1. State that the purpose of feedback is to assist all employees in aligning optimally with company performance expectations. This helps the “minority” employee understand that their performance feedback is no different than other employees.

2. Frame feedback so that it encourages learning from the interaction (e.g., While your direct reports’ evaluations are noteworthy, you are praised for being conscientious and hard working.).

3. Check out if your feedback is clear to the receiver (e.g., So that I can be sure that I have been clear, would you mind repeating what you understood me to say?).

4. Timing your feedback is central in intercultural performance reviews. Choose a time when the person is not preoccupied.

5. Feedback is specific, not general (e.g., when you talk to others about what a fellow employee told you in private, it causes distrust.).

6. Describe specifically the behaviors you have observed or those that others have reported, rather than opinions (e.g., I noticed that you have been late four times this month versus You are obviously not considerate enough of others who work here to get to work on time.).

7. Use words to describe your feelings that result from the other person’s behavior (e.g.,
When you do X, I feel frustrated, instead of You are an inconsistent person).

8. Relate the problem behaviors to specific situations. Describe the specific time and day when the problem behavior happened.

9. Relate the behavior to the impact that it has (e.g., the number of times you have been tardy is beyond that allowed by company policy).

10. Relate the behavior to how it affects the situations or other people (e.g., When you are late, your team members have to fill in for you and the project suffers).

Based in part on a handout developed by Genee Jackson, PhD, a DTUI faculty member.