Corporate Coach Group Logo
Corporate
Coach Group

Give Feedback That Builds Performance and Confidence

Effective Feedback Training 1 day

Feedback is a key concept in performance management. Feedback is information which relates to the results of your recent actions to your goals. Feedback comes in two main types, positive and negative feedback.

Available as live online training via Microsoft Teams, or as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

★★★★★
"The course content was excellent. Great use of the modules, with NO powerpoint. Plenty of grounding and examples." - Jason Clarke, UASC
Quality Training
Established 1997
6 CPD Hours
Delivery Options Upcoming Dates

Course Overview

What is Effective Feedback Training?

On this course, people learn to master the skill of giving constructive feedback in a professional, objective and helpful manner, resulting in improved behaviours and better results.

Feedback is information that relates the results of our recent actions to our goals, coming in two forms: positive and negative. Positive feedback indicates that our actions are effective, moving us closer to our goals, while negative feedback signals that our actions are not effective, or even counterproductive, suggesting a need for change in behaviour or plans.

The course emphasises the essential nature of feedback, particularly negative feedback. While most people are hesitant to hear anything negative about their performance and many are not skilled at giving constructive criticism, this course addresses both challenges directly.

Participants will learn to provide feedback that is constructive rather than destructive, avoiding demoralisation or anger and causing no unnecessary emotional distress. When you complete this course, you will know exactly how to deliver feedback that people genuinely receive as helpful information, not as a reprimand.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

This course is built around the essential skills for giving feedback that genuinely improves performance. From understanding the psychology of feedback to delivering it with the right language, tone and structure, these six skills give you a complete practical toolkit.

  1. 1

    Understanding Feedback

    Establish what feedback is, why it matters and how it connects to individual and team goals. Recognise the difference between positive and negative feedback, and understand why the ability to deliver both is a core management skill.

  2. 2

    Constructive Criticism

    Learn how to deliver negative feedback in a way that is perceived as helpful information rather than a personal attack. Cover the specific language, structure and framing that transforms difficult conversations into productive ones.

  3. 3

    Self-Image Psychology

    Understand how a person's self-image directly affects their response to feedback. Learn to deliver feedback in a way that protects and builds self-belief, creating the conditions in which people are willing to accept, change and grow.

  4. 4

    Objective Language

    The shift from subjective language (opinions, labels, judgements) to objective language (facts, behaviours, evidence) is the single most important technique in constructive feedback. Objective language defuses emotion and focuses the conversation on practical solutions.

  5. 5

    Praise and Positive Reinforcement

    Give specific, genuine praise that motivates rather than simply flatters. Learn how to use positive reinforcement to embed behavioural change, and why finishing every feedback conversation on an appreciative note is essential for lasting improvement.

  6. 6

    Goal-Setting for Improvement

    Connect every feedback conversation to clear, agreed goals. Learn to set SMART goals as part of feedback delivery, so that the person receiving feedback knows exactly what they need to do differently, by when, and how success will be measured.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Feedback Training - Giving Effective Feedback Course?

Suitable for anyone who needs to give feedback to colleagues, direct reports or team members in a professional and effective way.

Managers and Team Leaders

Deliver feedback that drives performance improvement and builds a more motivated, higher-performing team.

HR and People Professionals

Conduct performance and development conversations with consistency, objectivity and professional confidence.

Supervisors

Learn the language and structure needed to give clear, helpful feedback to your team without causing unnecessary upset.

New or Aspiring Managers

Build the feedback skills that are essential for effective people management from the outset of your leadership journey.

Also beneficial for HR professionals conducting performance conversations, supervisors new to giving feedback, and team members who give peer feedback as part of their role.

Course Agenda

Feedback Training - Giving Effective Feedback Course Details

AM

Morning Session • Understanding and structuring effective feedback

Establish what feedback is and why it matters, understand the psychology of how people receive criticism, and learn the language and structure that makes negative feedback genuinely constructive.

