<introEmbed body={<> Every day you will probably come across something that could be improved. If you're not making improvements, you're going backwards. But don't make suggestions or criticisms without being specific. </>} />

Be specific

❌ Figure: Figure: Bad Example - Nonspecific criticism

When you find a problem, pinpoint it directly (and recommend a solution):

✅ Figure: Figure: Good Example - Offering criticism in this way ensures that something will happen to fix the problem

❌ Figure: Figure: Bad Example - If they don't immediately know what to fix, this might end up in their "too hard" bucket and never get done

✅ Figure: The specific missed requirement lets them quickly fix the mistake

Of course, there are times that you can 'feel' that a problem exists, but you may not even be sure how are unable to pinpoint it or can't think of a good solution. In this instance you should speak to someone who you think may be able to identify a solution, come to an agreement, and then request that action be taken.

When criticism is generic, it is impossible to know what to fix.

Videos - Use timecodes

When giving feedback on a video recording, always use timecodes to specify what should be fixed.

❌ Figure: Figure: Bad Example - No timecodes so it's hard to go back and fix without re-watching the whole video

✅ Figure: Figure: Good Example - timecodes specifically say when to look for the mistake

ℹ️ Note: You can also use 1'10" notation (' minutes and " seconds) but it isn't considered an industry standard.

Consider Context

It's also important to consider both your audience and the overall context.

• Internally, you might assess the work on a scale of 1 to 10 (without sharing the score).
• If the work rates a 9/10 or higher, feedback is generally unnecessary. Moving from a 9/10 to a 10/10 often requires incremental feedback that can feel overly critical.
• While aiming for a 10/10 is ideal, it's often acceptable to settle for a 9/10 if the effort to achieve perfection isn't justified.