Feedback is important for helping colleagues grow and improve and for the whole team to perform better. When you give someone feedback, you want them to listen to it and act on it. 

The following tips will help you get the most from the feedback you give:

• Choose the time and place. Nobody likes to be told that they are not doing something well in front of others, especially their colleagues. It is more likely to result in defensive reactions, will undermine self-esteem, damage relationships and the feedback will not be effective. Invite the person receiving the feedback to somewhere you are not going to be overheard. Feedback should not be hurried, so give yourself time to explain effectively and for the receiver to question you and share their perspective with you
• Don’t delay. Feedback should be provided as soon as possible after the event that prompts it. When feedback is delayed, recollection of the event on both sides declines. Being given feedback from an event that happened some time ago can also feel quite personal and possibly vindictive. While this is probably not the case, such feelings will lead to a defensive reaction and a failure of the feedback to change behaviour
• Be specific. Avoid vague words such as ‘always’, ‘often’, ‘never’, ‘usually’, ‘everyone’, etc. When you find yourself saying ‘many people’, explain exactly who you are referring to. When you say ‘often’, do you mean once a day, once a week or once a month? When you use the words ‘always’, ‘never’ or ‘usually’, is this an exaggeration? Feedback that isn’t specific is often rejected if the receiver does not recognise or understand what you are trying to explain. Use a specific example and ask the receiver if they remember that example
• Focus on behaviour. Remember that people are not wrong, even though what they do might be. People become defensive when they feel attacked personally. Focus your comments on their behaviour, rather than on them