Problem Solving: 40 Useful Performance Feedback Phrases

Problem Solving: Use these sample phrases to craft meaningful performance evaluations, drive change and motivate your workforce.

Problem Solving is the skill of defining a problem to determine its cause, identify it, prioritize and select alternative solutions to implement in solving the problems and reviving relationships.

Problem Solving: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

  • Actively listens when others are talking and seek clarification on issues not well understood.
  • Seeks to brainstorm on problems to try to find the right solutions.
  • Evaluates all possible solutions and chooses the one that will deliver the best results.
  • Knows how well to collaborate with others to find solutions to problems.
  • Knows how to resolve any outstanding client issues and problems amicably.
  • Communicates views and thoughts in a very distinct and understandable manner.
  • Is decisive when it comes to making decisions and sticks by the decisions made.
  • Gathers all the necessary facts and information first before making any decision.
  • Monitors all outcomes of all actions undertaken to take full responsibility for any problem.
  • Breaks a problem down before starting to analyze it in a more detailed manner.

Problem Solving: Meets Expectations Phrases

  • Is always open-minded and readily accepts what others have to contribute.
  • Has an inquisitive nature and tries to analyze all that is happening around.
  • Always asks the right questions and raises any relevant issue when necessary.
  • Keeps things calm even when required to make quick decisions under high pressure.
  • Communicates or articulates issues in an obvious and concise way that people can easily understand.
  • Shows strong level-headedness when assessing situations and coming up with solutions.
  • Tries to be accommodative of other people's views and accepts them easily.
  • Always portrays enough knowledge of the problem and its feasible solutions.
  • Shows the willingness to change tact whenever the conditions change.
  • Creates opportunities to evaluate and implement the decisions that are arrived at properly.

Problem Solving: Needs Improvement Phrases

  • Not willing to be accommodative of other people's ideas and opinions.
  • Does not know how to present a problem in ways that people can understand.
  • Finds it difficult to articulate issues in a clear and understandable manner.
  • Not decisive and assertive when it comes to coming up with solutions.
  • Does not take the time to listen keenly to what others have to say or contribute.
  • Always in a hurry to make decisions and does not think things through.
  • Does not always monitor the decisions made to ensure that they have a positive impact.
  • When faced with a high-pressure problem, does not maintain a cool head to be able to solve it properly.
  • Not willing to collaborate with other people to come up with solutions to problems.
  • Does not manage client-related issues in a professional manner and customers are left unsatisfied.

Problem Solving: Self Evaluation Questions

  • How well do you solve issues and are you confident in your abilities?
  • Give an instance you solved a problem, and it was successful.
  • Give a situation that you solved a problem, and it was unsuccessful.
  • How well do you accommodate other people ideas and opinions when trying to solve a problem?
  • How do you manage high-pressure situations that require fast and urgent attention?
  • Do you involve other people when trying to solve any particular problem?
  • How well do you brainstorm before setting out to solve a problem?
  • Do you research well enough to get proper facts and information?
  • Are you in most cases conversant with what the problem is before you solve it?
  • How well are you keen on everything that is happening around you?

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Status.net

Self Evaluation Comments for Problem Solving (30 Examples)

By Status.net Editorial Team on May 19, 2023 — 9 minutes to read

Self-evaluation is an essential aspect of professional development. It helps you to identify areas of improvement and measure your progress towards achieving your goals. By evaluating your problem-solving skills, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and take steps to improve your performance.

Problem Solving Self-Evaluation Comments Examples

  • I was able to identify the root cause of the problem and develop a solution that addressed it effectively.
  • I was able to think outside the box and come up with a creative solution to a complex problem.
  • I was able to collaborate effectively with my team members to solve a challenging problem.
  • I was able to prioritize tasks and allocate resources efficiently to solve a problem within a tight deadline.
  • I was able to remain calm and composed under pressure while solving a critical problem.
  • I was able to analyze data and information to identify patterns and trends that helped me solve a problem.
  • I was able to communicate clearly and effectively with stakeholders to understand their needs and solve their problems.
  • I was able to adapt to changing circumstances and adjust my problem-solving approach accordingly.
  • I was able to learn from my mistakes and apply those lessons to future problem-solving situations.
  • I was able to use critical thinking skills to evaluate multiple options and select the best solution to a problem.
  • I was able to break down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts and solve each part individually.
  • I was able to identify potential obstacles and develop contingency plans to overcome them while solving a problem.
  • I was able to leverage my technical expertise to solve a problem that required specialized knowledge.
  • I was able to use my creativity and innovation to develop a unique solution to a problem.
  • I was able to gather and analyze feedback from stakeholders to continuously improve my problem-solving approach.
  • I was able to use my leadership skills to motivate and guide my team members towards a successful problem-solving outcome.
  • I was able to effectively manage competing priorities and still solve a problem within the given timeline.
  • I was able to use my communication skills to explain complex technical solutions to non-technical stakeholders.
  • I was able to use my analytical skills to identify patterns and trends that helped me solve a problem more efficiently.
  • I was able to use my problem-solving skills to identify opportunities for process improvements and implement them successfully.
  • I was able to use my research skills to gather information that helped me solve a problem more effectively.
  • I was able to use my project management skills to break down a large-scale problem into smaller, more manageable tasks.
  • I was able to use my negotiation skills to reach a mutually beneficial solution to a problem.
  • I was able to remain objective and unbiased while evaluating potential solutions to a problem.
  • I was able to use my attention to detail to identify small but critical issues that were contributing to a larger problem.
  • I was able to use my interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with stakeholders and work collaboratively towards a solution.
  • I was able to use my problem-solving skills to find a solution that balanced the needs of multiple stakeholders.
  • I was able to use my persistence and determination to keep working towards a solution even when faced with obstacles.
  • I was able to use my time management skills to prioritize tasks and allocate my time efficiently while solving a problem.
  • I was able to use my empathy and understanding of others’ perspectives to develop a solution that met everyone’s needs.

Improving Problem Solving Skills

To become a better problem solver, you need to develop critical thinking skills, effective communication skills, prioritize tasks, and use brainstorming techniques. Here are some tips to help you improve your problem-solving skills:

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze a situation, identify problems, and come up with creative solutions. To develop critical thinking skills, you need to:

  • Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask questions to clarify the problem or gather more information.
  • Challenge assumptions: Don’t accept things at face value. Question assumptions and look for evidence to support them.
  • Evaluate evidence: Look for evidence that supports or contradicts your assumptions. Evaluate the quality and reliability of the evidence.
  • Consider alternative perspectives: Try to see the problem from different angles and consider alternative solutions.

Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication is essential for problem-solving because it helps you:

  • Understand the problem: Good communication skills help you clarify the problem and understand what is expected of you.
  • Collaborate with others: Effective communication skills help you work with others to find solutions.
  • Express your ideas clearly: Clear communication helps you convey your ideas and solutions to others.

To improve your communication skills, you need to:

  • Listen actively: Listen to others and try to understand their perspective.
  • Speak clearly: Speak clearly and concisely to avoid confusion.
  • Use nonverbal cues: Pay attention to body language and other nonverbal cues to understand what others are saying.

Prioritizing Tasks

Prioritizing tasks is essential for effective problem-solving because it helps you:

  • Focus on the most important tasks: Prioritizing helps you focus on the tasks that will have the most significant impact.
  • Manage your time: Prioritizing helps you manage your time more effectively.
  • Avoid procrastination: Prioritizing helps you avoid procrastination by breaking down large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

To prioritize tasks effectively, you need to:

  • Identify the most important tasks: Identify the tasks that will have the most significant impact.
  • Break down large tasks: Break large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.
  • Set deadlines: Set deadlines for each task to help you stay on track.

Brainstorming Techniques

Brainstorming is a technique used to generate creative ideas and solutions. To brainstorm effectively, you need to:

  • Generate a lot of ideas: Don’t be afraid to come up with as many ideas as possible, even if they seem silly or unrealistic.
  • Encourage creativity: Encourage creative thinking by allowing everyone to contribute ideas.
  • Avoid criticism: Don’t criticize or judge ideas during the brainstorming process.

To brainstorm effectively, you can use techniques like mind mapping, free writing, or group brainstorming sessions.

Time Management and Productivity

Managing time effectively.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to problem-solving is managing your time effectively. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details and lose track of the big picture. To avoid this, set specific goals and deadlines for yourself. Make a to-do list and prioritize your tasks based on their importance and urgency. Use a timer or a stopwatch to keep track of how much time you spend on each task, and try to minimize distractions as much as possible.

For example, if you’re working on a project that requires a lot of research, set a goal to finish the research phase by the end of the day. Break the research down into smaller tasks, such as reading a certain number of articles or books, and set deadlines for each task. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re making progress towards your goal.

Overcoming Overwhelm

Feeling overwhelmed is a common problem when it comes to problem-solving. When you’re faced with a complex problem, it’s easy to feel like you don’t know where to start. To overcome this, break the problem down into smaller, more manageable parts. Identify the key issues or questions that need to be addressed, and focus on one at a time.

For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem with a product or service, start by identifying the key issues that are causing the problem. Once you’ve identified these issues, break them down into smaller, more manageable parts. Focus on one issue at a time, and come up with a plan to address it. Once you’ve addressed all of the key issues, you’ll have a better understanding of the problem as a whole, and you’ll be better equipped to come up with a solution.

Being Proactive

Being proactive is an important part of problem-solving. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, take a proactive approach and try to anticipate potential problems before they occur. This will help you stay ahead of the curve and avoid potential roadblocks.

For example, if you’re working on a project with a tight deadline, don’t wait until the last minute to start working on it. Instead, start working on it as soon as possible, and set specific goals and deadlines for yourself. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you’re making progress towards your goal. Additionally, be proactive in identifying potential roadblocks or issues that could arise, and come up with a plan to address them before they become a problem.

Performance Review and Goal Setting

Setting objectives.

When preparing for a performance review, it’s important to set specific objectives that will guide the conversation. Start by reflecting on your current role and responsibilities, and consider areas where you could improve or grow. These objectives should be measurable and achievable, and should align with your personal and professional goals.

For example, one objective might be to improve your communication skills by attending a workshop or taking an online course. Another objective might be to take on more leadership responsibilities within your team or department.

Measuring Performance

During the performance review, your manager will likely evaluate your progress towards meeting your objectives. It’s important to come prepared with concrete examples of how you’ve worked towards your goals, as well as any challenges or obstacles you’ve faced.

For example, if your objective was to improve your project management skills, you might share how you’ve successfully led a project from start to finish, or how you’ve implemented new tools or processes to streamline your workflow. If you’ve faced challenges, be honest about what went wrong and what you learned from the experience.

Creating an Action Plan

After reviewing your performance, you and your manager should work together to create an action plan for the next review period. This plan should include specific goals and objectives, as well as a timeline for achieving them. It’s also important to identify any resources or support you may need to reach your goals.

For example, if your objective is to improve your technical skills, you might discuss opportunities for additional training or mentorship. If your goal is to take on more leadership responsibilities, you might discuss ways to gain experience through shadowing or cross-functional projects.

Overall, the performance review and goal setting process is an important opportunity to reflect on your progress and set a course for future growth and development. By setting specific, measurable objectives and working collaboratively with your manager, you can ensure that you’re on track to achieve your personal and professional goals.

When writing self-evaluation comments, it is important to be honest and objective. Avoid making exaggerated or false claims about your abilities or achievements. Instead, focus on specific examples that demonstrate your skills and accomplishments.

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Teaching Resources

Providing Feedback on Problem Solving

Resource overview.

Strategies for guiding students through the problem solving process

When students approach an instructor, graduate assistant in instruction, or undergraduate teaching assistant for help with problem-solving, providing them with effective feedback can help to clarify expectations for learning, promote understanding, and teach students how to troubleshoot in the future (Nicol & MacFarlane-Dick, 2006). This resource describes several key practices that will help you provide feedback on problem solving in one-on-one or small group settings, such as in office hours.

Support Conceptual Learning and Transfer

Use approaches that will help students not just solve this problem, but gain a deeper understanding of the concept that they can apply in future problems.

  • Avoid immediately providing students with an answer, the next step in the problem, or pointing out exactly where they went wrong. Instead, the best place to start is by asking questions and listening to the student to help you and them to better identify the source of their difficulty.
  • Start from where the student is at. There is often more than one way to solve a problem; it is important that you pay attention to and utilize the work the student has done so far rather than just showing them how you would solve the problem from start to finish.
  • Encourage students to talk through their thought process as they solve a problem. This both contributes to student learning and gives you insight into what they do and do not understand so far.
  • It can be helpful to model problem solving strategies for a student by working through a problem while explaining your steps. However, this on its own is not enough . It is important that you also have the student work through a problem themself.

Here are some questions you can use to guide students, from University of Michigan’s CRLT:

  • What are some possible ways you might go about solving this problem?
  • Tell me what you know about the concept.
  • How might you break the problem into small steps?
  • Can you explain how you got from step one to step two?
  • What are you thinking right now?
  • I don’t understand your reasoning behind that step. Will you please explain?
  • What do you think your next step is?

Listen to the Student

An important part of working one-on-one with a student is actively listening to them.

  • Listen and then rephrase a student’s response back to them to make sure that you understand. Also ask clarifying questions as needed. Example: “You said you aren’t sure which equation to use in this step, is that right?”
  • Don’t make assumptions about which parts of a problem will be easy or difficult based on your own experiences. Ask questions and focus on what the student says.
  • Pay attention to students’ emotional responses and don’t dismiss or ignore these. Be aware that sometimes things you say in an effort to reassure someone can feel like a dismissal. If you say, “Lots of students find this hard, you shouldn’t worry about it,” students can feel like their emotional experience isn’t being validated. Instead, say something like, “It sounds like you are feeling frustrated with this problem set. Would you like to take a look at some of the questions together?”
  • Learn to recognize warning signs that a student might be experiencing more general psychological distress and be aware of how to talk with students about mental health support on campus. See the page Supporting Students in Distress .

Promote Growth Mindset and Belonging

When you are working with a student, ensure that you are sending the message that even if they struggle at first, they can learn the material.

  • Avoid negative comments such as, “You should really remember this from lecture.” While you might feel frustrated, comments like this are not productive for student learning. If you think a student needs to be preparing or studying in a different way, point this out in a constructive way. For example, “When you aren’t sure which equation to use for a problem like this, I suggest your first step is to review the problems from class.”
  • Recognize that everyone has different backgrounds and experiences that they bring into the learning environment. Avoid making assumptions when students come to you for help, for instance, about what behaviors or grades indicate a lack of effort.
  • Help normalize struggle as a common part of academics that can be overcome. For example, you can mention strategies or resources that have helped other students who were experiencing a similar difficulty.
  • Avoid sending signals to a student that you don’t believe they can master the material. For example, don’t say, “It’s okay if you don’t quite understand that one.” Although you might be trying to comfort the student, this can send the message that you don’t think they can do it.
  • If a student is struggling in a course, don’t overwhelm them with a long list of things they need to do differently. Instead, work with the student to identify specific areas where they are struggling, and 2-3 new strategies they can use to improve in those areas.
  • Talk about how you have grown your knowledge and skills over time through practice. If comfortable to you and relevant to the student, consider sharing about a time when you struggled, failed, or made mistakes in an academic or work context, and how you moved through that challenge.

Set Clear Expectations

Clear communication from the beginning helps both you and students have a positive experience, decreasing the frustrations that come from a mismatch in expectations.

  • Talk to students about when and how they will receive feedback in your class, as well as who they can talk to if they have questions.
  • Let students know what type of feedback you will and won’t provide and your rationale for this. Be sure to frame this in terms of how it benefits student learning. For example, you might not want to give students a direct answer or tell them exactly what step to do next, for the reasons discussed above. Students might find this frustrating and feel like you aren’t helping them. To address that, you can acknowledge that it might feel frustrating at times, but explain that your approach will actually help them when solving future problems (e.g., on exams or larger projects).

Acitelli, L., Black, B., & Axelson, E. (n.d.) Learning and Teaching During Office Hours . Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan. http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p4_5

Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31 (2), 199-218.

