid external sources. When this is not the case, the learners may not have sufficient understanding to self-assess and correct behaviours that may hinder their development. However, when constructive feedback is used wisely, it can positively impact the learners’ personal and professional development.

It is very helpful to receive feedback from leaders/teachers in real time and firsthand. When the learner is unable to respond positively, however, this often inhibits the feedback providers from giving direct face-to-face, personalised feedback on a regular basis. Learners’ responses to criticism may present in negative ways ( i.e. anger, denial, blaming or rationalisation), particularly when they discount their own ability to take responsibility for their learning. It is important to view feedback as a means to reflect on strengths and weaknesses, and build on previously learned competencies. The result will be increased confidence and independence, while facilitating a stronger rapport with colleagues, other medical staff and patients.

In order for feedback to be effective, it has to be received well. How a recipient interprets and reacts to feedback is very important to the outcome of the teacher–learner relationship and future learning opportunities. Differing interpretations or uptakes of feedback may be based on a number of factors that include: personality, fear, confidence, context and individual reasoning processes. It is essential to develop an open dialogue between the person giving feedback and the recipient. Differences of opinion should be handled in a professional manner. Both parties should be comfortable, and able to focus on actively listening, engaging, reflecting and developing action points for future development. Effective communication is key to a successful feedback interaction.

Table 4 presents tips to the learner on receiving constructive feedback.

Tips for receiving feedback

Be a good listener

First, truly listen to what the feedback provider is saying, instead of immediately preparing a response, defence or attack. The feedback provider will feel more comfortable giving feedback if you are approachable and welcoming.

When in doubt, ask for clarification

If you did not hear it clearly the first time, politely ask for it to be repeated, then restate it in your own words. This will help you understand more about yourself and how others interpret your actions.

Embrace the feedback session as a learning opportunity

Assume that the feedback is constructive until proven otherwise, then consider and use those elements that are truly constructive. Thinking about your own actions in the context of the feedback provider’s comments is beneficial to making appropriate changes.

Remember to pause and think before responding

Your aim is to have a professional conversation that benefits you. Focus on understanding the feedback first, not on your immediate innate reaction. Reflection, and particularly self-reflection, is essential to feedback acceptance.

Avoid jumping to conclusions, and show that you are invested in the learning process and keen to improve

Ask for clarification and examples if statements are general, unclear or unsupported. It is important to validate the feedback by inviting details and specifics about the criticism. Assuming the feedback provider’s comments as reality, in the context of their perceptions and impressions, defuses your own negative feelings in the face of criticism.

Think positively and be open to helpful hints

You will get more out of the feedback session if you accept the comments positively (for consideration) rather than dismissively (for self-protection). You may disagree with the criticism if the facts are incorrect but this should be done in a graceful manner.

Learn from your mistakes and be motivated

Ask for suggestions of ways you might modify or change your behaviour. Do not be afraid to ask for advice on what and how to do differently. Seek to meet expectations and promptly address the undesired behaviours.

Be a good sport and show appreciation

Be respectful throughout the discussion and thank the person giving feedback. Being polite and appreciative will encourage future feedback.

Be proactive

Try out some of the suggestions, and make careful notes regarding any improvements and changes in behaviour. Following-up with the feedback provider enables the receiver to share how the feedback was helpful.

Giving and receiving effective feedback are skills that are central in healthcare settings. The whole process is closely linked with professional development and improved performance. Both of these impact the quality of healthcare services and patient satisfaction. Feedback should be constructive by focusing on behaviours that can be improved. Developing robust professional relationships is a prerequisite for giving/receiving constructive feedback that will act as a powerful motivator.

Conflict of interest None declared.

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