Giving feedback is a thing we are supposed to do often, and ideally be good at it. Feedback used to be a thing I had though as a dial to be turned up or down. Give more feedback or give less feedback. Giving more feedback typically looked like sharing two things about behaviour. One thing the person is doing well and one thing they should change or do differently. While this might have been reasonable coaching, it was missing a better framework for providing feedback.

One of the insights from Thanks for the Feedback is that feedback can be grouped into three different types. It is not just more feedback or less feedback. The three different types are Appreciation, Coaching, and Evaluation. Giving feedback is a balance of the three types. Depending on the situation and giving more feedback might mean giving more of a specific type relative to the other three.

Appreciation

Appreciation is meant to provide motivation and engagement. This could be a “thanks” or a shout out in front of the team. The purpose is to let the person know you are paying attention to the work they are doing and appreciate it. It can let the person know you care or are paying attention, and it also nudges them in the direction of whatever you had given appreciation for.

Coaching

Coaching feedback is meant to help improve the receivers performance. It is more focused on the future and what they can do better. This type of feedback can be more specific and actionable, providing guidance on how to improve. When I had previously been thinking of “giving feedback”, this is primarily the type of feedback that had been coming to mind.

Evaluation

Evaluation is meant to give a rating or tell someone where they stand. This type of feedback could be given in the form of a performance review or a grade for an assignment.

One thing to keep in mind is that while all three types of feedback are important, giving too much of one type can be problematic. For example, giving only appreciation feedback can feel superficial without specifics that come from coaching. Similarly, giving only coaching feedback can feel overly critical and leave the receiver feeling discouraged or lacking the clarity of where they stand from evaluation. On its own evaluation can feel impersonal and lacking insights on what to do differently. It’s important to find a balance between the three types of feedback, depending on the situation and the receiver’s needs.