Yeager, D. S., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., Brzustoski, P., Master, A., … & Cohen, G. L. (2014). Breaking the cycle of mistrust: Wise interventions to provide critical feedback across the racial divide. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 143 (2), 804-824.

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For Business

16 constructive feedback examples — and tips for how to use them

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Giving constructive feedback is nerve-wracking for many people. But feedback is also necessary for thriving in the workplace. 

It helps people flex and grow into new skills, capabilities, and roles. It creates more positive and productive relationships between employees. And it helps to reach goals and drive business value.

But feedback is a two-way street. More often than not, it’s likely every employee will have to give constructive feedback in their careers. That’s why it’s helpful to have constructive feedback examples to leverage for the right situation. 

We know employees want feedback. But one study found that people want feedback if they’re on the receiving end . In fact, in every case, participants rated their desire for feedback higher as the receiver. While the fear of feedback is very real, it’s important to not shy away from constructive feedback opportunities. After all, it could be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. 

If you’re trying to overcome your fear of providing feedback, we’ve compiled a list of 16 constructive feedback examples for you to use. We’ll also share some best practices on how to give effective feedback . 

What is constructive feedback? 

When you hear the word feedback, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? What feelings do you have associated with feedback? Oftentimes, feedback conversations are anxiety-ridden because it’s assumed to be negative feedback. Unfortunately, feedback has this binary stigma, it’s either good or bad.

But in reality, there are plenty of types of feedback leveraged in both personal and professional relationships. They don’t all fall into one camp or the other. And each type of feedback is serving a purpose to ultimately better an individual, team, or work environment. 

For example, positive feedback can be used to reinforce desired behaviors or big accomplishments. Real-time feedback is reserved for those “in the moment” situations. Like if I’ve made a mistake or a typo in a blog, I’d want my teammates to give me real-time feedback . 

However, constructive feedback is its own ball game. 

What is constructive feedback?

Constructive feedback is a supportive way to improve areas of opportunity for an individual person, team, relationship, or environment. In many ways, constructive feedback is a combination of constructive criticism paired with coaching skills. 

16 constructive feedback examples to use 

To truly invest in building a feedback culture , your employees need to feel comfortable giving feedback. After all, organizations are people, which means we’re all human. We make mistakes but we’re all capable of growth and development. And most importantly, everyone everywhere should be able to live with more purpose, clarity, and passion. 

But we won’t unlock everyone’s full potential unless your people are comfortable giving feedback. Some employee feedback might be easier to give than others, like ways to improve a presentation. 

But sometimes, constructive feedback can be tricky, like managing conflict between team members or addressing negative behavior. As any leader will tell you, it’s critical to address negative behaviors and redirect them to positive outcomes. Letting toxic behavior go unchecked can lead to issues with employee engagement , company culture, and overall, your business’s bottom line. 

Regardless of where on the feedback spectrum your organization falls, having concrete examples will help set up your people for success. Let’s talk through some examples of constructive feedback. For any of these themes, it’s always good to have specific examples handy to help reinforce the feedback you’re giving. We’ll also give some sample scenarios of when these phrases might be most impactful and appropriate. 

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Constructive feedback examples about communication skills  

An employee speaks over others and interrupts in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you can cut off team members or interrupt others. You share plenty of good ideas and do good work. To share some communication feedback , I’d love to see how you can support others in voicing their own ideas in our team meetings.” 

An employee who doesn’t speak up or share ideas in team meetings.

“I’ve noticed that you don’t often share ideas in big meetings. But in our one-on-one meetings , you come up with plenty of meaningful and creative ideas to help solve problems. What can I do to help make you more comfortable speaking up in front of the team?” 

An employee who is brutally honest and blunt.

“Last week, I noticed you told a teammate that their work wasn’t useful to you. It might be true that their work isn’t contributing to your work, but there’s other work being spread across the team that will help us reach our organizational goals. I’d love to work with you on ways to improve your communication skills to help build your feedback skills, too. Would you be interested in pursuing some professional development opportunities?”  

An employee who has trouble building rapport because of poor communication skills in customer and prospect meetings.

“I’ve noticed you dive right into the presentation with our customer and prospect meetings. To build a relationship and rapport, it’s good to make sure we’re getting to know everyone as people. Why don’t you try learning more about their work, priorities, and life outside of the office in our next meeting?” 

constructive-feedback-examples-woman-with-hands-up-at-table

Constructive feedback examples about collaboration 

An employee who doesn’t hold to their commitments on group or team projects.

“I noticed I asked you for a deliverable on this key project by the end of last week. I still haven’t received this deliverable and wanted to follow up. If a deadline doesn’t work well with your bandwidth, would you be able to check in with me? I’d love to get a good idea of what you can commit to without overloading your workload.”  

An employee who likes to gatekeep or protect their work, which hurts productivity and teamwork .

“Our teams have been working together on this cross-functional project for a couple of months. But yesterday, we learned that your team came across a roadblock last month that hasn’t been resolved. I’d love to be a partner to you if you hit any issues in reaching our goals. Would you be willing to share your project plan or help provide some more visibility into your team’s work? I think it would help us with problem-solving and preventing problems down the line.” 

An employee who dominates a cross-functional project and doesn’t often accept new ways of doing things.

“I’ve noticed that two team members have voiced ideas that you have shut down. In the spirit of giving honest feedback, it feels like ideas or new solutions to problems aren’t welcome. Is there a way we could explore some of these ideas? I think it would help to show that we’re team players and want to encourage everyone’s contributions to this project.” 

Constructive feedback examples about time management 

An employee who is always late to morning meetings or one-on-ones.

“I’ve noticed that you’re often late to our morning meetings with the rest of the team. Sometimes, you’re late to our one-on-ones, too. Is there a way I can help you with building better time management skills ? Sometimes, the tardiness can come off like you don’t care about the meeting or the person you’re meeting with, which I know you don’t mean.” 

A direct report who struggles to meet deadlines.

“Thanks for letting me know you’re running behind schedule and need an extension. I’ve noticed this is the third time you’ve asked for an extension in the past two weeks. In our next one-on-one, can you come up with a list of projects and the amount of time that you’re spending on each project? I wonder if we can see how you’re managing your time and identify efficiencies.” 

An employee who continuously misses team meetings.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been present at the last few team meetings. I wanted to check in to see how things are going. What do you have on your plate right now? I’m concerned you’re missing critical information that can help you in your role and your career.” 

constructive-feedback-examples-woman-handing-people-papers

Constructive feedback examples about boundaries 

A manager who expects the entire team to work on weekends.

“I’ve noticed you send us emails and project plans over the weekends. I put in a lot of hard work during the week, and won’t be able to answer your emails until the work week starts again. It’s important that I maintain my work-life balance to be able to perform my best.” 

An employee who delegates work to other team members.

“I’ve noticed you’ve delegated some aspects of this project that fall into your scope of work. I have a full plate with my responsibilities in XYZ right now. But if you need assistance, it might be worth bringing up your workload to our manager.” 

A direct report who is stressed about employee performance but is at risk of burning out.

“I know we have performance reviews coming up and I’ve noticed an increase in working hours for you. I hope you know that I recognize your work ethic but it’s important that you prioritize your work-life balance, too. We don’t want you to burn out.”  

Constructive feedback examples about managing 

A leader who is struggling with team members working together well in group settings.

“I’ve noticed your team’s scores on our employee engagement surveys. It seems like they don’t collaborate well or work well in group settings, given their feedback. Let’s work on building some leadership skills to help build trust within your team.” 

A leader who is struggling to engage their remote team.

“In my last skip-levels with your team, I heard some feedback about the lack of connections . It sounds like some of your team members feel isolated, especially in this remote environment. Let’s work on ways we can put some virtual team-building activities together.” 

A leader who is micromanaging , damaging employee morale.

“In the last employee engagement pulse survey, I took a look at the leadership feedback. It sounds like some of your employees feel that you micromanage them, which can damage trust and employee engagement. In our next one-on-one, let’s talk through some projects that you can step back from and delegate to one of your direct reports. We want to make sure employees on your team feel ownership and autonomy over their work.” 

8 tips for providing constructive feedback 

Asking for and receiving feedback isn’t an easy task. 

But as we know, more people would prefer to receive feedback than give it. If giving constructive feedback feels daunting, we’ve rounded up eight tips to help ease your nerves. These best practices can help make sure you’re nailing your feedback delivery for optimal results, too.

Be clear and direct (without being brutally honest). Make sure you’re clear, concise, and direct. Dancing around the topic isn’t helpful for you or the person you’re giving feedback to. 

Provide specific examples. Get really specific and cite recent examples. If you’re vague and high-level, the employee might not connect feedback with their actions.

constructive-feedback-examples-you-need-a-coach

Set goals for the behavior you’d like to see changed. If there’s a behavior that’s consistent, try setting a goal with your employee. For example, let’s say a team member dominates the conversation in team meetings. Could you set a goal for how many times they encourage other team members to speak and share their ideas? 

Give time and space for clarifying questions. Constructive feedback can be hard to hear. It can also take some time to process. Make sure you give the person the time and space for questions and follow-up. 

Know when to give feedback in person versus written communication. Some constructive feedback simply shouldn’t be put in an email or a Slack message. Know the right communication forum to deliver your feedback.   

Check-in. Make an intentional effort to check in with the person on how they’re doing in the respective area of feedback. For example, let’s say you’ve given a teammate feedback on their presentation skills . Follow up on how they’ve invested in building their public speaking skills . Ask if you can help them practice before a big meeting or presentation. 

Ask for feedback in return. Feedback can feel hierarchical and top-down sometimes. Make sure that you open the door to gather feedback in return from your employees. 

Start giving effective constructive feedback 

Meaningful feedback can be the difference between a flailing and thriving team. To create a feedback culture in your organization, constructive feedback is a necessary ingredient. 

Think about the role of coaching to help build feedback muscles with your employees. With access to virtual coaching , you can make sure your employees are set up for success. BetterUp can help your workforce reach its full potential.

See how BetterUp works - Watch Demo

Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

5 types of feedback that make a difference (and how to use them)

Are you receptive to feedback follow this step-by-step guide, how to give constructive feedback as a manager, should you use the feedback sandwich 7 pros and cons, why coworker feedback is so important and 5 ways to give it, handle feedback like a boss and make it work for you, how to get feedback from your employees, how to give negative feedback to a manager, with examples, how to give positive comments to your boss, similar articles, trying to find your calling these 16 tips will get you started, how to embrace constructive conflict, 25 performance review questions (and how to use them), how to give feedback to your boss: tips for getting started, how to give kudos at work. try these 5 examples to show appreciation, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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Teamflect Blog

100 Useful Performance Review Comments to Choose From!

problem solving feedback

Allow us to cut to the chase: We put together a hundred of the best performance review comments on some of the most important performance review question categories out there. Each manager has their own way of conducting performance reviews and their own performance review comments or classic performance review phrases that they like to make use of. We have no intention of messing with yours!

We wanted to put together a list of performance review comments that would serve as guiding examples for you to draft your own performance review comments around. That being said if you decide to knick these performance review comments; We promise; We won’t tell a soul!

At the end of the day, performance reviews are an extraordinary opportunity for the exchange of quality feedback, valuable insights, and just a healthy dose of anxiety. No matter which performance review comments you decide to go with and which performance review frequency you conduct your reviews with, just make sure your feedback is honest and from the heart!

Before we go any further, we should point out that no matter which performance review phrases you pick from this list, they won’t be effective if your review process is cumbersome.

Table of Contents

Are you conducting performance reviews manually?

HOW you conduct your performance reviews is equally as important as what you say in them. While we gave some pointers on streamlining performance reviews further down this list, we have special news for Microsoft Teams users.

You can conduct entire performance review cycles without ever leaving Microsoft Teams , using Teamflect’s customizable performance review templates . The best part is, that you can try this out for absolutely free! Click the button above and see just how much of a difference Teamflect makes in your performance appraisals.

Performance Review Comments Examples

1 . communication.

Performance review comments: three crumpled yellow papers on green surface surrounded by yellow lined papers

It’s no secret that communication is key to success in any job. Whether you’re writing emails, making phone calls, or having face-to-face conversations, it’s essential to be clear, concise, and confident in your communication. Of course, we all have our moments of stumbling over our words or getting tongue-tied. That’s why it’s important to work on improving our communication skills to ensure we’re always getting our message across effectively.

The feedback you give through performance reviews will be key in how the reviewee will be adjusting their communication strategies in the following review period. Here are some examples you can use:

  • “Communicates clearly and effectively, making it easy for others to understand.”
  • “Listens attentively and responds thoughtfully to others’ ideas and concerns.”
  • “Uses appropriate tone and language to convey messages, building positive relationships with team members.”
  • “Effectively summarizes information and provides relevant updates to stakeholders.”
  • “Shares feedback constructively, motivating colleagues to improve performance.”

Needs improvement:

  • “Opportunities exist for improvement in speaking with greater clarity and confidence.”
  • “Encounters challenges when expressing thoughts and ideas in a clear and effective manner.”
  • “Shows a tendency to interrupt or talk over others, which impairs communication.”
  • “Displays a challenge in receiving feedback and responding constructively to it.”
  • “Has room for improvement in active listening skills and demonstrating empathy towards colleagues.”

2. Time Management

Time management is something we all struggle with from time to time. There are only so many hours in the day, and it can be tough to juggle all our responsibilities and meet our deadlines. But fear not! With a bit of planning and some time-saving tricks up our sleeves, anyone can manage time the way Hermione Granger did in The Prisoner of Azkaban! Your performance review comments just might be the difference-maker in getting there!

  • “Consistently meets deadlines and delivers high-quality work on time.”
  • “Effectively prioritizes tasks and manages time to ensure productivity.”
  • “Demonstrates excellent organizational skills, keeping on top of multiple projects and responsibilities.”
  • “Uses time efficiently, avoiding unnecessary distractions or procrastination.”
  • “Shows flexibility in adapting to changing priorities and deadlines.”
  • “Has difficulty managing time effectively, leading to missed deadlines or rushed work.”
  • “Struggles to prioritize tasks, sometimes working on less important projects instead of urgent ones.”
  • “Tends to procrastinate, leading to work being rushed and potentially low quality.”
  • “Could benefit from better organization and planning skills to improve productivity.”
  • “May need to work on delegating tasks to others to better manage workload.”

3. Quality of Work

There are many different employee performance metrics to consider during performance appraisals. Employee engagement, attendance, and communicative skills can all be considered great metrics to track. However, when the chips are down, all anyone will care about is the quality of your work. The end result! Here are some performance review phrases on the quality of work.

  • “Produces consistently high-quality work that meets or exceeds expectations.”
  • “Pays attention to detail, catching errors or issues before they become problems.”
  • “Shows pride in work, going above and beyond to ensure excellence.”
  • “Demonstrates a strong understanding of requirements and produces work that aligns with them.”
  • “Is committed to continuous improvement, regularly seeking feedback and making adjustments.”
  • “Has a hard time consistently producing work that meets expectations and may require additional support or revisions.”
  • “Has challenges in maintaining attention to detail, which can result in errors or oversights.”
  • “Has a tendency to rush work, resulting in lower quality outcomes.”
  • “Needs to take greater ownership of their work and ensure it aligns with the required standards.”
  • “Could benefit from additional training or support to enhance skills and produce higher quality work.”

4. Dependability

Nothing is certain but death and taxes, right? Dependability is an extremely important performance review criterion. It is, however, a bit hard to pinpoint. How does one measure dependability? Is it taking initiative, showing a strong work ethic, or simply taking responsibility? Well, here are some sample performance evaluation phrases that cover all those bases!

  • “Is a reliable team member, consistently meeting commitments and delivering high-quality work.”
  • “Takes responsibility for tasks and projects, ensuring they are completed on time and to the required standard.”
  • “Brings with them a strong work ethic, putting in extra effort when required to meet team goals.”
  • “Shows initiative in taking on additional responsibilities and supporting team members.”
  • “Is committed to continuous improvement, actively seeking feedback and making adjustments.”
  • “Has trouble keeping commitments, occasionally needing more assistance or time extensions.”
  • “Has difficulty accepting responsibility for jobs or projects, occasionally blaming others for mistakes or delays.”
  • “Tends to miss deadlines or deliver work that is below the required standard.”
  • “May need to improve time management and planning skills to better meet expectations.”
  • “Could benefit from increased accountability and taking ownership of mistakes or challenges.”

