How To Give Feedback For A Presentation - Chapter 2 - Part 1

Our guidance on what to say when giving presentation feedback.

Providing feedback after a presentation is delivered is not a question of quality control where the goal is to list every flaw you spot. Nor is it a question of the presentation appealing to you. If you want your feedback to be really helpful, the central questions are, “Did the presentation achieve its purpose?” and “Did the presenter help or hinder that process?” The answers to these questions need to be leavened with a view to your relationship and the support a presenter needs. Oh, yes, and that feedback needs to be behavioral. If that sounds like a tall order, it is. In this guidance, we’ll help you get there.

This guidance applies to peer-to-peer feedback and follows the Manager Tools Peer Feedback Model. If you’re thinking about giving presentation feedback to your boss, first review Chapter 1 of the Manager Tools guide for specific guidance about boss feedback - the stakes and approach are different.

Don’t confuse this with the Manager Tools Feedback Model, which is a separate framework specifically for managers giving feedback to their direct reports. That model has its own defined purpose and specific phrasing that we’re not covering here.