Business

6 Steps for Giving Employee Feedback That’s Actually Helpful

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Most leaders believe they’re giving helpful feedback. But too often, what they think is constructive comes across as demoralizing, ineffective or outright damaging. The difference? The best leaders don’t just give feedback — they coach, communicate with care, and create an environment where employees feel seen, heard and valued.

Gallup and Workhuman research shows that employees who receive valuable feedback are five times more engaged and 57% less likely to experience burnout. Yet too many leaders fall into the trap of delivering feedback in a way that crushes morale instead of driving improvement.

The solution? Feedback needs to be an ongoing, trust-based conversation, not a one-time critique. It must be framed as coaching, not criticism, and delivered in a way that accounts for more than just words. Your tone, body language, facial expressions and energy play just as big a role as the message itself.

Here’s how to be more effective at giving feedback — step by step.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Shift your mindset — feedback is a gift, not a gotcha

Leaders often hesitate to give honest feedback for fear of being seen as negative. But avoiding feedback doesn’t create a culture of psychological safety; it creates a culture of guessing and stagnation. The best employees want to grow, and they need clear, constructive input to do so.

Key shift: Move from a criticism mindset to a coaching mindset. Think of your team as business athletes. Just as elite performers rely on coaches to refine their skills, employees need guidance, encouragement and practical ways to improve.

Ask yourself:

When you see feedback as an investment in someone’s success, it changes the way you show up.

Step 2: Presence and delivery matter more than you think

The most overlooked part of feedback? How you show up.

Your body language, vocal range, gaze and facial expressions all send a message before you say a word. To curate a warm and inviting atmosphere conducive to accepting constructive feedback, adopt an open posture, connect visually, show concern and care with facial expressions that are authentic and congruent to what you’re saying, and use a conversational tone and cadence. Otherwise, they may feel tension, judgment or discomfort instead.

You silently communicate to the world all day through your body language and presence. Be intentional about how you are perceived. Convey, instead of betray, your message.

Key shift: Feedback isn’t just about what you say but how you make people feel. You need to be fully present, engaged and emotionally attuned.

What to do:

Make eye contact: Remove distractions and see the person in front of you; stay “on gaze!” Not in an intimidating way, but with warmth and attentiveness.
Adopt an open posture: To signal partnership as opposed to power, face your employee with open arms and gestures that invite conversation, seated at the same level.
Mind your facial expressions: Are you showing genuine curiosity and care or unintentionally conveying frustration?
Be intentional with your vocal delivery: Vary your pitch and pace. Speak as you would in conversation. Too fast or too slow, too high-pitched or too low-pitched, and your message may be misunderstood.

Effective leaders don’t only plan what they’ll say; they are also intentional about their presence or how they “show up.”

Ask yourself:

Is my nonverbal communication reinforcing my message, or undermining it?
Am I making this a safe, productive space for the other person to engage?

Step 3: Start with strengths, not weaknesses

Too often, feedback begins with what’s wrong rather than what’s working. But neuroscience shows that people are more open to feedback when they feel seen, valued and capable.

Starting with acknowledgment sets a positive tone and reinforces that feedback is coming from a place of support. “I always like to start conversations by sharing how my team members’ strengths have had a positive effect on our business outcomes,” says Kristi Snyder, Chief People Officer at Enthuse Marketing Group. Framing the conversation around strengths helps both parties enter the discussion with a constructive, growth-oriented mindset.

Key shift: Flip the traditional feedback approach. Start with acknowledgment before diving into areas for improvement.

What to say:

By opening with a question, you create a loop of engagement rather than a top-down critique. Employees get to explain their thinking first, which makes them far more receptive to guidance.

Step 4: Ask more, tell less

Great leaders use feedback as an opportunity to understand before they correct. Instead of leading with here’s what you did wrong, try leading with curiosity.

Key shift: Replace statements with open-ended questions to uncover insights and encourage self-reflection.