5. Initiative

Taking initiative means being proactive, taking ownership of our work, and seeking out new opportunities. It’s what sets us apart and makes us stand out as top performers. Your performance review comments should definitely include performance appraisal phrases about taking initiative. So here are some performance review comments examples centered around initiative!

  • “Takes initiative to identify and address challenges or opportunities without being prompted.”
  • “Shows creativity and innovation in identifying new solutions or approaches to tasks and projects.”
  • “Has the willingness to take on new challenges and responsibilities.”
  • “Is proactive in identifying and addressing potential issues before they become problems.”
  • “Seeks out opportunities to improve processes or procedures, contributing to overall team success.”
  • “Often requires a nudge to take the reins and identify opportunities for improvement.”
  • “Encounters roadblocks when it comes to brainstorming innovative solutions and thinking outside the box.”
  • “May benefit from a confidence boost to take on new challenges and responsibilities with enthusiasm.”
  • “Could leverage growth opportunities by seeking out challenges and embracing new experiences.”
  • “Needs to take a more proactive approach to identify and tackle potential issues before they escalate.”

6. Teamwork

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” as they say. But let’s be honest, working in a team can be challenging at times. With so many different personalities and working styles, conflicts are bound to arise. However, when we work together effectively, we can achieve great things. In this section, we’ll take a look at some performance review comments related to teamwork and collaboration.

  • “Is a supportive team member, working collaboratively to achieve team goals.”
  • “Contributes positively to team dynamics, fostering a positive work environment.”
  • “Interacts effectively with team members, building strong relationships and fostering a sense of camaraderie.”
  • “Shows a willingness to help colleagues and offer support when needed.”
  • “Respects and values diverse perspectives, contributing to an inclusive and welcoming team environment.”
  • “Faces hurdles in working collaboratively with team members, at times operating in groups or generating discord.”
  • “Has some room for growth in terms of communication skills to foster stronger connections with colleagues.”
  • “Shows a tendency to prioritize individual objectives over team goals, which can hinder overall team success.”
  • “Has potential to grow by demonstrating more empathy and support towards colleagues.”
  • “Requires development in valuing diverse perspectives and creating an inclusive team environment.”

7. Leadership

Being a leader isn’t just about giving orders and bossing people around. It’s about inspiring and motivating others, setting goals, and guiding your team to success. Of course, it’s not always easy to be a great leader. It takes patience, empathy, and a willingness to learn and grow. So, why don’t we explore some performance review comments that relate to leadership skills?

  • “Demonstrates strong leadership skills, inspiring and motivating team members towards success.”
  • “Shows a commitment to developing team members, providing support and opportunities for growth.”
  • “Leads by example, modeling positive behavior and work ethic for team members to follow.”
  • “Delageates tasks clearly and effectively to team members, setting clear expectations and goals.”
  • “Effectively manages conflicts and challenges, finding solutions that benefit the team as a whole.”
  • “Has a difficult time leading effectively, sometimes causing confusion or conflict among team members.”
  • “Has issues with communicating expectations or providing clear direction to team members.”
  • “Needs to improve on supporting and developing team members, leading to a lack of motivation or engagement.”
  • “Could benefit from developing stronger conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.”
  • “Needs to work on modeling positive behavior and work ethic for team members to follow.”

8. Adaptability

No matter what line of work you’re in, it doesn’t take a sociologist to see that we are going through one of the most volatile times in human history. It feels like there is a new paradigm shift every single week! That is why adaptability is a great category of performance review comments. As a performance appraisal metric, the adaptability of an employee needs to be measured and given feedback upon! So here are some performance review comments on adaptability!

  • “Is able to adapt quickly and effectively to changing priorities or circumstances.”
  • “Shows flexibility in approach, willing to adjust plans or strategies as needed to achieve goals.”
  • “Demonstrates resilience in the face of challenges, persevering to achieve success.”
  • “Handles uncertainty and ambiguity with ease, remaining focused and productive.”
  • “Thrives in a fast-paced environment, showing energy and enthusiasm for new opportunities.”
  • “Fails to adjust to changing conditions or priorities, resulting in missed opportunities or inefficiencies.”
  • “Can definitely use some work on being more flexible and open-minded in approach.”
  • “Can become overwhelmed by uncertainty or ambiguity, leading to decreased productivity.”
  • “Needs to improve resilience and persistence in the face of challenges or setbacks.”
  • “Could benefit from developing strategies for managing stress and pressure in a fast-paced environment.”

9. Problem-Solving

When we encounter problems in the workplace, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or unsure of how to proceed. But being able to think creatively and come up with innovative solutions is an essential skill for any employee. It can save time, increase productivity, and make us all look like superheroes. So, let’s dive into some performance review comments related to problem-solving skills.

  • “Demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills, able to analyze complex problems and develop effective solutions.”
  • “Approaches problems systematically and logically, using a variety of resources and tools to find solutions.”
  • “Is able to identify root causes of problems, rather than just treating symptoms.”
  • “Collaborates effectively with colleagues to find solutions to difficult problems.”
  • “Is innovative and creative in finding new solutions to problems.”
  • “Complex problem-solving can be a challenge, resulting in possible delays or inefficiencies.”
  • “Usually treats symptoms instead of investigating the underlying causes of problems.”
  • “Developing a more systematic and logical problem-solving approach could be beneficial.”
  • “Collaborative skills may need improvement to effectively work with colleagues in problem-solving.”
  • “Enhancing innovation and creativity in problem-solving is an area that requires attention.”

10. Creativity

Did we save the best for last? Yes, we did! The importance of creativity as a key performance metric is constantly growing. In fact, with the emergence of AI productivity software, true creativity is one skill the robots can’t seem to emulate just yet. So why shouldn’t you have a list of performance review comments focused solely on creativity? Of course, you should!

  • Displays creativity that is inspiring and has had a significant impact on the success of the project.
  • Demonstrates an ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas that help the team overcome challenges and achieve goals.
  • Consistently brings fresh perspectives to the table and takes risks in order to achieve great results.
  • Applies a creative approach to problem-solving that leads to unique solutions, improving processes and saving time and resources.
  • Shows enthusiasm for exploring new ideas and experimenting with different approaches, fostering a culture of innovation within the team.
  • While technically sound, work lacks the creative flair that would make it stand out from the competition.
  • Provides solutions to problems that are often formulaic and lack originality.
  • Appears to be stuck in a rut and is not coming up with new ideas or approaches to address challenges.
  • Resists change and is unwilling to experiment with new ideas, which holds the team back.
  • Displays creativity that is limited to a particular style or medium, and does not demonstrate the ability to adapt to new situations and come up with fresh ideas.

Digitize Your Performance Reviews

Do you know what can be equally important as the performance review comments you use? How you actually conduct those performance reviews? If your team has a terrible time with performance reviews and they hate partaking in them, then your performance review comments won’t have any meaning. The best way to conduct your performance reviews today is to digitize them!

You can read our guide on digitizing your performance reviews right here!

Performance Review Software

A massive part of digitizing your performance reviews is to make use of performance review software . There are many incredible alternatives available to users worldwide and you’re never going to believe it… We made a list of the best of ’em! Just for you. Right here: Top 10 Performance Review Software of 2023 . If you’re old-fashioned, we also have something for you: Excel Performance Review Templates .

Performance review comments : Teamflect performance reviews example with questions in microsoft teams

If you are a Microsoft Teams user, then you don’t need to look any further. Teamflect is the best performance review software for Microsoft Teams. Teamflect’s complete Microsoft Teams integration allows for everything to stay in the flow of work. You can conduct entire performance review cycles, without ever having to leave Teams.

One of the biggest problems with performance management in 2023, surprise surprise, isn’t performance review comments! It is the dreadful practice of juggling multiple software at the same time. Teamflect doesn’t just let you conduct performance reviews inside Microsoft Teams.

It also gives you access to a massive performance review template gallery , filled to the brim with customizable templates and performance review comments galore!

Teamflect Image

Conducting Performance Appraisals in Microsoft Teams

Integrating your performance appraisals into the best communication and collaboration hub there is always a safe bet. That is something you just can’t achieve through analog performance review methods.

Here is how you can use Teamflect to complete an entire performance review cycle in a matter of clicks!

Step 1: Go into Teamflect’s Reviews Module

Teamflect’s interface is incredibly easy to navigate. In order to start a review cycle, all you have to do is click “New Review” once you’re in the “Reviews” module.

This module is also home to all performance reviews conducted in your organization. It functions both as a central hub and an archive for performance appraisals.

image 20 2

Step 2: Choosing Your Performance Review Template

Teamflect has an extensive library of performance review templates for you to choose from. While they are ready to be used as is, you can always customize them to fit your organization’s needs.

Some of the ways you can customize Teamflect’s review templates include:

  • Changing question types: Open-ended, Multiple Choice, Likert Scale, Rating, etc.
  • Integrating goal completion rates.
  • Integrating 360-degree feedback data.
  • Including an employee development plan .
  • Creating a custom evaluation criteria
  • Adding the 9-Box Talent Grid.

image 20 1

Step 3: Complete The Review

Once you send out your performance review template of choice, all that is left to do is for both parties to fill out their ends of the performance review. That is how easy it is to conduct an entire performance review inside Microsoft Teams with Teamflect.

image 20

Automating Review Cycles

Teamflect users have the option to create custom automation scenarios for their performance reviews. While we opted to show you the manual process of conducting performance appraisals with Teamflect, you can also queue all of the steps shown above to a custom automation scenario and let those reviews be automatically sent to reviewees at your desired intervals!

image 19

How to write performance review comments?

When you’re writing performance review comments, there are some things you should make sure your performance review comments always are. Three key things to keep in mind as you’re writing your performance review comments are:

1. Start with positive feedback: Begin your comments with positive feedback to set a constructive tone and make the employee feel valued.

2. Focus on behavior: Focus on the employee’s behavior, rather than their personality. This helps the feedback feel less personal and more actionable.

3. Avoid vague language: Avoid using vague language like “good job” or “needs improvement.” Instead, be specific about what the employee did well or what they need to work on.

What Not to Say in Performance Reviews

Performance reviews are a crucial part of employee development and growth within any organization. They provide an opportunity for constructive feedback and goal-setting.

Delivering effective performance appraisal comments can be challenging, and using the wrong words or phrases can have a detrimental impact on your team’s morale and productivity.

So in this particular section, we’ll explore what you shouldn’t say in performance reviews and provide examples to steer clear of these pitfalls.

Negative Language

Avoid using harsh or negative language in your performance appraisal comments. Phrases like “You always” or “You never” can be demotivating and unproductive. Instead, focus on specific behaviors or incidents and provide constructive feedback.

Example: Instead of saying, “You always miss deadlines,” try, “I noticed a few instances where deadlines were not met. Let’s work together to improve your time management skills.”

Comparative Statements

Refrain from making direct comparisons between employees in your performance review examples. Using phrases like “You’re not as good as [colleague]” can create unhealthy competition and resentment among team members. Instead, concentrate on individual strengths and areas for improvement.

Example: Avoid saying, “You’re not as efficient as Sarah,” and opt for, “I believe you can further improve your efficiency by implementing time-saving techniques.”

Vague Feedback

Performance review phrases that lack specificity can be frustrating for employees. Avoid vague comments like, “You need to do better” or “Your work has room for improvement.” Instead, provide clear examples and suggest actionable steps for improvement.

Example: Say, “Your recent project lacked detailed documentation. To improve, please make sure to document all processes thoroughly for future projects.”

Personal Criticisms

Keep your performance appraisal comments focused on work-related matters. Avoid making personal criticisms or judgments about an employee’s character or personality.

Example: Don’t say “You’re too introverted for this role,” and opt for, “To excel in this role, consider taking on more proactive communication and teamwork initiatives.”

Unsubstantiated Claims

Ensure that your performance review examples are based on observable and documented behaviors. Avoid making unsupported claims or accusations.

Example: Instead of stating, “You’re always late,” provide evidence like, “I’ve noticed on three occasions this month that you arrived late to our team meetings.”

Ambiguous Praise

While praise is essential, ambiguous compliments can be ineffective. Avoid phrases like “You’re doing great” without specifying what the employee is excelling at. Instead, be specific and highlight their accomplishments.

Example: Say, “Your recent project presentation was outstanding. Your attention to detail and engaging delivery truly impressed the team.”

How to make supervisor comments and recommendations?

As a supervisor, it is your job to offer supervisor comments and recommendations to your direct reports. While this may seem like a mundane task at first, effective supervisor comments and recommendations can prove to be the most valuable out of all your performance review comments.

1. What is the point of your supervisor comments and recommendations?

Many leaders fall under the false impression that since they are a supervisor, they are under the obligation to offer comments and recommendations. Unless there is a distinct purpose behind your supervisor comments and recommendations, you should abstain from handing them out. Or you will start skirting the dangerous line into the micro-management territory!

2. Do your homework first!

To make sure your comments and recommendations as a supervisor are hitting the mark, you need to do your research and do it well! Some of the best ways to gather that information include:

  • Pulse Surveys
  • 360-Degree Feedback
  • Anonymous Feedback
  • Check-in Meetings

Here is a quick video tutorial on just how you can gather 360-degree feedback inside Microsoft Teams:

3. Focus on solutions instead of problems.

Instead of just pointing out problems, provide recommendations for improvement. Better yet, turn your feedback session into a discussion where you and your direct reports brainstorm on fixing any existing problems together. Supervisor comments and recommendations are opportunities to show your team that you’re in it together.

Related Posts:

problem solving feedback

Written by Emre Ok

Emre is a content writer at Teamflect who aims to share fun and unique insight into the world of performance management.

race track

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Blog · Performance Reviews

March 31, 2021

24 Employee Feedback Examples for Key Soft Skills

Employee feedback on soft skills helps you see the areas underlying employees' strengths and weaknesses. We offer 25 phrases for reviews to get you started.

Lara Kelly

by Lara Kelly

24 Employee Feedback Examples for Key Soft Skills

Employee feedback often centres on technical skills. Do you complete tasks to the required standard? How are your presentation skills on a scale of 1-10? The focus here is on what employees achieve, the end result – not how employees get there.

Soft skills can bridge this gap. They tell us what skills are equipping employees to perform at their best.

For example, an excellent team project is usually the result of great teamwork . By offering effective feedback on soft skills, HR can see the behaviors that create high performance .

In addition, assessing soft skills uncovers the underlying causes behind poor performance – for example, lack of motivation or failures of communication.

In the past, soft skills were often taken for granted , and side-lined from the performance review process . Many employers assume that workers have these skills already – why invest time in developing communication skills when everyone knows how to behave on the job from day 1?

Receive feedback on Soft Skills

The reality is, this couldn’t be further from the case. Of new hires who fail within 18 months, 89% fail because of a lack of soft skills , such as the ability to get along with others. Competencies like emotional intelligence and teamwork require intentional, long-term development .

By assessing soft skills in performance reviews, you emphasize their value to your company. You prompt self-awareness among employees, which is the first step to improving areas such as communication.

Below, we provide some phrases and examples that will help you give constructive feedback on soft skills.

Why are soft skills important for employee feedback?

To excel at our job, we need both technical skills and soft skills . Technical skills are more obvious – if you’re an accountant, you’ll need to be certified. If you’re an electrician, you’ll need to know how to repair a range of machines.

Soft skills are less tangible – but just as important. These are sometimes called people skills . They’re about how you motivate yourself and how you interact with others. A positive attitude results from some excellent soft skills – from time management, to delegating, to work-life balance and teamwork.

Provide feedback on soft skills, whether that’s in performance reviews or one on one meetings . This offers more holistic feedback. When we only assess technical skills, we aren’t observing the underlying factors that drive employee performance.

