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Why feedback goes sideways, and how to land it.
Despite your good intentions in giving feedback, have people sometimes taken things the wrong way, or become defensive? Knowing why this happens can help us understand how we come across when giving feedback, so we can get our delivery right.
Ever had that moment where you gave someone feedback with the best of intentions, and they took it completely the wrong way? Maybe they got defensive, shut down, or just went quiet. It happens more than most people admit.
This session is about unpacking that. We look at why feedback can go sideways, and how to structure it so it lands well. A big part of it is delivery: your tone, your timing, your body language, even the words you choose. People pick up on more than you think.
We talk through real-world scenarios where feedback either worked brilliantly or backfired. For example, giving someone performance feedback in front of others with the hope it’ll motivate them, but instead, it embarrasses them and damages trust. Or being too vague and leaving people unsure what the point was.
You’ll start to notice the patterns: when your feedback gets heard and acted on, and when it doesn’t. We look at your own style: how you typically give feedback, how that might come across to others, and how to tweak your approach depending on who you’re talking to.
We’ll help you give feedback that’s useful and constructive, rather than triggering or confusing. Done well, feedback builds trust and helps people grow. And it turns what could be an awkward moment into a powerful one.
We’ll help you give feedback that’s useful and constructive, rather than triggering or confusing. Done well, feedback builds trust and helps people grow. And it turns what could be an awkward moment into a powerful one.
Take people through a set of real-world feedback scenarios and draw out why delivery, tone and timing shape how feedback lands.
People work through real-world scenarios where feedback either landed well or backfired, drawing out why delivery, tone and timing matter, and noticing the patterns in their own style.
Use Feedback Scenarios when people mean well but their feedback keeps landing badly and you want them to see why. Working through real situations where feedback worked or backfired, the group draws out how tone, timing and delivery decide whether it is heard.
Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.
