During a leadership workshop with a group from the building industry, we were talking about feedback when a participant offered four words that captured one of its biggest problems:
“Good job at what?”
I loved the question because “Good job” is positive, well-intentioned, and certainly better than never recognizing people. But if our goal is to help someone understand what they're doing well so they can continue doing it, “Good job” doesn't give them much information.
Imagine an employee has just navigated a difficult customer conversation. The customer was frustrated, but the employee stayed composed, asked good questions, clarified the real problem, and found a solution.
You could tell the employee, “Good job.” Or you could say, “I noticed how calm you stayed when the customer became frustrated. You didn't get defensive, and you kept asking questions until you understood what was really bothering them. That changed the entire conversation.”
Both comments are positive. Only one helps the employee understand the specific behavior that made a difference.
I define feedback as the day-to-day informal process of communicating how an individual's behavior has impacted others, the task, and/or the work environment.
There are two important parts of that definition. The first is day-to-day. Feedback shouldn't be something we save for annual reviews, formal evaluations, or moments when something has gone wrong. It should be part of how leaders and employees work together all year.
The second is behavior. Effective feedback gives someone something specific they can understand, repeat, or change.
“Great attitude” might make someone feel good. “The way you jumped in to help that team when they were behind showed that you were paying attention to more than your own workload” tells them what you actually noticed.
The same principle applies to corrective feedback. “You need to communicate better” is vague. “When the deadline changed, the team didn't find out until the morning the work was due. Next time, communicate that change as soon as you know it” gives the person something they can act on.
Specificity makes feedback more useful and, in many cases, less intimidating. We're no longer making a broad judgment about the person. We're talking about a behavior and the impact it had.
Leaders sometimes assume employees already know when they're doing a good job. Maybe they do. But do they know why it was good? Do they know which behavior made the difference or what you hope they'll continue doing?
Recognition matters because people want to know their work is noticed and appreciated. Feedback takes recognition one step further by helping them learn from what they did.
So the next time you're about to say, “Good job,” you don't need to stop yourself.
Just finish the thought.
Good job at what?