Feedback on areas such as communication, time-management and leadership provide greater context. Employees can link together soft skills with performance outcomes – for example, “my communication was unclear in that instance, which slowed down team progress a bit” .

It’s important to emphasize that soft skills are not personality traits – they can be learnt and improved!

Employee Feedback Benefits of Soft skills

Examples of soft skills

Communication

Problem-Solving

Conflict management

Critical Thinking

Stress management

Flexibility

Openness to criticism

How to give effective feedback on soft skills

1. make it measurable.

Soft skills are often more difficult to assess than functional job skills. You must find ways to make soft skills measurable _ .

For example, you might measure dependability through attendance - does this person miss meetings with co-workers, or regularly turn up late?

2. Depersonalize feedback

Many employees have misconceptions about soft skills. We tend to see skills like a positive attitude or teamwork as fixed traits. In fact, we are can all develop these skills – in ways that may surprise us! Refer to actions, not personality traits.

3. Offer potential solutions

When we receive negative feedback , our motivation can plummet. Make it clear that the purpose of reviews is developmental. Propose possible solutions in writing, and ask employees to meet in person/ virtually to discuss these.

4. Describe the impact beyond the employee

Soft skills are beneficial for the individual employee, but they also benefit teams. Describe ways in which their positive behaviors impact on their colleagues. Where there is room for improvement, carefully highlight areas that are negatively impacting other employees.

Constructive Feedback on Soft Skills

24 Employee Feedback Examples for Soft Skills

Below, we provide phrases and examples of feedback on four key soft skills: communication, teamwork, problem-solving and time management.

You can use these in one on one meetings between employees and managers, or in annual performance reviews.

Communication employee feedback examples

Without communication, you’re not a team. Employees should communicate their ideas clearly, to ensure they have input in all projects. They should also listen actively to their co-workers. When employees receive feedback on this, they can create an action plan to improve communication .

During remote work , communication skills are more important than ever, as employees try to bridge the distance.

Positive feedback

You actively try to understand the ideas of others and incorporate them where appropriate

You articulate ideas and suggestions clearly

You listen carefully to others and ask questions when needed

Last week there was a miscommunication that created some stress on our team. You quickly clarified this and communicated one on one with those who were concerned. Well done!

Positive employee feedback example

Suggestions for improvement

I’m curious about the upcoming project. Make sure you keep me up to date daily, so that we can keep on track

It’s great that you’re enthusiastic about this task, but sometimes this means you don’t make space for others. I noted yesterday that you spoke over Dan and Kate. In future, could you try to listen carefully to your co-workers’ comments?

Your comments in meetings are not always 100% clear. Try writing down suggestions before you make them, and invite questions to cover any miscommunications

When working on X project, a colleague asks for your support but said you never replied. Unfortunately, this slowed down the team. Be available for co-workers during working hours, and keep them updated regularly.

Teamwork employee feedback examples

The value of teamwork should never be understated. Employees reach solutions quicker when there are more eyes on the ball. Success is usually the result of many individuals' skills and resources pooled together. These comments will help you give feedback for teamwork and collaboration skills.

You listen to the concerns of co-workers and find solutions

You participate actively on the team, and make yourself available to support your peers

You provide the organizational backbone of your team, ensuring that your teammates have manageable targets and delegating tasks

Your positive outlook is infectious and helps motivate team members

Suggestions for Improvement

A co-worker mentioned that you were dismissive of your teammates’ suggestions. When working on a team, we need to create an inclusive, positive environment. Can we come up with a plan to address this?

You contributed less time to this project than your peers. It’s crucial ensure everyone pulls their weight. Make taking responsibility for your work a priority in the upcoming presentation.

You should find other ways to communicate with your team , as there have been some misunderstandings

You should work on organizational skills when it comes to team projects

Problem-solving employee feedback examples

You gather and evaluate all the necessary information before making a decision

You maintain focus under pressure and focus on the task at hand

You raise problems as they arise and ask questions when you have concerns/doubts about the process

You take on board the comments of others before coming to your own conclusion

Constructive Employee Feedback example for Soft skills

You sometimes forget to consult co-workers on important decisions

Last month, you left X big decision to others on your team. In future, try to contribute to problem-solving, your suggestions are valued

You find it difficult to work under pressure and sometimes make rushed decisions. What techniques can you use to stay calm and review your options more carefully?

You sometimes resist changes to our processes. How can you improve your adaptability?

Time management and work ethic feedback examples

We can all create strategies to improve our motivation and manage our time better. This makes every day at work less of a challenge, and boosts employee engagement .

You always work to the best of your ability

You manage your time effectively

You manage stress in order to stay motivated

You maintain a good work-life balance in order to prevent burnout

You could manage your time better by creating a list of priorities and focusing on the most important tasks

You sometimes experience overwhelm at work. How can you delegate tasks and create better barriers between work and home to prevent this?

You are regularly late for work. This makes it harder for us to serve customers. Can you set a goal to arrive early every day next week?

I’ve noticed you haven’t been as motivated as usual recently. Can we meet to discuss this?

Constructive Feedback example on Dependability

Employee Feedback for People Skills

Employee feedback is about more than just what employees achieve. It’s about how they can develop skills to go further in the future. Soft skills are crucial to this – and human resources teams who prioritize soft skills empower their teams.

To find out more about giving constructive feedback that helps employees grow, read our blog post Constructive Feedback: 6 Tips to Success .

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problem solving feedback

100 Performance Review Example Phrases & Comments for 2023

Effective performance management forms the backbone of a successful organization. A critical element of this process is the provision of feedback during performance reviews, which directly influences an employee's productivity, job satisfaction, and professional growth.

Specific and personal feedback plays a pivotal role in this scenario. It assists in clearly displaying what an employee is doing well and where they can improve, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Using specific feedback prevents misunderstandings that can arise from vague or generalized statements. When the phrases that are used in performance reviews are specific, they pinpoint exact areas of strength or weakness, which helps employees understand their performance comprehensively. For example, rather than saying "you need to improve your communication," saying "you need to provide more timely responses to internal emails" offers a clear path towards improvement.

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Personalized feedback, meanwhile, recognizes the uniqueness of each employee and their role within the organization. It shows employees that their work is valued and noticed, leading to increased motivation and job satisfaction. Using specific phrases encourages individual performance improvement, and adding a personal touch to these phrases fosters an environment where employees can feel seen, heard, and appreciated.

In this guide, we present 100 phrases and comments to use in employee performance reviews. These examples should serve as inspiration, as we ultimately recommend providing specific and personal feedback to employees.

The examples are separated into the following categories, and further split into positive and critical feedback.

  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Creativity 
  • Dependability
  • Flexibility
  • Quality of work

We have also included example phrases for employees who are receiving a review and trying to learn how to best respond to feedback.

Example Phrases about Aptitude

  • "You consistently demonstrate a deep understanding of your role and the tasks associated with it. Your strong skill set is a key asset to our team."
  • "You have an exceptional ability to grasp complex concepts quickly and apply them effectively in your work."
  • "Your problem-solving skills have proven invaluable in situations that require innovative solutions."
  • "You have repeatedly shown excellent judgment when making decisions under pressure."
  • "Your willingness and ability to learn new skills and procedures quickly is impressive and contributes significantly to our team's success."
  • "There are instances when you struggle to grasp new concepts quickly. Additional training or learning resources might be beneficial for you."
  • "You've had difficulty applying learned skills to new or unfamiliar situations, which has affected your performance."
  • "You seem to have trouble with decision-making in high-pressure situations. Developing stress management techniques could help improve this."
  • "There are areas within your role where your understanding seems limited. Let's work on developing your knowledge and skills in these areas."
  • "While you're capable in your role, we've noticed struggles in adapting to changes or new procedures. The ability to learn these procedures quickly will be essential moving forward."

Example Phrases about Employee Attendance

  • "Your punctuality and reliability set a strong example for our team. Your consistent presence is appreciated and noticed."
  • "You have an excellent attendance record. Your dedication and commitment are truly exemplary."
  • "Your adherence to your work schedule contributes greatly to our team's productivity and efficiency."
  • "You've shown a remarkable consistency in arriving on time and being prepared for meetings and assignments."
  • "Your excellent attendance reflects your professionalism and commitment to your role and the team."
  • "Your frequent absences have been noticed and are impacting team performance and workflow."
  • "Punctuality has been an issue for you. It's important to ensure your timely arrival to maintain the team's efficiency."
  • "There have been instances where you've missed critical meetings. Attendance in these situations is crucial for keeping up with information and team decisions."
  • "Your irregular attendance is causing scheduling conflicts and impacting the productivity of the team."
  • "Improving your reliability and ensuring consistent attendance should be a key focus area for you in the coming months."

Example Phrases about Communication and Interpersonal Skills

  • "Your ability to clearly articulate ideas and feedback contributes to our team's overall effectiveness and success."
  • "Your open and approachable communication style fosters a positive work environment and aids in conflict resolution."
  • "You excel at maintaining open lines of communication with all team members, helping to keep everyone informed and on the same page."
  • "Your excellent listening skills and empathy create an environment of mutual respect and understanding within the team."
  • "You're highly skilled at conveying complex information in an understandable way, which greatly aids in our team's productivity and collaboration."
  • "There have been instances where your messages could be misunderstood due to lack of clarity. Developing your communication skills should be a focus area."
  • "While your technical skills are strong, improving your interpersonal skills could help build better relationships within the team."
  • "You occasionally tend to dominate conversations, which can prevent others from sharing their views. Actively inviting and listening to others' inputs could help address this."
  • "At times, there seems to be a delay in your responses to emails and messages. Prompt communication is crucial for effective team functioning."
  • "Improving your ability to convey negative or constructive feedback in a respectful and understanding manner should be a focus for you going forward."

Example Phrases about Creativity

  • "Your ability to think outside the box has led to innovative solutions and improvements in our processes."
  • "Your creative insights have often resulted in fresh perspectives that benefit our team's work."
  • "You consistently demonstrate a high level of creativity and originality in your work, which drives our project success."
  • "Your creative problem-solving skills have proven invaluable when faced with complex challenges."
  • "You've shown an ability to make imaginative suggestions that have positively influenced our strategies and initiatives."
  • "While you're proficient in executing tasks, we would like to see more innovative ideas and creative problem-solving approaches from you."
  • "Improving your ability to think creatively should be a focus for you, as this could contribute to more diverse and effective strategies."
  • "At times, you tend to stick with what's familiar rather than seeking novel approaches. Embracing creativity can help in overcoming challenging tasks."
  • "There seems to be a reliance on conventional methods. Encouraging creativity and exploring new ideas could lead to more effective solutions."
  • "While your work is solid, there are opportunities for you to be more inventive in your approach to problem-solving and project execution."

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Example Phrases about Dependability

  • "You've consistently demonstrated a high level of reliability, which significantly contributes to our team's success."
  • "Your ability to be dependable even in high-stress situations that require much time and effort is commendable and appreciated."
  • "You're a dependable team member whom we can always count on to complete high-quality work promptly."
  • "Your consistent performance and ability to be relied upon in a variety of situations truly set you apart."
  • "You have shown a remarkable level of responsibility and dependability, especially in challenging situations."
  • "There have been several instances where tasks assigned to you were not completed on time. Improving reliability should be a priority."
  • "At times, you struggle to fulfill your commitments, which has impacted the team's overall productivity."
  • "While your individual contributions are valued, improving dependability in terms of deadlines and responsibilities is necessary."
  • "There are times when we cannot rely on your work to be completed as promised. Greater consistency in dependability is needed."
  • "We have noticed challenges with reliability in meeting assigned tasks and responsibilities. This is an area for development in the coming review period."

Example Phrases about Efficiency and Time Management  

  • "Your ability to manage your tasks effectively and deliver results on time is impressive."
  • "You consistently produce work that does not need to be revised or looked over within deadlines."
  • "Your efficiency and ability to prioritize tasks effectively contribute significantly to our team's productivity."
  • "You have shown a remarkable knack for utilizing resources in beneficial ways to meet project objectives."
  • "Your proactive approach in planning and managing your time reflects your strong organizational skills."
  • "At times, you struggle to manage your workload effectively, which has led to missed deadlines."
  • "Improving your time management skills should be a priority as it affects your efficiency and productivity."
  • "Your approach to managing tasks can sometimes be inefficient. Working on task prioritization could help improve your performance."
  • "There have been instances when the quality of your work was compromised due to poor time management."
  • "While you contribute positively to our team, improving efficiency and time management will allow you to excel further in your role."

Example Phrases about Flexibility

  • "Your ability to adapt to change and handle unexpected situations effectively is a great asset to our team."
  • "You've shown a high level of flexibility in your role, often stepping outside your comfort zone to meet team needs."
  • "Your ability to change gears to most actively and beneficially assist with the completion of projects prompts the team to succeed."
  • "You have a strong capacity to shift focus and adjust plans when unexpected changes occur."
  • "Your open-minded approach and readiness to embrace new ideas and perspectives enhance our team's ability to innovate."
  • "At times, you seem to struggle with adapting to new circumstances or changes in plans."
  • "While your work is consistent, demonstrating more flexibility in dealing with unexpected situations would be beneficial."
  • "Improving your adaptability to sudden changes in project direction should be a focus area for the coming period."
  • "There have been instances where your inability to adjust quickly to new tasks has impacted the team's productivity."
  • "We would encourage a more open mindset towards change and new ideas, as this will aid in your growth and our team's success."

Example Phrases about Leadership

  • "You demonstrate strong leadership qualities by consistently guiding your team members towards achieving their goals."
  • "Your ability to inspire and motivate your team contributes significantly to our team's overall success."
  • "You've shown excellent leadership in managing projects, driving both process and results."
  • "Your effective decision-making skills in challenging situations reflect your strong leadership abilities."
  • "Your foresight and strategic planning capabilities set a positive example for your team and have led to successful outcomes."
  • "While you're a valuable team member, stepping up and taking more leadership responsibilities could greatly enhance team outcomes."
  • "There have been instances where decisive action was needed, and your hesitation led to delayed progress."
  • "Improving your ability to motivate and inspire your team should be a key focus area for you."
  • "At times, there seems to be a disconnect between you and your team. Enhancing your leadership communication skills could help bridge this gap."
  • "While your individual work is strong, there is room for improvement in leading team initiatives and fostering a collaborative environment."

Example Phrases about Quality of Work

  • "Your attention to detail and commitment to excellence are clearly reflected in your work."
  • "You consistently deliver high-quality work, which significantly contributes to our project success."
  • "Your work is frequently cited as a model of excellence for the team."
  • "You demonstrate a high level of proficiency and knowledge in your work, resulting in superior quality outcomes."
  • "The quality of your work is outstanding and consistently exceeds expectations."
  • "While you meet deadlines, there are often errors in your work that need to be addressed for better quality."
  • "Improving the accuracy and thoroughness of your work should be a priority in the next period."
  • "While your productivity is commendable, the quality of your work has sometimes been compromised."
  • "There have been instances where the quality of your work did not meet our team's standards."
  • "We would encourage more focus on the details of your tasks, as there have been some issues with the quality of your output."

Overall performance summary comments

  • Your exceptional ability to work collaboratively with the team has been a key factor in our overall success this year. Your team spirit is commendable and sets a positive tone in the workplace.
  • Your outstanding commitment to improving the workplace has been crucial in creating a positive workplace environment this year. 
  • Your consistent dedication to delivering exceptional work has made a significant positive impact on our client and internal relationships this year. Your professionalism is a model for others.
  • The consistently high quality of your work throughout the year has been exemplary. Your meticulous attention to detail has raised the standard for our team.
  • Your stances throughout the year have driven project success and fostered a positive team environment. Your ability to inspire and motivate is a tremendous asset.
  • Improving overall communication skills will be crucial for future success. Enhancing clarity and consistency in communication can lead to better teamwork and project outcomes.
  • Focusing generally on time management is essential for meeting our team's objectives. Better prioritization and deadline adherence will greatly benefit project timelines and team dynamics.
  • Being flexible in day-to-day operations is important for keeping up with the dynamic nature of our work. Overall, more flexibility and responsiveness will aid in maintaining productivity.
  • Strengthening technical skills is important for meeting the evolving demands of our projects. Focusing on continual learning and skill development will improve work efficiency and quality.
  • Being more open to feedback will be key to your ongoing professional development. Embracing constructive criticism as a growth opportunity can lead to significant performance improvements.

