How to Write Impactful Peer Feedback

Bringing Up Serious Issues

Sometimes, you have serious complaints about a peer, like major lapses in judgment, incompetent work, low output and violations of company policy. In that case, this style of peer feedback is probably not an appropriate place to raise the issue. Serious complaints are best addressed right away with a supervisor or HR partner. This format does not provide enough context, and most folks will take descriptions of a serious complaint as an attack and not be open to feedback about it.

Follow Guidelines and Templates

This advice, by nature of a web article, is generic. If your company provides specific guidance in terms of a template, framework or list of what to include, you should follow those instructions over anything listed here. Following company guidance is important for your feedback to be received effectively. In this case, that means conforming to the audience’s expectations. Make it easy for them to read and process what you have to say.

That also means that you should meet any deadlines that are part of a review cycle process. Timeliness ensures that your feedback will be more effective because it will have the proper amount of time for your peer’s manager to integrate it into a performance review or to be received by the peer when they are in the right mindset to accept the feedback.

Getting Feedback

If possible, and if you have time before a deadline, it’s helpful to get a second set of eyes to give you feedback on your feedback. See if you have access to a manager, mentor, or HR partner that can provide that for you. Just be careful that a lot of organizations consider peer feedback confidential information of the recipient, so use your judgment about whom you share it with.

Where to Go From Here?

Now that you’ve seen a general framework on how to structure the feedback, some things to include and what to avoid, the next obvious step is to go write some feedback for your colleagues.

If that feels high stakes, find a friendly colleague or two to practice on and ask for feedback on your feedback to them. Start with letting them know about something they do that has a positive impact on your work. Folks rarely bristle about the message when you say they did something nice.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on specific incidents that demonstrate your peers’ impact on you, your team or your project.
• Be kind and remember your feedback helps them grow.
• Feedback should be specific, timely, focused on impact, personal and empathetic.
• Before submitting, reread your words and check for biases and clarity.

Come join the forum and give us feedback on this article! Let us know if this had an impact on your peer feedback and indirectly on your peers. Please use a growth mindset and let us know what we could do to make this message even more useful in the next revision.