What to ask:

“What was your thought process behind this approach?”
“What challenges did you run into?”
“How do you think we could refine this?”

By letting employees talk first, you gather context, acknowledge their thinking and collaborate on solutions rather than dictate them. Approaching situations like this makes sure employees feel heard and increases buy-in.

A reminder: Acknowledgment is NOT agreement. Giving employees space to explain their reasoning allows leaders to correct misunderstandings while still respecting their perspective.

Step 5: Deliver feedback with directness and care

Feedback shouldn’t be sugarcoated, but it also shouldn’t feel like an attack. The secret? Balance directness with care.

Key shift: Avoid vague platitudes (“You did great”) and harsh bluntness (“This was bad”). Instead, use clear, actionable and supportive language.

What to say:

Instead of “Your presentation was weak,” try: “I see the effort you put in. Let’s strengthen the data to make it even more compelling.”
Instead of “You handled that customer situation poorly,” try: “I appreciate how you followed the process. Let’s explore ways to make it more adaptable.”

Step 6: Follow up and reinforce progress

The biggest mistake leaders make? Giving feedback once and never revisiting it. Without reinforcement, even the best feedback fades into the background.

Key shift: Feedback shouldn’t be a one-time event — it should be an ongoing dialogue.

What to do:

Circle back in a week to see what’s changed.
Recognize progress (even small wins) to reinforce learning.
Keep feedback alive in regular conversations, not just performance reviews.

Great leaders don’t go it alone

The most remarkable leaders and elite performers lean on coaches to hone their skills. Many of the most effective leaders actively work with executive coaches to refine their ability to deliver impactful feedback. They recognize that feedback is an art — one that can be mastered with guidance, practice and expert insight.

Feedback is meant to bring people closer and move the organization forward, but it must be delivered expertly. Mastering feedback isn’t just about what you say — it’s about how you say it and how it makes people feel. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, investing in expert coaching can elevate your ability to guide, inspire and develop your team.

Feedback is your leadership superpower. Use it wisely.

Intellectual Insider

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Business

Try This AI-Powered Stock Picker

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Even the most business-savvy self-starters can feel out of their depth in the stock market. With charts, ratios, earnings calls, and today’s insane volatility to navigate, it’s no wonder many people avoid investing altogether. However, you may be missing out on financial freedom or an early retirement if you continue to put it off.

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Business

Get This $200 MacBook Air Laptop

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Lugging around your $2,000 work laptop on every flight, through every hotel, and across every unfamiliar city? Stress levels: maximum. Business travel is chaotic enough without worrying that a spilled coffee or housekeeping mishap could ruin your most expensive device.

That’s why this refurbished MacBook Air, now just $199.97 with free shipping, is catching attention as the ultimate backup laptop for entrepreneurs who work on the go (reg. $999). If it gets a scratch going through TSA, temporarily misplaced with your lost luggage, or stolen, at least it wasn’t your expensive, main laptop, right?

Here’s what this MacBook Air can handle

This MacBook Air isn’t a powerhouse, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s ideal for email, light web browsing, spreadsheets, document editing, and streaming on the go. With a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and Intel HD Graphics 6000, it handles essential tasks without lag.

The 13.3-inch display features a 1440×900 resolution, making it sharp enough for Zoom calls and Google Docs while also conserving battery life. Speaking of which: the 12-hour battery means you can work through long layovers or client meetings without hunting for a charger. And, since it weighs under three pounds, it’s a great model for travel or hybrid work.

It’s a grade “A/B” refurb, meaning it may show light scuffing or signs of wear, but that also explains the deeply discounted price. This is a backup laptop that’s designed to be used, not babied. A 90-day parts and labor warranty is also included with your purchase.

Take advantage of this refurbished MacBook Air deal, now $199.97 with free shipping while supplies last (reg. $999).

Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ (2017) 1.8GHz i5 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Silver (Refurbished)

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Business

Struggling to Stick to a Routine? Here’s How AI Can Help

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I’ve always believed that consistency beats intensity. At the gym, I exercise for 30 minutes daily, rather than several grueling hours once a week. Every morning, I commit to writing 400 words, which I much prefer to banging out half a book in one caffeine-fueled haze. In the early years of building my company, there were no massive funding rounds — just showing up day in, day out, solving problems and improving my product one step at a time.

That’s why this quote from Atomic Habits author James Clear has always stuck with me: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

In other words, it’s not your ambition that carries you forward — it’s your habits. And the truth is, building good habits is hard, especially when you’re running a business. You’re pulled in a hundred different directions, and it’s easy for even the most adamant resolutions to fall apart after a few days.

Even so, building routines can be tough — they require persistence, dedication and a surprising amount of mental energy just to stay on track. You have to remember your goals, fight off distractions and constantly reorient yourself when things get chaotic.

But here’s the good news: You don’t have to do it all manually. Thanks to AI, it’s now possible to build systems that help you stay consistent without burning out. I’ve always been pretty adamant about my routines, but now, it’s easier than ever. Here’s how I’m approaching it.

Use AI as an accountability partner

At work, you’ve got a manager (or a board). At the gym, you may have a trainer. It’s clear that having someone to hold you accountable adds an extra layer of urgency to achieving your goals. After all, it’s harder to blow off that morning workout knowing you’re keeping someone waiting (who you’ll still have to pay if you hit snooze).

With AI, accountability doesn’t have to be external. AI agents — autonomous decision-makers that can take action on your behalf, in particular, can do more than just nudge you about your to-do list. They can check in, track progress, adapt routines and even suggest improvements. That kind of support system used to require a team. Now, it can be built into your daily workflow.

Say you struggle, for example, with carving out time to work on a new product. Tools like Motion integrate directly with your calendar to track your habits, block focus time and adjust dynamically when conflicts arise. If you want to start prioritizing an hour of deep work every day post-morning coffee, a tool like this can afford these commitments the same weight as a meeting, automatically protecting your time and reminding you when it’s time to get started.

Cut down on decision fatigue

One of the biggest reasons we abandon routines isn’t a lack of motivation — it’s decision fatigue. Considering the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day, it’s no wonder we struggle to effectively prioritize our time. When every action requires mental effort, from choosing what to work on to when to do it, we quickly burn out.

Ironically, creating structure is one of the best ways to stave off the pressure of making decisions. I often think of the advice I’ve heard from pro athletes, who afford themselves zero room for waffling or negotiating when it comes to their training schedules. It’s cold out today? Too bad. They didn’t sleep well the night before? Also, too bad. There’s no decision involved — only doing.

That level of consistency doesn’t come from motivation — it comes from removing choice from the equation. And that’s where AI can play a powerful role. By automating the when, what and even how long, AI systems help you stick to routines without needing to summon willpower every time.

And while it’s true that no tool can force you to follow through on a commitment, they can do the next best thing: Cut off your access to distractions. When I can’t trust myself not to procrastinate a task I’d rather avoid, I use a platform like Freedom, which simply blocks my ability to lose myself in online distractions. It’s simple, but incredibly effective.

Don’t just build routines — design systems

A lot of people confuse routines with checklists: wake up, meditate, answer emails, repeat. But the most effective routines aren’t strict — they’re adaptive. They fluctuate with your schedule, adapt to your goals and grow along with you.

That’s where AI shines — not just in tracking habits, but in helping you design systems that actually fit your life. Say your kid gets sick and needs to get picked up from school, or even go to the doctor. Life happens. But it doesn’t mean your whole day needs to fall apart completely. For this, I like Reclaim and Clockwise, which can intelligently reschedule tasks when your best-laid plans take a sudden turn. Instead of you adjusting to your routine, the system adjusts to you.

With the right systems in place, consistency stops feeling like a grind and starts feeling automatic. AI won’t do the work for you — but it can make it a lot easier to show up, day after day, and keep moving forward.

That’s why this quote from Atomic Habits author James Clear has always stuck with me: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

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