Job knowledge comments

  • Your deep understanding of the latest industry trends is commendable. This knowledge has helped us stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions.
  • Your proficiency in specialized skills has been a significant asset to our team. Your expertise has contributed to the quality and efficiency of our projects.
  • You have consistently demonstrated a commitment to learning and adapting, which has kept our strategies relevant and effective. 
  • Your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations has been remarkable. This skill has helped in solving complex problems and improving our processes.
  • Your resourcefulness in applying your knowledge to diverse situations has been invaluable, and you've shown great skill in using your understanding to benefit multiple aspects of our work.
  • Staying more current with industry developments is needed. Updating your knowledge will help in making more informed decisions and keeping our strategies competitive.
  • There's room for improvement in certain technical proficiencies. Enhancing these skills will increase your effectiveness and efficiency in your role.
  • Adapting to new technologies and methods more quickly will benefit your performance. Keeping pace with technological advancements is crucial in our field.
  • Bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application is an area for growth. 
  • Expanding your knowledge beyond your core area will enhance your versatility and contribution to the team. A broader understanding of related fields will be beneficial for your work. 

Development comments

  • Your commitment to professional growth has been evident this year. You have actively sought out learning opportunities and applied new skills effectively in your role, contributing significantly to your team's success.
  • Your adaptability to organizational changes has been remarkable. You've embraced new challenges and adjusted your working style, which has positively impacted team performance and project outcomes.
  • You have proactively enhanced your skill set to meet the evolving needs of your role. This dedication to self-improvement has improved your work quality and efficiency.
  • Your ability to set and achieve realistic, yet challenging goals is commendable. We appreciate your focus.
  • Your development in leadership and mentoring skills has been outstanding. You've effectively guided team members, contributing to their growth and the overall team's performance.
  • You need to engage more in ongoing learning and development. Keeping skills updated and relevant is crucial for meeting the demands of your role."
  • Improving adaptability to organizational changes and new processes is necessary. Embracing change more readily will help in maintaining productivity and meeting team objectives.
  • Expand your skill set to encompass new areas relevant to our evolving business needs. This action will enhance your ability to contribute effectively to diverse projects.
  • Focusing on setting more clear and achievable professional goals will benefit your career development. It's important to align these goals with team objectives and overall company strategy.
  • There is an opportunity to further develop your leadership skills. Engaging in leadership training and seeking opportunities to lead projects will enhance your effectiveness in a supervisory role.

Technical expertise comments

  • Your advanced technical knowledge in your field has been a significant asset to our team. You have consistently applied this expertise to enhance our project outcomes and efficiency.
  • Your ability to implement innovative technical solutions has greatly contributed to our team's success. Your creative approach to problem-solving has set a high standard.
  • You have effectively utilized the latest technology to improve our processes. Your proficiency in adapting and applying new tools has been exemplary.
  • Your willingness to share your technical skills with colleagues has fostered a learning environment within the team. This has enhanced the overall skill set of the team and improved collaboration.
  • Your commitment to continuous technical learning and staying abreast of industry developments is commendable. This proactive approach has kept our team competitive and innovative.
  • You need to update your technical knowledge to stay current with industry standards. Engaging in continuous learning will enhance your effectiveness in your role.
  • Improve the application of your technical skills to real-world scenarios. Focusing on practical implementation will lead to better project outcomes."
  • We need you to adapt more quickly and effectively to new technologies. Staying abreast of technological advancements will improve your work efficiency and the team's performance.
  • We would ask to to enhance your ability to communicate technical information in a more accessible way. Clear communication of technical aspects is key to project success.
  • Expanding your range of technical skills to include emerging tools and methodologies is recommended. Broadening your technical expertise will increase your versatility and value to the team.

Compliance comments

  • Your strict adherence to company policies and industry regulations has been exemplary. Your commitment to compliance has helped maintain high standards of integrity and professionalism in our team.
  • We appreciate that you have proactively taken measures to ensure compliance in all aspects of your work. This foresight has helped prevent potential issues and has set a positive example for the team."
  • Your ability to identify and manage compliance risks effectively has been a key asset. You've consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the regulatory environment and its impact on our operations.
  • Your efforts in training and guiding team members on compliance matters have been invaluable. This has helped in building a culture of compliance and awareness within the team.
  • Your commitment to staying updated with the latest company regulations and standards is commendable. This knowledge has been crucial in navigating the complexities of our industry.
  • Improving your understanding of our company policies and industry regulations is necessary. Greater awareness and adherence to these guidelines will enhance your work compliance.
  • There is a need for more proactive engagement with compliance issues. Anticipating and addressing potential compliance challenges will benefit the team and the company.
  • We need you to develop stronger skills in identifying and managing compliance risks is important. A more proactive approach in this area will help mitigate potential issues.
  • Enhancing the way you communicate compliance-related information to the team is crucial. Clear and effective communication is key to ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
  • Regularly update your knowledge of company regulations and best practices. Keeping abreast of these developments is essential for maintaining the integrity and success of our operations."

Teamwork comments

  • Your ability to collaborate effectively with team members has greatly contributed to our team's success. Your willingness to share ideas and resources has enhanced our projects.
  • Your engagement in team activities and discussions is always constructive and positive. You consistently contribute valuable insights and support, fostering a collaborative environment.
  • Your support for fellow team members, especially in challenging situations, has been outstanding. Your assistance and encouragement have helped others overcome obstacles and succeed
  • Your skills in resolving conflicts within the team are commendable. You approach disagreements with a diplomatic and fair mindset, helping to maintain a harmonious and productive team atmosphere.
  • Your efforts in building team spirit and a sense of unity are notable. You’ve played a key role in creating an inclusive and motivating team environment.
  • There is a need to enhance collaboration with your team members. More active participation and willingness to share ideas will improve team dynamics and project outcomes.
  • Increasing your engagement in team activities and discussions is important. Active participation and contribution to team efforts are essential for achieving our collective goals.
  • Offering more support and assistance to colleagues can strengthen the team. Working together and helping each other is crucial for our team’s success.
  • Improving your conflict management skills within the team is necessary. Addressing disagreements constructively and seeking resolutions can help maintain a positive team environment.
  • Contributing more actively to team morale and spirit is recommended. A more involved approach will help foster a supportive and inclusive atmosphere among team members.

Integrity comments

  • Your consistent honesty and transparency in communication have fostered a trustful atmosphere in our team. This approach has significantly contributed to building a strong, ethical work environment.
  • Your commitment to ethical decision-making, even in challenging situations, has been exemplary. You've consistently demonstrated strong moral principles, which have set a positive example for the team.
  • You have shown commendable accountability for your actions. Your willingness to own up to mistakes and learn from them has been a key factor in building integrity within our team.
  • Your respect for colleagues and clients, irrespective of the situation, has been noteworthy. This respect has helped in maintaining a professional and ethical work environment.
  • You consistently uphold our company's values in your work and interactions. This integrity has not only enhanced your reputation but also positively reflected on our team and company.
  • Improving consistency in ethical conduct is needed. Aligning all actions with our company’s ethical standards will enhance trust and credibility in your role.
  • There is a need to practice greater transparency in communication. Open and honest exchanges will build stronger trust within the team and with clients.
  • Taking greater responsibility and accountability for your actions will improve trust and respect among team members. Acknowledging and learning from mistakes is key to personal growth.
  • You should enhance respect in all professional interactions, especially under pressure. Maintaining a respectful demeanor contributes to a positive and ethical work environment.
  • We need you to align more closely with the organization's values in your daily work. This alignment is crucial for maintaining the integrity and reputation of our team and company.

Self-appraisal comments 

In addition to responding to feedback readily, a prepared employee needs to examine and evaluate his or her work consistently. Using self-appraisal phrases can be a sure-fire way to show an employer valuable self-analysis practices. 

  • This year, I feel that I have successfully adapted to various changes in our projects and workflows. I've embraced new challenges and adjusted my strategies to maintain productivity and meet our team's goals.
  • I believe my communication skills have positively impacted our team's dynamics. I have consistently made an effort to keep everyone informed and engaged, ensuring clarity in our project goals and processes.
  • I pride myself on my reliability. Throughout the year, I have consistently met deadlines and maintained a high standard of quality in my work, contributing to the team's overall success.
  • Working collaboratively with the team has been a key strength of mine. I've actively participated in team meetings, shared ideas, and supported my colleagues, which has helped achieve our collective objectives.
  • I have dedicated myself to continuous learning and skill development. This year, I've attended several workshops and training sessions to enhance my expertise, which has been beneficial in my role.
  • I recognize that I need to improve my time management skills. Balancing multiple tasks has been challenging, and I've noticed some delays in my project deliveries. I plan to work on better prioritizing my tasks and managing my time.
  • I admit that I sometimes find it hard to accept constructive criticism. I realize the importance of being more open to feedback and using it to grow professionally.
  • I have observed that I tend to react to problems rather than anticipate them. Going forward, I aim to develop a more proactive approach to identify and solve potential issues before they escalate.
  • I am aware that my technical skills need updating to keep pace with the latest industry standards. I plan to focus on enhancing these skills through additional training and practice.
  • Although I've taken on some leadership roles, I recognize the need to further develop my leadership skills. I intend to seek opportunities for leadership training and take on more responsibilities to grow in this area.

Example Phrases for Employees When Responding to Feedback

These above characteristics and phrases are important to give context to employees regarding their performance. Additionally, employees should also be able to aptly respond to these praises and criticisms. The following are general examples of ways an employee could respond to his or her manager after hearing some of the previous phrases.  

Responses to Positive Feedback

  • "Thank you for recognizing my efforts. Your positive feedback motivates me to continue improving and contributing to the team's success."
  • "I appreciate your feedback. It's been a pleasure working on these projects, and I'm glad to see they've had a positive impact."
  • "I'm grateful for your kind words. I'll strive to maintain this performance and explore other areas where I can contribute positively."
  • "Thank you for your encouragement. Your feedback provides me with the confidence to take on more challenging tasks."
  • "I really appreciate your appreciation. It feels good to know that my hard work is helping the team and the company."

Responses to Critical Feedback:

  • "I hear your concerns, and I know I need to improve. Are there specific recommendations for how I could improve for the team’s sake?"
  • "I appreciate your honesty. Your feedback helps me identify my blind spots, and I am committed to improving in these areas."
  • "Your feedback is valuable to me. I see these areas as opportunities for growth and will create an action plan to improve."
  • "I understand your concerns and agree that there's room for improvement. I'll make it a priority to work on these areas."
  • "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I apologize for any issues caused, and I'm committed to learning from this feedback and improving my performance."

Employees shouldn't have to spend so much time on performance reviews. Tell your HR team to streamline the process with PerformYard Learn More

Additional Considerations

Performance reviews are an essential component of employee development, engagement, and overall organizational growth. These phrases allow for the most helpful and constructive levels of performance management. In addition to using these phrases, the best way to keep performance reviews both effective and efficient is to maintain a structured process that is consistent, fair, and objective.

Preparing in advance is a key aspect. This includes clearly defining the criteria for assessment based on job roles and responsibilities, setting measurable goals, gathering relevant data about the employee's performance, and outlining the points for discussion.

Meanwhile, during the review, managers should provide balanced feedback, highlighting both strengths and areas of improvement. The conversation should be interactive, allowing employees to ask questions, share their perspectives, and discuss their career aspirations.

Using performance management software can also be a game-changer in streamlining performance reviews. These tools offer a centralized platform to keep track of performance data, set and monitor goals, schedule review meetings, and record feedback. PerformYard makes the process less time-consuming and more accurate.

Performance management software also allows for real-time feedback, making reviews timelier and more relevant. Using such software ensures that nothing important is overlooked and that the process is transparent, both of which can significantly enhance the effectiveness of performance reviews.

Furthermore, these tools often come with analytical capabilities that can provide valuable insights for decision-making. Hence, integrating performance management software into performance review processes can dramatically improve their efficiency and effectiveness, ultimately leading to improved employee performance and organizational success.

problem solving feedback

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problem solving feedback

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problem solving feedback

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problem solving feedback

60+ 360 Feedback Questions for Your Next Review (+template)

  • The best 360 feedback questions for 2023
  • What makes a good 360-degree feedback question?
  • How to gather 360-degree feedback?
  • How to write 360 review questions
  • Why use 360 review questions?
  • 360 feedback template you can use to improve performance management

Compared to traditional performance review approaches, 360-degree feedback allows you to see the whole picture and get feedback from multiple sources. Why is this important?  

Have you ever tried talking to a wall or an inanimate object? You've expressed your thoughts and asked questions, but since you're not getting anything in return, could we say that communication has taken place? It is often said that proper communication is only complete when there is feedback. With feedback, you get to know how a situation is from all perspectives, making decisions with this knowledge.

For companies and organizations, this couldn't be more crucial. Feedback is that all-important link between an organization's management and its employees, as well as among peers within a company itself. However, with well-structured 360 degree feedback questions, it's merely a walk in the park. ‍ Let’s find out why that is true.

Coming up with 360 review questions can be tricky. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of the best review questions for the following categories:

  • Leadership skills
  • Communication

Interpersonal skills

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Motivation‍
  • Does the employee take the lead on assignments and projects?
  • Does this employee motivate others on the team to do their best?
  • Is the employee accountable and takes responsibility for project results?
  • Does this employee demonstrate leadership qualities daily?
  • Is this employee a role model for other team members to look up to?
  • Does the employee carry out their duties without problems?
  • Does the employee contribute to problem-solving discussions?
  • Does this employee help solve customer problems?
  • Can the employee put aside their ego and ambition to work with others on projects?
  • Does this employee supervise work effectively?
  • Does the employee communicate well with other workers?
  • Does this employee possess great written communication skills?
  • Is this employee able to speak clearly and concisely?
  • Is the employee open to receiving feedback from peers?
  • Does the employee consider the suggestions of others?
  • Does this employee seek clarity when they don't understand something or are confused?
  • Does the employee communicate well outside of their department?
  • Can the employee clearly express their ideas to other workers?
  • Is the employee open to encouraging discussions?
  • Does the employee communicate well with customers?

360° Feedback

problem solving feedback

  • Does the employee collaborate well with others?
  • Has this employee had any conflict with other team members?
  • Can the employee function well alongside others on team projects?
  • Does the employee praise co-workers or acknowledge their accomplishments?
  • Does this employee respect their team members?
  • Is this employee in charge of their emotions, especially when dealing with colleagues?
  • Does this employee build positive relationships with others?
  • Does this employee consistently clash with others?
  • Is this employee someone to turn to in times of need?
  • Is this employee effectively managing their stress levels?
  • Can this employee work without managerial supervision?
  • Does this employee possess decision-making skills?
  • Does the employee react quickly to unforeseen events and challenges?
  • Does this employee contribute to discussions and help solve problems?
  • Does the employee regularly have creative ideas for solving problems?
  • Can the employee spot problematic situations?
  • Can the employee effectively bring others up to speed on a problem?
  • Can this employee fix a problem without assistance?
  • Can the employee effectively evaluate a problem?
  • Does this employee take the initiative when solving problems?
  • Is the employee fully aware of the company's goals and top objectives?
  • Does the employee represent the organization's values?
  • Does the employee regularly recommend the organization and its services to the public?
  • Is the employee aware of the company's strategic vision?
  • Does the employee give effective feedback on all company-related activities?
  • Are the company's customers a major concern for the employee?
  • The employee attempts their tasks effectively.
  • The employee strives to complete tasks to the right level.
  • The employee completes assigned tasks on time.
  • The employee's completed tasks are of a high standard.
  • The employee's work and work ethic surpass expectations.
  • The employee contributes to the improvement of work processes.
  • Does the employee appear to enjoy their role/ work?
  • Do you find it challenging to motivate the employee on a task?
  • Is this employee a source of motivation for team members?
  • Does this employee regularly communicate how motivated they are with their job?
  • Is the employee motivated enough to share their work with colleagues?

