When you invest a lot of time and energy into your work, it can be difficult to learn that you missed the mark. That’s why constructive performance feedback can be so hard to deliver - we’re hyperconscious of how it’ll be received, and understandably worried that it might have the opposite of the desired effect. 

But that doesn’t change the fact that we need to be skilled at both giving and receiving constructive feedback in order to achieve high performance (1). There are lots of factors to consider here, including the forum you use for giving feedback, the frequency of the feedback, the ratio of positive to constructive feedback and your relationship with the recipient.

Today, we’re focussing on the quality of the feedback, and how you can create the most effective constructive feedback that your bandwidth will allow. One useful shortcut is following a feedback framework, another is to use one of our constructive feedback examples. Perfect for crafting constructive feedback for performance reviews, as well as quick, everyday feedback, these sample phrases can be used just as they are, or as a template for something more customised. We highly recommend you grab our free download, so you can have these samples at your fingertips, always.

Looking for a specific type of feedback that we haven’t included? You can get in touch to let us know via LinkedIn.

Constructive Performance Feedback: 54 Examples

These constructive performance feedback examples are ready to use, but you can also customise them by editing the bracketed text. We've provided specific examples for use with managers, direct reports and peers, but in truth, most of our examples can be adapted to suit any situation.

Constructive Feedback Examples for Direct Reports

1. “I’m noticing some issues around (time management). Can we arrange a session to talk through a couple of solutions?”

2. “I’m curious to learn more about (Project X). Would you mind providing me with daily updates on it this week?”

3. “I really appreciate your enthusiasm during meetings, but I noticed that other team members aren’t communicating as much. Could you try pulling back a little to see if this encourages them to speak up more?”

4. “I’d prefer if you (shared less detail with the team in Daily Stand Up). I find it most useful when (you give a brief summary and highlight a few key points). I really like (the format you use for Weekly Stand Up), could we try something like that?”

5. “I’m a little concerned about (how you’re handling customer queries). I noticed you (didn’t follow up with three customers this week who are still awaiting responses). I understand how busy you are, but this can cause (frustration for our customers). Can we work together on a solution for this?”

6. “I’d like you to contribute more in conversations and meetings.”

7. “Are you interested in improving your (presentation) skills? I think it would really contribute to your career development.“

8. “I see an opportunity to improve efficiency across (Project X). Do you agree that there’s room for improvement there?”

9. “I’d love to see you take on fewer projects and narrow your focus. Do you think that’s achievable?”

10. “I’ve noticed a few small details that were missed during (Project X), which set the whole team back. I’d suggest (a checklist of all the deliverables) to avoid this in future.”

11. “I’m really happy with how everyone on the team is working together, but I know you’re asking (the Development team) for help on a daily basis. I’d like to see you invest more time in problem solving before you bring them in.”

12. “I’m glad we’re taking time to check in. I noticed there’s been a change in your demeanor lately. I’d be grateful if you could share any issues that might be contributing to this.”

13. “It seemed like you were frustrated with (the discussion at Team Meeting today). I was disappointed to see you (leave before the conversation had wrapped up). Can we talk about some of the issues that caused this?”

14. “I’ve noticed a couple of changes in how you (run sales reports.) I liked the old method better because (it gave me more information on customer acquisition.) Would you consider returning to this method?”

15. “I’m really happy with your work this quarter, but the outcomes aren’t quite what I expected. I think we need to scale back your goals until we see more positive results.”

16. “I’ve noticed that you’re working longer hours than some of your teammates. I really appreciate your dedication, but I want you to have a healthy work-life balance too. I’d love to make a plan for rebalancing your workload.”

17. “I really appreciate you providing me with information on why the deadline was missed. In future, I’d like you to highlight these issues sooner, so we can request help from other departments.”

18. “I really believe in your (leadership abilities), but I’m not seeing them in practice. I’d love to see you (lead a project or two this quarter).”

19. “I love how independent you are, but I think the whole team could benefit if you asked for help more frequently.”

