A hard lesson I learned as a senior leader was that my feedback wasn't as effective as I believed.

Being able to provide feedback is a crucial skill for growth and connection. Effective feedback goes beyond the message itself. It includes the timeliness, relevance, and emotional impact it creates. It also respects the recipient's needs, safety and environment.

Here are 5 tips for impactful feedback:

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1- Ask when and how the person wants feedback

Don't make feedback about you. It's all about the recipient's needs.

A common mistake leaders make is to decide the time and method of the feedback without considering what the recipient's needs are. Before providing feedback ask the recipient when they may be willing to have it and what method they prefer. They should choose the format and time that will maximise the likelihood of a positive impact.

Delivering feedback at a time when the recipient is not ready to consider it is wasteful and can damage future opportunities to do so.

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2- Make sure your feedback is T.R.U.E.

There is nothing more wasteful than delivering feedback late or in an inauthentic way. Provide T.R.U.E. feedback:

• Timely: Feedback should be given as close to the event or action as possible to be effective. Ideally within 48 hours.

• Relevant: Feedback should be directly related to the behaviour, action, or event it addresses. make it meaningful to the recipient.

• Unique: Feedback should be personalised or specific to the recipient's needs and context. Never use formulaic or one-size-fits-all feedback.

• Emotional: Take into account the emotional impact it may have on the recipient. Be constructive rather than judgemental.

This will increase the impact and reception of your feedback.

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3- Keep your feedback clean and without judgement

When providing feedback, assume you don't have all the context. So, remove any judgement from your communication using Clean Feedback:

• Evidence: What did you see or hear?

• Inference: How did you interpret the situation? What assumptions did you make?

• Impact: What was the effect or consequence of what happened?

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4- Don't expect or demand any answer to your feedback

When receiving feedback, the only answer that is needed is "thank you".

Don't expect an immediate answer or response from the recipient. Give people time to absorb and consider your words. Allow the possibility that the recipient will not want to provide any response at all.

Remember, the feedback is about the recipient's needs and for their benefit, not yours.

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5- Be a great recipient of feedback

To be able to provide great feedback, first you need to be a great recipient of it.

Practice receiving feedback. Consider what works and what doesn't. Listen to how you respond and react to feedback. Listen intensely to how your recipients respond and react to your feedback.

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Imagine if feedback were a gift, wrapped in empathy and tied with the ribbon of clarity. This is the essence of great leadership.