Reviewers can answer these questions with a simple “yes” or “no.” If you want a broader response range, you can add a scale to measure responses ( Strongly Agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly Disagree ).‍

So what questions should you ask during a 360 review? Let’s see what you should and shouldn't do to create an efficient 360 feedback tool .

First, we suggest you consider the following:

  • What are the employee's strengths?
  • What is one thing you think the employee should improve?
  • What is one thing the employee should stop doing at all?
  • How well does the employee meet deadlines and handle workload?
  • What is one example of what an employee did wrong and one example of what they did right?

There are multiple approaches to gathering feedback from a 360 survey. Before the tool can be used for people management, these different variants should be explored in greater detail. In short, the gathering process depends on the organizational structure, the employees' workflows, the degree of peer interaction within a company, and the percentage of one employee's performance dependent on other team members.  

Another significant aspect is linked to transparency and understandability of the overall feedback culture within a company. In a nutshell, the standard approach for feedback gathering might deviate based on how accommodating employees are to provide feedback.

Keeping the above mentioned factors in mind, there are free key variants for 360-degree review feedback gathering:

1. Offer employees a chance to answer open-ended questions. Yet, focus on the overall feedback process to potentially develop a reviewee. For instance, there is a well-recognized practice of Agile teams. It is coined as Start, Stop, Continue doing. We’ve adopted it within the simplest survey you can start with:

2. Ask peers directly about the aspects you are interested in the most - strengths, growth potential, and others. This variant is well-suited for consolidated teams, the ones where people are not afraid to be open-minded and honest in their feedback. Yet, keep in mind that in some variations, this survey might offer generalized feedback. To illustrate, this variant stands on the following questions:

  • ‍ What are 1-2 strengths you demonstrate that positively contribute to the company’s success?
  • What are 1-2 things you could do to increase your impact?
  • How well do you demonstrate our company values? Please explain your answer.
  • How well does this person manage their time and workload?
  • How well does this person adapt to changing priorities?
  • What’s an area you’d like to see this person improve?
  • How do you see the best way of growing this person in the company?

Get started with templates and save time:

High response

3. Develop a method for competencies assessment. It should be done based on the 360-degree review. This is the most complex yet most accurate feedback-gathering approach. This method’s key upside is that it grants a clearer understanding of the reviewee’s skill level. Thus, when conducting future reviews, you’ll get a chance to compare the results to have a take on change dynamics. Besides, for a company, this variant offers a chance for cross-department skills and competencies comparison (a 9 box grid model is a great tool here). Overall, this helps make better HR decisions. ‍

Keep in mind that interpersonal and Personal Skills are most often assessed. In addition, companies focus on these skills:

Putting all the pieces together, it is apparent that 360-degree feedback-gathering processes have their nuances. Yet, with the right knowledge and tools, you can easily pull it off. In such a case, Effy is a performance management software that helps make the 360-review process seamless and effortless. The platform comes with a library of pre-made 360 feedback review templates. You can use them for free.  ‍

Moreover, our representatives help you choose the correct template and configure the tool to meet your business needs. It is the prime time to see what Effy has to offer.

The answers you collect depend on how well you shape your 360 feedback questions. Here are some tips on writing questions for a 360-degree review:

  • Frame the question properly: your questions must be fair and without bias. All participants' answers should reflect their honest opinions.
  • Focus on one thing at a time: you don't want a confusing 360 feedback survey. Each question should focus on one area only. By assigning each question to a specific area, you eliminate unclear and complicated responses.
  • Choose your language carefully: Don’t use complex language in your feedback surveys. After all, you're trying to get useful insight, so technical jargon isn't essential if it will hinder comprehension.
  • Consider the questions' relevance to your organization: the final tip is to assess the relevance of the questions you've chosen. They need to cover attributes and behaviors beneficial to your organization. Remember, one of the aims of the 360 feedback is to see how an employee fits into the organization’s culture.

You also need to consider what the aim of the 360-degree review is. For development and employee satisfaction purposes, you need to ask questions specific to each individual. No two persons are the same, and even if they work in the same department or do the same jobs, their development paths will differ.

One employee's review may include questions on problem-solving and leadership if they're in a leadership role, while questions focusing on communication and teamwork may be included in a team member's review. Some questions may focus on strengths and weaknesses, opening doors for new opportunities when there are previously unknown skills.

The right 360 feedback questions will apply to every company member when considering performance appraisal purposes. This general overview sets a point of reference for performance, useful for accurate evaluations.

Should you add open-ended questions to your 360 feedback questionnaire?

The debate on whether you should add open-ended questions in the survey or not is situation-specific. If you decide to go ahead with them, you should ensure that they give room for fleshed-out answers instead of the simplistic nature of "yes or no."

One other crucial thing to take note of is avoiding employee feedback fatigue . Getting feedback is great, but you don't want a situation where your questionnaires are too lengthy – you may not hear the exhausted sighs, but they will tell on the responses given.

‍ The goal? The questions should be long enough to inspire useful replies but short enough that they're no bother. Another way to avoid such fatigue is to act on previous surveys, as employees are more likely to respond to subsequent questionnaires if they see a trend of improvements.

Here are the top benefits of 360 reviews:

  • Zero in on strengths and weaknesses – 360-degree reviews improve a person’s self-awareness. They receive feedback that reveals their strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Increase employee engagement – companies can engage employees through continuous feedback. According to research , employees are four times more likely to engage when they receive constructive feedback . This helpful feedback engages them even more because they get comments from multiple individuals.
  • Decrease employee turnover – open communication enables organizations to grow. HR teams should ensure everyone is willing to accept and give peer feedback . Team members who feel valued and appreciated will stay longer .
  • Boost productivity – the majority of HR professionals use feedback as a way to increase employee retention. However, you can also use it to boost productivity. Introducing a continuous performance management process can make team members work harder.
  • Enhance personal development – the entire workforce improves when you provide employee feedback. 360-degree feedback is a great tool for creating personal development plans . The colleagues are familiar with one’s work, so they know how that individual could improve.
  • Point to training needs – HR professionals can easily identify which training employees need because of 360-degree feedback. They can set up development programs to help individuals improve their skills.

Now, let’s go over a 360 feedback template to help you launch your first survey.

At [Company Name], we believe in personal and professional growth. We value your unique perspective and insights and see them as a means to gaining a holistic understanding of the entire team and its individual members.

As part of our commitment to growth and development, we are conducting a 360-degree review of [Employee Name] to help them grow. Your input is crucial in shaping a comprehensive assessment of each employee’s impact and performance.

Please take a few moments to answer the attached questions honestly and thoughtfully. Your constructive criticism will provide valuable insights into [Employee Name]'s strengths and areas for improvement .

Remember that the purpose of this 360 is not to find fault. Instead, it serves as a constructive tool for growth and development. The collected employee feedback will be presented professionally and anonymously.

Thank you in advance for your participation. Your valuable feedback is essential in creating a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

Rating scale

When answering the questions listed below, use this simple scale to evaluate employee performance:

  • 1 – Below expectations
  • 2 – Needs improvement
  • 3 – Meets expectations
  • 4 – Exceeds expectations
  • 5 – Outstanding

Competencies

These are the competencies that you will be evaluating in this 360 performance review:

  • Communication skill set and interpersonal skills

Leadership and management

Adaptability and flexibility, problem-solving and decision-making, time management and organization, 360 performance review questions.

We highly value both your positive and negative feedback. Wherever possible, please provide examples of situations in which you’ve witnessed these behaviors of [Employee Name]. Feel free to go into detail about your opinions. Otherwise, a simple numerical answer based on the rating scale above is also appreciated. ‍

Communication skill set

  • How effectively does the individual listen and understand others' viewpoints?
  • How skilled are they in adapting their communication style to different audiences?
  • How well do they convey complex information in an easily understandable way?‍
  • How effectively do they delegate tasks and responsibilities to team members?
  • How skilled are they in resolving conflicts and fostering a positive team environment?
  • How strategic are their thinking and planning in achieving long-term objectives?
  • How resilient are they in coping with setbacks or challenges?
  • How well does the individual handle changes in work demands or unexpected situations?
  • How open are they to new approaches and ideas?‍
  • How successful are they in evaluating risks and making informed decisions?
  • How well do they consider different perspectives before making decisions?
  • How skilled is the individual in analyzing complex problems and identifying root causes?
  • How effectively does the individual prioritize tasks and meet deadlines?
  • How well do they plan and organize their workload to maximize productivity?
  • How efficiently do they handle multiple tasks or projects simultaneously?

Development and growth

360 degree feedback questions

Image source: Freepik

At [Company Name], we believe in fostering continuous growth and development amongst our team. We encourage you to suggest development opportunities or training programs to benefit your peer's professional growth. Your insights will help shape a personalized development plan to enhance their skills and capabilities.

Please provide your suggestions or recommendations in the space below:

  • Are there any specific training programs, workshops or courses you’d recommend to enhance [Employee Name]'s skills or knowledge?
  • Are there areas where you believe the individual could benefit from additional coaching or mentoring to develop their capabilities further?
  • Do you have any suggestions for resources, books or online materials to support the individual's growth in specific areas?

Overall recommendations

Please provide an overall recommendation or rating of the individual's performance based on your perception and experience of working with them.

Example response options:

  • Highly recommend
  • Not recommend

Alternatively, you can use a numerical scale, such as 1-5, to gather a quantitative measure of the overall recommendation or rating. For example: “Please rate the individual's work contribution and overall performance on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.” ‍

Wrapping up the 360 review

Remember to finish off by acknowledging the input of each person providing feedback. This can be a simple sentence at the end of the survey. Here are some examples:

  • Thank you for your valuable contributions!
  • Thank you for taking the time to provide valuable performance feedback.
  • Your input is vital in helping us comprehensively assess the employee's strengths and support their growth and development.
  • We greatly appreciate your candid and constructive feedback. Your responses will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and used solely for the purpose of enhancing individual and organizational effectiveness.
  • We value your commitment to the growth and success of our team members. If you have any additional comments you would like to share, please feel free to include them in the space provided below.

You now have enough questions for your next 360-degree performance review and just need the right tools to pull this off. For instance, Effy AI is a 360 feedback tool that helps make the this process seamless and effortless. The platform comes with a library of pre-made 360 feedback review templates. You can use them for free.‍

Plus, our representatives help you choose the correct template and configure the tool to meet your business needs. Sign up to see what Effy AI has to offer!

360 review questions: FAQs‍

What is 360 degree feedback .

In short, 360 degree feedback is a performance review approach offering employees a chance to get objective feedback from multiple sources. In contrast to traditional review methods, this one grants several angles on a person’s strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities.

Here are some examples of 360-degree questions that provide employee feedback , representing specific competencies:

  • Leadership: "Does this employee motivate others on the team to do their best?"
  • Efficiency: "Does this employee strive to complete tasks to the right level?"
  • Communication: "Does this employee seek clarity when they don't understand something /are confused?"

What should I include in 360 feedback?

You should typically aim to have questions that address core competencies and individual qualities such as communication skills, interpersonal skills (collaboration and teamwork),  innovation, leadership qualities and organizational skills. These questions will allow respondents to answer concretely about the reviewed employee.

What are 360 assessment questions?

These are the questions asked in a 360-degree review that give managers feedback on an employee's perception from their managers, peers, and subordinates. These questions can either be close-ended, requiring simple Yes/No answers, or open-ended questions, which call for more opinionated solutions (qualitative feedback).

360 assessment questions focus on the competencies and qualities of the employee.

What is 360 feedback strengths and weaknesses example?

When creating a 360 feedback form for measuring strengths and weakness, consider the following examples:

  • Needs higher quality performance.
  • Strives to achieve the highest output.
  • Comes a bit short of meeting the deadlines.
  • Achieves established team goals with ease.
  • Sets a great example for other team members.
  • Works in a fast-paced manner ahead of schedule.
  • Requires additional mentoring to handle the workload effectively.

What are 360 degree feedback questionnaire leadership questions?

The 360 feedback questions for leadership are the following:

How do I make a 360-degree feedback form?

To make a 360 feedback form, you need to have several lists of questions evaluating a particular person's performance. Each questionnaire should focus on aspects like the strengths and weaknesses of an employee under review.

What is a 360-degree feedback survey?

A 360-degree feedback survey is a distinct performance review process involving feedback provision. Usually, the feedback on the employee's performance originates from peers, managers, and self-assessment reports.

What are good 360-degree feedback questions?

When it comes to good 360-degree questions to gather feedback and collect data, consider the following:

  • How well the employee meets deadlines and handles workload?
  • What are one example of what an employee did wrong and one example of what an employee did right?

What are some good 360 feedback questions for managers?

Employees can help their line managers grow with these questions:

  • Is this manager respectful toward other workers, even if they are subordinates?
  • Does the manager consider team members' opinions in decision-making?
  • How would you rate this manager's problem-solving skills?
  • Does this manager handle work pressure effectively to meet deadlines?
  • Does the manager work towards accomplishing the company values, goals and objectives?
  • How responsive is the manager to their team's needs?
  • How effectively does the manager provide feedback to their direct reports?

problem solving feedback

Interview Question: How Does Feedback Improve Problem Solving?

Abstract yellow and black lines converge in a mesmerizing twist, forming a labyrinth of possibilities. Illuminated by light, the intricate path symbolizes how feedback enhances problem solving.

In today’s competitive job market, employers are seeking candidates who not only possess technical skills but also have the ability to solve problems efficiently and effectively. Problem-solving skills are considered essential in almost every profession, ranging from customer service to project management.

During interviews, hiring managers often ask questions that evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, including the one we will be discussing today: “How does Feedback improve Problem Solving ?” This question aims to gauge the candidate’s understanding of the value of feedback and how it can contribute to continuous improvement.

In this article, we will explore the purpose of this Interview Question , the interview level at which it is typically asked, the expected answers from candidates, and some possible responses to consider.

Why is this interview question asked: How Does Feedback Improve Problem Solving?

The purpose of this question is twofold.

First, it aims to assess the candidate’s understanding of the importance of feedback in problem solving.

Second, it evaluates the candidate's ability to provide a logical and well-thought-out response that demonstrates their analytical thinking skills. Hiring managers want to identify candidates who are receptive to feedback, can evaluate their own performance objectively, and are open to learning and continuous improvement.

The purpose of the question

The purpose of this question is to determine if the candidate recognizes the value that feedback brings to problem-solving processes. Feedback plays a crucial role in identifying areas for improvement, refining strategies, and enhancing outcomes.

Effective problem solvers understand the importance of seeking feedback from various sources and incorporating it into their problem-solving approach. By asking this question, the interviewer wants to gauge the candidate's ability to recognize and utilize feedback as an essential tool in problem solving.

At what interview level is it asked?

This question can be asked at various interview levels, ranging from entry-level positions to senior management roles. However, it is more commonly asked during mid-level and managerial interviews.

At these levels, problem-solving skills become more critical, as employees are expected to handle complex challenges and make strategic decisions. Employers want to ensure that their potential hires have a firm grasp on the concept of feedback and its role in problem solving.

What kind of answer is expected from the candidate?

The interviewer expects the candidate to provide a comprehensive answer that showcases their understanding of the significance of feedback in problem solving. The ideal response should highlight the candidate's ability to actively seek feedback, acknowledge areas for improvement, and implement changes accordingly.

Additionally, the candidate should emphasize the feedback loop, where continuous feedback leads to continuous improvement.

A candidate who recognizes the value of feedback, embraces it as an opportunity for growth, and demonstrates a proactive attitude towards integrating feedback into problem-solving processes is more likely to impress the interviewer.

Possible answers to consider

Feedback enhances self-awareness and identifies blind spots : Feedback provides individuals with insights into their problem-solving approaches, highlighting blind spots or areas where improvement is needed. By actively seeking feedback, individuals can gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to refine their problem-solving strategies.