Constructive Peer Feedback Examples

20. “I really appreciate your (dedication to meeting deadlines), but (the quality of your work) has suffered a little as a result. Is there anything we can do to address this?”

21. “I noticed there have been some issues with (customers) recently. How can we work together on a solution?”

22. “I’ve been really impressed with your work on (Project X) recently, and I think I’ve found a way to improve results even further.”

23. “I know you’re finding (lead generation) a challenge at the moment. Can I suggest a way to make your work on this more effective?” 

24. “It was really useful when you (helped with researching the new product feature) recently. Do you think you could continue to do this on a regular basis?”

25.  “I’d like to see you contribute more to team meetings."

26. “I noticed a decline in (new deals) lately. Is there any help or feedback I can contribute that would help?”

27. “Can I offer some feedback? I think you might get better results if you tried (running a survey).”

28. “I noticed you’re having some challenges with (payroll management). I’ve come up against some of the same issues myself. Can I share a few things that worked for me?” 

29. “I know how busy you are, but I was hoping you could take a bit more time to (talk us through what you’re working on in Weekly Stand Up). It would really help me to (prioritise the work I send your way).”

30. “I’d love to hear more feedback from you on my performance, as I find your insights really valuable.”  

31. “I know things have been challenging lately, but I think we would be in a better place to tackle these issues if we used more positive language in group settings.”

32. “I see room for improvement in (Project X). Can I offer a few more detailed suggestions?”

33. “I really appreciate your dedication to your role, but sometimes this has a negative effect on the wider team. Let me provide a recent example and we can talk through some potential solutions.”

34. “I’ve noticed that (some deadlines have been missed recently), which is affecting (my ability to do my job). Can you offer any information that would help us reach a solution?”

35. “I think the whole team would benefit from (more information on how you’re progressing with your research project).”

36. “I’d love to see something a little closer to (Project X). I was really impressed with your work on that one.”

Constructive Manager Feedback Examples

37. “I know how busy you are, but I would love to (have more regular 1:1s with you), as I really benefit from (your feedback and guidance).”

38. “I’d love to get even more support from you in the early stages of new projects. Once I’m on the right side of the learning curve, I can take it from there.”

39. “I would love to work together on a plan for (adjusting my workload).”

40. “I would love to hear you give more context when providing feedback. I think it would be useful for the whole team to understand how their work feeds into the company’s success.”

41. “I really appreciate (the time and attention you give to constructive feedback), but I’d love to (hear more positive feedback too).”

42. “I’d like to hear more detail on (your strategy for the next couple of months). It would really (help me put my work into context.)”

43. “I think if we could work on (using more positive language in team meetings), it would really (boost morale).”

44. “I really admire your (attention to detail), but I think my performance would improve if I had (a little more freedom in my role).”

45. “I would love to have a little bit more freedom to use my own judgement. I think that would really help me grow into this role.”

46. “I appreciate your trust, but I would love to have a little bit more guidance from you.”

47. “I would love to see you be more forthcoming with praise and recognition.”

48. “I see room for improvement in the way you (conduct meetings). I think they could be more efficient if we (stick closely to our agenda).”

49. “I sometimes feel unsure about my goals. Is this something we can work on over the next few months?”

50. “I really appreciate your dedication to (ensuring goals are met), but sometimes this has a negative effect on (work-life balance).”

51. “I think we could benefit from (more detailed discussions around expectations), so we can both avoid (disappointment).”

52. “I really admire your work ethic, but I think you could benefit from delegating more. I’d be happy to take on a few more responsibilities this year.”

53. “I’ve noticed that a few meetings have been missed lately. What can we do to address this?”

54. “I think it’s important that we discuss projects in more detail at the outset, so we’re all on the same page.”

Frankli provides intuitive channels for giving, receiving and requesting feedback at all levels of the organisation. Learn more.

1. Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, Your Employees Want the Negative Feedback You Hate to Give.