When giving feedback to a teammate who is underperforming, which approach is most effective?

When giving feedback to a teammate who is underperforming, which approach is most effective?

• A. Publicly critique in front of peers.
• B. Specific, timely, private, focus on impact, with support.
• C. Ignore the issue.
• D. Only praise, no critique.

Answer: (B)

Giving feedback that helps a teammate actually improve comes down to delivering specific, timely, private feedback that focuses on impact and includes support. Being specific means pointing to exact behaviors and observable outcomes rather than general judgments, so the person knows what to change. Feedback should be timely so the situation is fresh and actionable. Keeping it private preserves trust and makes the teammate more receptive. Focusing on impact ties the behavior to real results for the team, customers, or goals, making why change matters clear. Offering support—resources, coaching, and a concrete plan with follow-up—signals partnership and makes improvement practical. Publicly critiquing can erode trust and invite defensiveness, while ignoring the issue yields no guidance, and praise alone won’t address the performance gap.

Giving feedback that helps a teammate actually improve comes down to delivering specific, timely, private feedback that focuses on impact and includes support. Being specific means pointing to exact behaviors and observable outcomes rather than general judgments, so the person knows what to change. Feedback should be timely so the situation is fresh and actionable. Keeping it private preserves trust and makes the teammate more receptive. Focusing on impact ties the behavior to real results for the team, customers, or goals, making why change matters clear. Offering support—resources, coaching, and a concrete plan with follow-up—signals partnership and makes improvement practical. Publicly critiquing can erode trust and invite defensiveness, while ignoring the issue yields no guidance, and praise alone won’t address the performance gap.