Feedback encourages alternative perspectives: Problem solving often requires looking at a situation from different angles. Feedback from colleagues, mentors, or customers can bring new perspectives and insights that may not have been initially considered. Incorporating these alternative viewpoints can lead to more comprehensive and effective problem-solving outcomes.

Feedback promotes continuous improvement: By incorporating feedback into problem-solving processes, individuals can continuously refine their strategies and techniques. Through an iterative feedback loop, problems are analyzed, feedback is integrated, and solutions are improved. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within an organization.

Feedback enhances communication and collaboration: Effective problem solving requires strong communication and collaboration skills. Feedback serves as a tool to provide clarity, align expectations, and encourage open dialogue among team members.

By actively seeking and sharing feedback, individuals can foster a collaborative problem-solving environment that enables the team to collectively tackle challenges.

What to consider when answering

When responding to this question, it is crucial to highlight specific examples from personal experience or past professional situations. Providing real-world scenarios that illustrate the candidate's ability to receive and implement feedback effectively will strengthen their answer.

Additionally, candidates should emphasize the importance of active listening, demonstrating humility, and utilizing feedback constructively rather than defensively. Candidates can leave a lasting impression on the interviewer by showcasing their openness to feedback and growth mindset.

Key takeaways

Feedback plays a vital role in enhancing problem-solving skills. By embracing feedback and actively seeking it, individuals can gain self-awareness, identify blind spots, and incorporate alternative perspectives.

Continuous improvement is fostered through an iterative feedback loop, leading to innovative problem-solving approaches.

Effective communication and collaboration are also nurtured by feedback. When responding to the Interview Question , candidates should emphasize their understanding of these key aspects while providing real-world examples that showcase their ability to utilize feedback in problem-solving processes.

In conclusion, understanding how feedback improves problem solving is crucial for job seekers aiming to impress interviewers with their problem-solving skills.

By recognizing the importance of feedback in identifying areas for improvement, incorporating alternative perspectives, promoting continuous improvement, and enhancing communication and collaboration, candidates can articulate a strong response that showcases their analytical thinking and growth mindset.

Remember, problem-solving skills are highly valued, and your understanding of the role of feedback can set you apart from other candidates. Use this article as a guide to prepare for your next interview and showcase your ability to leverage feedback to drive problem-solving excellence.

The Impact of Feedback on Problem-Solving Skills

Role of feedback in enhancing critical thinking abilities, relationship between feedback and innovation in problem solving, similar interview questions:.

What is the significance of receiving feedback in enhancing problem solving capabilities?

In what ways does feedback contribute to the improvement of Problem Solving Skills ?

Can you explain the role of feedback in enhancing problem-solving techniques?

What are the benefits that feedback brings to problem solving?

How does the incorporation of feedback facilitate problem solving?

What impact does feedback have on problem-solving abilities?

Why is feedback considered an essential element in problem solving?

What effects does feedback have on the effectiveness of problem-solving strategies?

How does feedback contribute to the refinement of problem-solving approaches?

What do you think happens when feedback is used to improve problem-solving techniques?

Purpose of Question, To gauge the candidate’s understanding of the value of feedback in problem solving, Analyzing past projects where their strategy improved based on feedback, Interview Level, Asked at all levels but more common during mid-level and managerial interviews, Project Manager, Head of Department, Team Lead, Expected Answer, A detailed response showing understanding of feedback and ability to incorporate it into problem solving, Example detailing how they used feedback to improve a project, Benefits of Feedback - Self-awareness, Identifies problem-solving blindspots and areas of improvement, Feedback helped me realize that I needed a more systematic approach to problem-solving, Benefits of Feedback - Alternative Perspectives, Feedback can provide fresh insights and new angles to tackle a situation, A peer's feedback made me approach a client issue from a different perspective, and that resolved it, Benefits of Feedback - Continuous Improvement, The process allows the refinement of strategies and techniques, Through feedback, I modified a failing digital campaign and it resulted in increased sales, Benefits of Feedback - Enhanced Communication, Allows open dialogue and aligns expectations among team members, Shared feedback improved team alignment on a project's direction and execution, Skills Developed, Receptive to feedback, ability to evaluate performance objectively, and openness to continuous learning, I regularly ask for feedback to ensure I continue to grow and improve, Interview Impression, Candidates who are open to feedback and integrate it into problem-solving are likely to leave a positive impression, Ability to share instances where feedback led to impactful changes in problem-solving, When Answering, It is crucial to highlight specific examples from past experiences, Providing instances where seeking/ receiving feedback led to better outcomes in your role

Yu Payne is an American professional who believes in personal growth. After studying The Art & Science of Transformational from Erickson College, she continuously seeks out new trainings to improve herself. She has been producing content for the IIENSTITU Blog since 2021. Her work has been featured on various platforms, including but not limited to: ThriveGlobal, TinyBuddha, and Addicted2Success. Yu aspires to help others reach their full potential and live their best lives.

A group of people, two men and a woman, are looking at various papers spread on a table. The woman is wearing glasses and a green sweater, while the man on her left is wearing glasses as well. They are intently studying the documents, occasionally pointing at certain sections or writing something down. In the background, two white letters can be seen on a black background. A close-up of the woman wearing glasses reveals her concentration on the papers. Another close-up shows a person holding a pen, most likely writing something down. All the people in the image are engaged in an activity that requires their full attention.

Problem Solving in the Workplace

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Definition of Problem-Solving With Examples

A man in a grey shirt is looking intently at a diagram in front of him. He is wearing glasses and has his head cocked slightly to the left. He is surrounded by a maze of white lines on a black and white patterned background. The main focus of the image is a white letter O on a black background with a white outline. The letter is surrounded by a grey background which has similar white markings. The man's attention is focused on the diagram, which is comprised of many interconnected shapes and symbols. He appears to be studying it intently, likely trying to figure out its meaning.

Problem Solving in 9 Steps

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Problem Solving Method Of Teaching

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The Performance Review Problem

As the arcane annual assessment earns a failing grade, employers struggle to create a better system to measure and motivate their workers.

​After an annual review that lasted about 10 minutes, a New Jersey-based account coordinator knew it was time to leave the public relations agency where he had worked for almost a year. 

The 25-year-old, who requested anonymity, asked for the meeting because his boss had not mentioned any formal assessment process, nor had his manager ever critiqued his work. The coordinator says he sat with a trio of senior executives who did not ask him any questions beyond how he would rate himself. He says they ignored his requests for guidance on how to advance at the agency. 

Screen Shot 2023-03-15 at 85749 AM.png

This example also illustrates one of the common failures in performance management: limiting reviews to once or twice a year without having any other meaningful career discussions in between. Nearly half (49 percent) of companies give annual or semiannual reviews, according to a study of 1,000 full-time U.S. employees released late last year by software company Workhuman. 

The only situation that is worse than doing one review per year is doing none at all, experts say. The good news is that only 7 percent of companies are keeping employees in the dark about their performance, and 28 percent of organizations are conducting assessments quarterly, the Workhuman study found.  

A Pervasive Problem

Reviews generally do not work.

That doesn’t mean that more-frequent formal meetings or casual sit-downs between supervisors and their direct reports are solving the performance review quandary, either. Only about 1 in 4 companies in North America (26 percent) said their performance management systems were effective, according to a survey of 837 companies conducted last fall by consulting firm WTW. And only one-third of the organizations said employees felt their efforts were evaluated fairly. 

Meanwhile, a Gallup survey conducted last year found that 95 percent of managers are dissatisfied with their organization’s review system.

The problem is not new, though it is taking on greater importance, experts say. Millennials and members of Generation Z crave feedback and are focused on career development. Meanwhile, the tight labor market has companies searching for ways to keep high-performing employees in the fold. Fewer than 20 percent of employees feel inspired by their reviews, and disengaged employees cost U.S. companies a collective $1.6 trillion a year, according to Gallup.

Lesli Jennings, a senior director at WTW, says part of the issue is that reviews are now so much more than a discussion of past performance. They include conversations about career development, employee experience and compensation. 

“The performance management design itself is not evolving as quickly as the objectives and the purpose that we have set out for what we want it to do,” Jennings says. 

Screen Shot 2023-03-15 at 84340 AM.png

Poor Review Practices

Some argue that means it’s time to completely scrap annual reviews and stop using scales composed of numbers or adjectives to rate employees. 

“Every single human alive today is a horribly unreliable rater of other human beings,” says Marcus Buckingham, head of people and performance research at the Roseland, N.J.-based ADP Research Institute. He says people bring their own backgrounds and personalities to bear in the reviews in what is called the “idiosyncratic rating effect.” He says the ratings managers bestow on others are more a reflection of themselves than of those they’re reviewing.

Buckingham adds that very few positions have quantifiable outcomes that can be considered a measure of competence, talent or success. It’s possible to tally a salesperson’s results or test someone’s knowledge of a computer program, he says, but he’s baffled by attempts to measure attributes such as “leadership potential.”

“I’m going to rate you on a theoretical construct like ‘strategic thinking’? Everybody knows that’s rubbish,” Buckingham says. He adds that performance reviews that offer rankings give “data that’s just bad” and insists that companies rely on data analytics because they don’t trust their managers’ judgment. But instead of working on improving their managers’ skills, he says, they put data systems in place. 

“Because we don’t educate our managers on how to have some of these conversations, we’ve decided that the solution is to give them really bad ratings systems or really bad categorization systems,” Buckingham says. 

R eviewing the Data

A mong North American employers:

  • More than 9 in 10 (93 percent) cited driving organizational performance as a key objective for performance management, yet less than half (44 percent) said their performance management program is ­meeting that objective.
  • Nearly 3 in 4 (72 percent) said ­supporting the career development of their employees is a primary objective, but only 31 percent said their performance management program was meeting that objective.
  • Less than half (49 percent) agreed that managers at their organization are ­effective at assessing the performance of their direct reports. 
  • Only 1 in 3 indicated that employees feel their performance is evaluated fairly. 
  • Just 1 in 6 (16 percent) reported having altered their performance management approach to align with remote and hybrid work models, which are rapidly becoming more prevalent.

Source: WTW 2022 Performance Reset Survey of 837 organizations worldwide, including 150 North American employers.

Data Lovers

Ratings aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon, however. “Data-driven” has become a rallying cry for companies as they seek to operate more efficiently. Organizations are trying to measure everything from sales to productivity, though such efforts can cause turmoil and hurt some individuals’ careers.

A June 2022 study of nearly 30,000 workers at an unnamed North American retail chain found that women were more likely to receive higher overall ratings than men, though women were ranked lower on “potential.” 

In that study, women were 12 percent more likely to be given the lowest rating for potential, as well as 15 percent and 28 percent less likely to receive the middle and highest potential ratings, respectively, according to the professors who conducted the study, Alan Benson of the University of Minnesota, Danielle Li of MIT and Kelly Shue of Yale. The authors also said women were 14 percent less likely to get promoted than men. “Because potential is not directly observed,” they noted, “these assessments can be highly subjective, leaving room for bias.” 

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Birmingham left abruptly one afternoon and did not go in to work the next day, which he says Blizzard interpreted as his resignation. Blizzard did not respond to requests for comment.

Stack ranking became popular in the 1980s after it was embraced by General Electric. Its adoption has waned, though several tech companies continue to use it. Google and Twitter relied on stack ranking to decide who to let go in their recent rounds of layoffs, according to published reports.

Birmingham says that the system can cause anxiety and competition, which can kill team cohesion, and that arbitrary lower ratings adversely affect compensation and promotion potential. These systems can also suggest that a manager is ineffective, he says. “It implies that as managers, we basically have not done our job to hire them and train them appropriately or terminate them if they really aren’t working out.”

Birmingham says he is not opposed to ranking systems but doesn’t think they’re necessary. “I feel like the conversation about how to improve your career, what the expectations are for your job and what it will take to get to the next level are all things you can do without a rating,” he says.

Measurements Matter

Grant Pruitt, president and co-founder of Whitebox Real Estate, does not give any type of rating in his performance reviews, though he believes in using data to track his employees’ performance. “What isn’t measured can’t be managed,” says Pruitt, whose company has about 20 employees in several offices across Texas. 

At the beginning of the year, Whitebox employees set goals with their managers. Discussions are held about what benchmarks are reasonable, and these targets can be changed if there is a meaningful shift in business conditions. Team leaders hold weekly department meetings with their direct reports to discuss what’s happening and track progress. Managers hold quarterly private reviews with individuals to dig deeper into whether they’re meeting their goals and if not, why.

“Was it an achievable goal? Realistic? If it was, then what do we need to do to make sure we don’t miss it the next time?” Pruitt says. Whitebox switched to quarterly reviews about four years ago to address problems earlier and avoid having issues fester, Pruitt adds.

It’s easier to set goals for people in sales than for those in other departments, Pruitt concedes. However, he adds that executives need to brainstorm about targets they can use for other roles. For example, administrative employees can be rated on how quickly and efficiently they handle requests.

Pruitt maintains that the goal system makes it easier to respond when an employee disagrees with their manager about their performance review because there are quantitative measures to examine. The data also helps eliminate any unconscious bias a manager may have and helps ensure that a leader isn’t just giving an employee a good rating because they work out at the same gym or their children go to school together.

“I think that’s really where the numbers and the data are important,” Pruitt says. “The data doesn’t know whose kids play on the same sports team.”

Whitebox employees are also judged on how well they embrace the company’s core values, such as integrity, tenacity and coachability. Some of those values may require more-subjective judgments that can be more important than hitting quantifiable goals. 

Pruitt admits that there were occasions when he looked the other way with a few individuals who were “hitting it out of the park,” even though he believed they lacked integrity. But eventually, he had to let them go and the company lost money.

“They really came back to bite me,” Pruitt says.

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Grades Are Good

Diane Dooley, CHRO of Iselin, N.J.-based World Insurance Associates LLC, also believes establishing quantitative methods to gauge employees’ performance is essential. “We are living in a world of data analytics,” she says. The broker’s roughly 2,000 employees are rated on a scale of 1 to 5.

World Insurance has taken numerous steps to remove bias from reviews. For example, last year the company conducted unconscious-bias training to help managers separate personal feelings from performance reviews. And all people managers convene to go over the reviews they’ve conducted. Dooley says that process gives everyone a chance to discuss why an employee was given a certain rank and to question some decisions. “We want to make sure we’re using the same standards,” she explains.

Currently, World Insurance conducts reviews only once a year because it has been on an acquisition binge and there hasn’t been time to institute a more frequent schedule. That will change eventually, says Dooley, who adds that she wants to introduce department grids that show how an employee’s rank compares to others’ on the team. 

“It’s just a tool that helps the department or the division understand where their people are and how we can help them collectively,” says Dooley, who has used the system at other companies. 

Dooley says she isn’t worried about World Insurance holding reviews only annually, because good managers regularly check in with their employees regardless of how frequently reviews are mandated.

Such conversations can easily fall through the cracks, however. “Managers want to manage the employees, but they get so caught up in the company’s KPIs [key performance indicators] and making sure that they’re doing everything that they need to do,” says Jennifer Currence, SHRM-SCP, CEO of WithIn Leadership, a leadership development and coaching firm in Tampa, Fla. “It’s hard to set aside the time.” 

WTW’s Jennings adds that managers sometimes avoid initiating conversations with employees who are not performing well. Such discussions are often difficult, and managers may not feel equipped to conduct them. 

“Having to address underperformers is hard work,” Jennings says. 

Additionally, experts say, coaching managers to engage in such sensitive discourse can be expensive and time-consuming.

Improve Your Performance Reviews

H ere’s how to make the review process more ­palatable for both managers and their direct reports:

  • Don’t limit conversations to once or twice per year. Every team is different, so leaders should decide what schedule is most appropriate for their departments. However, it’s important to deal with any problems as they arise; don’t let them fester.
  • Set performance goals and expectations at the beginning of the year so employees understand their responsibilities. This helps lend objectivity to the process by introducing measurable targets. However, the goals should be adjusted if there are major changes to the business or an employee’s circumstances. 
  • Explain how each employee’s position, as well as each department, fits into the company’s overall ­strategy. This will help employees understand why their job matters and why it’s important.
  • Simplify the process. There’s no need for a ­double-digit number of steps or numerous
  • questions that require long-winded answers. 
  • Consider a 360-degree approach. Input from employees’ colleagues or from other managers can help give a fuller picture of employees’ capabilities and contributions.
  • Eliminate proximity bias. You may not see some employees as often as others, especially if they work remotely, but that doesn’t mean they’re not working hard. 
  • End recency bias, which is basing a review on an employee’s most recent performance while ignoring earlier efforts. Don’t let recent mistakes overshadow the employee’s other impressive accomplishments.
  • Solicit feedback from employees. Reviews should be a two-way conversation, not a lecture.
  • Train managers to give advice calmly and helpfully. This is especially important when leaders must call out an employee’s subpar performance. 
  • Don’t discuss compensation during reviews. Employees are likely to be so focused on learning about a raise or bonus that they won’t pay much attention to anything else.

Increase Conversations

Finding the right formula for performance reviews is tricky. The company’s size, values, industry and age all play a role. Currence says businesses need to think about the frequency and purpose of these meetings. Some managers may have weekly discussions with their direct reports, but the conversations might center on status updates as opposed to performance. 

“We need to have more regular conversations,” Currence says. “There has to be a happy balance.”

San Jose, Calif.-based software maker Adobe Inc. was a pioneer when it eliminated annual reviews in 2012 after employees said assessments that look backward weren’t useful and managers lamented how time-consuming they were. Instead, Adobe introduced quarterly check-ins and did away with its numerical ratings system, even though the company is “data-driven,” according to Arden Madsen, senior director of talent management.

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Adobe’s system has changed over the years as the company grew from about 11,000 employees in 2012 to around 28,000 today. In the beginning, employees were not asked a universal set of questions and the information gathered was not stored in a central place accessible to all. In 2020, Adobe instituted three or four questions that must be asked at each quarterly meeting, one of which is whether the employee has feedback for the manager. Other topics covered depend on the employee, their role and their goals.

Madsen says asking consistent questions and making reviews easily accessible are important, as internal mobility within the company has grown. 

Adobe, like many businesses, separates conversations about performance from discussions about raises and bonuses, even though they’re intertwined. 

“Money is so emotionally charged,” says WithIn Leadership’s Currence. “When we tie performance review conversations with money, we as human beings do not hear anything about performance. We only focus on the money.”    

Theresa Agovino is the workplace editor for SHRM.

Illustrations by Neil Jamieson.

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Improving collaborative problem-solving skills via automated feedback and scaffolding: a quasi-experimental study with CPSCoach 2.0

  • Published: 14 February 2024

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  • Sidney K. D’Mello 1 ,
  • Nicholas Duran 2 ,
  • Amanda Michaels 2 &
  • Angela E. B. Stewart 3  

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We present CPSCoach 2.0, an automated system that provides feedback, instructional scaffolding, and practice to help individuals improve three collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills drawn from a theoretical CPS framework: construction of shared knowledge, negotiation/coordination, and maintaining team function. CPSCoach 2.0 was developed and tested in the context of computer-mediated collaboration (video conferencing) with an educational game. It automatically analyzes users’ speech during a round of collaborative gameplay to provide personalized feedback and to select a target CPS skill for improvement. After multiple cycles of iterative testing and refinement, we tested CPSCoach 2.0 in a user study where 21 dyads ( n  = 42) completed four rounds of feedback and scaffolding embedded within five rounds of game-play in a single session. Using a quasi-experimental matching procedure, we found that the use of CPSCoach 2.0 was associated with improvement in CPS skill development compared to matched controls. Further, users found the automated feedback to be moderately accurate and had positive perceptions of the system, and these impressions were stronger for those who received higher scores overall. Results demonstrate the use of automated feedback and instructional scaffolds to support the development of CPS skills.

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problem solving feedback

The only publication on CPSCoach includes a short conference paper (Stewart et al. 2023 ). The present paper reports results on a new study with a substantially revised system.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the NSF National AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT) under DRL 2019805 and by DUE 1745442/1660877. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the NSF. We also thank Chen Sun, Arjun Rao, Valerie Shute, Sam Pugh, and Quinton Beck-White for their contributions to the research.

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S.D. and A.S wrote the main manuscript text. N.D. and A.G. provided reviews and feedback. A.G. and A.S. conducted the user studies. All authors intellectually contributed to the research.

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Appendix A: Details on Study Procedure

We provide the following additional details to complement the overview provided in Sect.  3.2 .

Round 1–3 gameplay. A randomly selected participant was chosen as the Controller (i.e., who interacts with the game mechanics) and the other as the Contributor (i.e., who provides suggestions) prior to the start of the first round. After completing 10 min of gameplay (Round 1), participants were separated into breakout rooms again and informed that they would receive feedback on their collaboration.

Rounds 2 & 3 gameplay & intervention on Facet A. Upon entering the breakout room, participants were shown a brief four-minute video that explained the three facets of the CPS framework and how their scores were generated. Participants then received feedback on all three facets and self-reported their perceived accuracy of the feedback for each facet. The facet with the lowest Round 1 score (Facet A) was selected for improvement, and this was communicated to the participants along with the Scaffold 1 Intervention. Participants had a maximum of 10 min to engage with the intervention, upon which the experimenter intervened. Participants who completed the intervention before the 10-min interval had elapsed simply informed the experimenter who instructed them to wait for their partner.

When both partners were back in the main room, a second 10-min round of gameplay (Round 2) commenced with the same participants assigned to the Controller vs. Contributor roles. When 10-min had elapsed, they were sent to separate breakout rooms where they received feedback on the same facet selected for improvement in the previous round (i.e., Facet A). They once again self-reported their perceptions of feedback accuracy for this facet only, upon which they received the Scaffold 2 Intervention to further improve on the same facet (i.e., Facet A). When both participants were done with the intervention or 10 min had elapsed, participants re-entered the main room and completed a third 10-min round of collaborative gameplay (Round 3).

Rounds 4 & 5 gameplay & intervention on Facet B. After Round 3, participants once again were moved to separate breakout rooms. They were then given a five-minute break. When they returned, they were informed that they would now focus on improving performance on a different facet (i.e., Facet B – the one with the second lowest score during Round 3) using the following instructions.

“In the following round you will change roles with your teammate. If you were controlling the game, you will now be observing your teammate and offering suggestions. If you were previously observing, you will now have control of gameplay. We'd like you to now focus on a different aspect of collaboration: < Facet Name > ”

They received the Scaffold 1 Intervention, but this time for Facet B, and engaged with it as before. Once they were done or time had elapsed, they returned to the main room. They were informed that they would now switch roles with the previous Controller now becoming the Contributor and vice versa. They completed another 10-min of gameplay (Round 4) in their new roles. Next, they again moved to separate breakout rooms where they received feedback for Facet B, self-reported its perceived accuracy, and engaged with the Scaffold 2 Intervention for Facet B. Then, they returned to the main room and completed one last round (Round 5) with their new roles.

Appendix B: Histogram of Variables Analyzed

figure a

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D’Mello, S.K., Duran, N., Michaels, A. et al. Improving collaborative problem-solving skills via automated feedback and scaffolding: a quasi-experimental study with CPSCoach 2.0. User Model User-Adap Inter (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11257-023-09387-6

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Vision Pro Review: Apple’s First Headset Lacks Polish and Purpose

Billed as the future of computing, the $3,500 goggles can’t replace a laptop for work. At times, wearing them also made our columnist feel nauseated.

problem solving feedback

By Brian X. Chen

Brian X. Chen, the personal tech columnist for The New York Times, has worn more than a dozen tech headsets over 12 years.

About 17 years ago, Steve Jobs took the stage at a San Francisco convention center and said he was introducing three products: an iPod, a phone and an internet browser.

“These are not three separate devices,” he said. “This is one device, and we are calling it iPhone.”

At $500, the first iPhone was relatively expensive, but I was eager to dump my mediocre Motorola flip phone and splurge. There were flaws — including sluggish cellular internet speeds. But the iPhone delivered on its promises.

Over the last week, I’ve had a very different experience with a new first-generation product from Apple: the Vision Pro , a virtual reality headset that resembles a pair of ski goggles . The $3,500 wearable computer, which was released Friday, uses cameras so you can see the outside world while juggling apps and videos.

Apple calls it a “spatial computer” that blends together the physical and digital worlds for people to work, watch movies and play games.

Apple declined to provide an early review unit to The New York Times, so I bought a Vision Pro on Friday. ( It costs much more than $3,500 with the add-ons that many people will want, including a $200 carrying case, $180 AirPods and $150 prescription lens inserts.) After using the headset for about five days, I’m unconvinced that people will get much value from it.

The device feels less polished than past first-generation Apple products I’ve used. It’s not better for doing work than a computer, and the games I’ve tried so far aren’t fun, which makes it difficult to recommend. An important feature — the ability to place video calls with a humanlike digital avatar that resembles the wearer — terrified children during a family FaceTime call.

problem solving feedback

The headset is superb at delivering on one of its promises: playing video, including high-definition movies and your own recordings in 3-D that let you immerse yourself in past memories, which is both eerie and cool.

In the last decade, companies like Meta, HTC and Sony have struggled mightily to sell headsets to mainstream consumers because their products were cumbersome to wear, their apps were limited and they looked uncool.

The Vision Pro has a superior user interface, better picture quality, more apps and higher computing power than other headsets. But it’s slightly heavier than Meta’s cheaper Quest headsets , and it plugs into an external battery pack that lasts only two hours.

The ski-goggle aesthetic of the Apple product looks better than the bulky plastic headset visors of the past. But the videos posted by early adopters walking around outside with the headset — men I call Vision Bros — confirm that people still look ridiculous wearing tech goggles, even when they are designed by Apple.

A Better Interface

The Vision Pro is miles ahead of other headsets I’ve tested in making an immersive 3-D interface simple for users to control with their eyes and hands. I let four colleagues wear the headset in the office and watched all of them learn to use it in seconds.

That’s because it’s familiar to anyone who owns an iPhone or a similar smartphone. You’ll see a grid of app icons. Looking at an app is equivalent to hovering over it with a mouse cursor; to click on it, you tap your thumb and index finger together, making a quick pinch. The pinch gesture can also be used to move around and expand windows.

The Vision Pro includes a knob called the Digital Crown. Turning it counterclockwise lets you see the real world in the background while keeping digital windows of your apps in the foreground. Turning it clockwise hides the real world with an opaque background.

I preferred to see into physical reality most of the time, but I still felt isolated. The headset cuts off part of your periphery, creating a binoculars-like effect. I confess that it was hard at times to remember to walk my dogs because I didn’t see them or hear their whining, and in another session, I tripped over a stool. An Apple spokeswoman referred to the Vision Pro’s safety guidelines, which advise users to clear away obstacles .

Getting Work Done

problem solving feedback

When using the headset for work, you can surround yourself with multiple floating apps — your spreadsheet can be in the center, a notes app to your right and a browser to your left, for example. It’s the 3-D version of juggling windows on a computer screen. As neat as that sounds, pinching floating screens doesn’t make working more efficient because you need to keep twisting your head to see them.

I could tolerate juggling a notes app, a browser and the Microsoft Word app for no longer than 15 minutes before feeling nauseated.

The least joyful part of the Vision Pro is typing with its floating keyboard, which requires poking one key at a time. I had planned to write this review with the headset before realizing I wouldn’t make my deadline.

There’s an option to connect a physical keyboard, but at that point I’d rather use a laptop that doesn’t add weight to my face.

The Vision Pro can also work with Mac computers, where you can mirror the screen into the headset as a virtual window that can be expanded to look like a large display. In my tests, there was a consistent lag — each keystroke took a fraction of a second to register virtually, and the mouse cursor moved sluggishly. I also instinctively wanted to control the Mac with pinches, even though it’s not set up to work that way, which was frustrating.

Video player loading

Next I tried the headset in the kitchen, loading a pizza recipe in the web browser while I grabbed and measured ingredients. Moving around while looking through the camera, I became nauseated again and had to remove the headset. The Vision Pro is most comfortable to use while seated. Apple advises people to take breaks to reduce motion sickness.

Video calling is now an essential part of office life, and here the Vision Pro is especially inferior to a laptop with a camera. The headset uses its cameras to snap photos of your face that are stitched into a 3-D avatar called a Persona, which Apple has labeled a “beta” feature because it is unfinished.

Personas are so cringe that people will be embarrassed to use these in a work call. The Vision Pro produced an unflattering portrait of me with no cheekbones and blurred ears. In a FaceTime call with my in-laws, they said the blur conjured 1980s studio portrait vibes.

One of my nieces, a 3-year-old, turned around and walked away at the sight of virtual Uncle Brian. The other, a 7-year-old, hid behind her father, whispering in his ear, “He looks fake.”

Are We Entertained?

problem solving feedback

Video is where the Vision Pro shines. When streaming movies through apps like Disney+ and Max, you can pinch the corner of a video and drag it to expand it into a jumbo high-resolution TV; some movies, like “Avengers: Endgame” and “Avatar 2,” can be viewed in 3-D. The picture looks much brighter and clearer than the quality in Meta’s Quest products. Audio quality on the Apple headset is excellent, but the speakers are loud, so you’ll need AirPods if you want to use them in public spaces.

The headset’s two-hour battery life is not long enough to last through most feature-length movies, but in my experience, this turned out to be moot because I couldn’t watch movies for more than 20 to 30 minutes before needing to rest my neck and eyes from the heavy headset.

(A caveat: The Netflix and YouTube apps are not available on the Vision Pro, but their websites work OK for streaming content.)

I prefer watching movies on my flat-screen TV because it can be shared, but there are scenarios where a headset would be useful as a personal television, like in a small apartment or on a plane, or on the couch when someone else is watching a TV show that you’d like to tune out from.

Videos shot on an iPhone 15 Pro camera or with the Vision Pro’s cameras can be viewed in 3-D on the headset, a feature called spatial videos. While watching a video of my dogs eating snacks at home, I could reach out and pretend to pet them. The videos looked grainy but were delightful.

Not many games have been made for the headset yet. I tried some new Vision Pro games such as Blackbox, which involves moving around a 3-D environment to pop bubbles and solve puzzles. It looked nice, but after the novelty wore off, my interest fizzled out. It’s tough to recommend the Vision Pro for virtual-reality gaming when Meta’s $250 Quest 2 and $500 Quest 3 headsets have a deeper library of games .

Bottom Line

Brian X. Chen uses the Vision Pro.

The Vision Pro is the start of something — of what, exactly, I’m not sure.

But the point of a product review is to evaluate the here and now. In its current state, the Vision Pro is an impressive but incomplete first-generation product with problems and big trade-offs. Other than being a fancy personal TV, it lacks purpose.

Most striking to me about the Vision Pro is, for such an expensive computer, how difficult it is to share the headset with others. There’s a guest mode, but there’s no ability to create profiles for different family members to load their own apps and videos.

So it’s a computer for people to use alone, arriving at a time when we are seeking to reconnect after years of masked solitude. That may be the Vision Pro’s biggest blind spot.

An earlier version of this article misstated the price of prescription lens inserts. They start at $150, not $100.

How we handle corrections

Brian X. Chen is the lead consumer technology writer for The Times. He reviews products and writes Tech Fix , a column about the social implications of the tech we use. More about Brian X. Chen

Tech Fix: Solving Your Tech Problems

Brian x. chen, our lead consumer technology writer, looks at the societal implications of the tech we use..

Apple’s Vision Pro: The new headset  teaches a valuable lesson about the cost of tech products: The upsells and add-ons will get you .  

Cut Down Your Screen Time:  Worried about smartphone addiction? Here’s how to cut down on your screen time , and here’s how to quit your smartphone entirely .

A New Age of Surveillance:  Meta’s $300 smart glasses can inconspicuously take photos and record videos. They also offer a glimpse into a future with less privacy and more distraction .

Green and Blue Bubbles: Apple announced that it would improve the technology used to send texts between iPhone and Android users. But the bubble culture war is far from over .

Google’s Pixel 8:  The smartphone lets you use A.I. to add or remove elements from your images. It’s not clear we really need this .

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