Feedback is information that relates the results of our recent actions to our goals. It comes in two forms: positive and negative. Positive feedback tells us our approach is working and we are moving closer to our goals. Negative feedback tells us our current approach is not effective and that we need to change something. This opening session establishes why feedback is the essential mechanism of all improvement, and why giving it well is one of the most valuable skills a manager can develop.
Every effective organisation operates on a continuous improvement cycle: set a goal, take action, observe the results, and adjust the approach based on feedback. Without feedback, people cannot know whether their efforts are producing the right results. This session shows how feedback connects directly to the improvement cycle, why it is the link between effort and progress, and how managers who give regular, high-quality feedback create teams that consistently raise their performance.
Most people find it difficult to deliver negative feedback without making it sound like a personal attack or a reprimand. The result is that managers either avoid giving negative feedback altogether, or they deliver it so clumsily that the recipient becomes defensive and the feedback fails to produce any change. This session covers the specific language, framing and delivery techniques that make negative feedback genuinely constructive, so that it is received as useful information rather than criticism.
A person's self-image, the internal picture they hold of themselves, directly influences how they respond to feedback. When feedback threatens a person's self-image, they become defensive and the message is rejected. When feedback is delivered in a way that acknowledges the person's value while addressing the specific behaviour, they are far more likely to accept it and act on it. This session covers the principles of self-image psychology and how to apply them to every feedback conversation, protecting motivation while still addressing performance directly.
The most important distinction in feedback language is between subjective and objective language. Subjective language uses opinions, labels and judgements: phrases such as 'your attitude is wrong' or 'you never listen'. This kind of language provokes an emotional response and shuts down the conversation. Objective language describes specific behaviours and their observable consequences. It keeps the conversation factual and opens the door to practical solutions. This session teaches you to recognise and correct the subjective language patterns that sabotage feedback conversations.
A structured feedback model gives you a repeatable framework for every feedback conversation, so you are never at a loss for how to begin or where to take the discussion. The model covered on this course follows a clear sequence: describe the specific behaviour you have observed, explain its impact on the team or organisation, request the change you want to see, and close on a positive note that reinforces the person's capability. Practising this model during the course means you can use it with confidence in real situations.
Giving feedback in front of others can cause humiliation and resentment, even when the feedback itself is accurate and fair. A fundamental rule of effective feedback is to praise publicly and address performance concerns privately. This session covers the principles of choosing the right setting for feedback, who needs to be present in a feedback conversation, and the specific situations in which involving a third party is appropriate or counterproductive.
When you give someone feedback about their performance and they respond with an explanation, you face an immediate judgement call: is this a genuine reason, which deserves a practical response, or is it an excuse, which needs to be addressed directly? Treating a genuine reason as an excuse creates resentment; treating an excuse as a reason enables avoidance and repeated underperformance. This session gives you a clear framework for distinguishing between the two and a practical approach for responding appropriately to each.
PM

Afternoon Session • Delivering feedback with confidence and consistency

Practise the morning techniques in structured exercises, refine your voice tone and body language, and learn how praise, goal-setting and affirmative language ensure that feedback translates into lasting behaviour change.

The afternoon begins with structured practice of the techniques covered in the morning, giving delegates the opportunity to rehearse delivering both positive and negative feedback in a safe, controlled environment. Exercises are drawn from realistic workplace scenarios, and participants receive direct feedback from the trainer and fellow delegates. This practice phase is essential: the ability to give effective feedback is a skill, and skills are developed through guided repetition, not through passive listening alone.
The tone of your voice and your non-verbal signals often carry more weight than the words you use, particularly in sensitive conversations. Speaking too loudly suggests aggression; too quietly suggests uncertainty. A harsh or impatient tone can undermine even a perfectly structured piece of feedback. This session covers the key elements of voice tone, volume, pace and body language that either reinforce or contradict your verbal message, and how to calibrate each one so that your delivery matches your intent.
Positive feedback is as important as negative feedback, yet many managers give it infrequently or poorly. Generic praise such as 'good job' is unconvincing and quickly forgotten. Specific, genuine praise that describes exactly what the person did and why it mattered is far more motivating and far more memorable. This session covers the principles of effective praise: timing, specificity and sincerity. It also shows why ending every feedback conversation on a note of genuine appreciation is essential for sustaining motivation and openness to future feedback.
Feedback without a clear goal attached to it is incomplete. For feedback to produce change, the person receiving it must leave the conversation knowing exactly what they need to do differently, by when, and how success will be measured. This session covers how to set clear, specific goals as part of every feedback conversation, how to gain the other person's genuine commitment to those goals, and how to create a simple follow-up structure that keeps the improvement on track.
Every time you speak, you create a mental image in the mind of your listener, and that image influences their behaviour. Telling someone what not to do is far less effective than describing the behaviour you want to see. Affirmative language directs the listener's attention towards the desired outcome rather than the problem to be avoided. This session covers practical techniques for reframing common feedback phrases using affirmative language, producing more cooperative responses and clearer understanding of what is expected.
An open session for delegates to ask questions, explore specific situations they are facing in their own workplaces, and apply the techniques covered throughout the day to their individual circumstances. The trainer provides direct, practical guidance tailored to the specific challenges raised, ensuring that every delegate leaves with a clear sense of how to apply the learning in their own context.
The course closes with a structured review of all the key techniques covered during the day. Each delegate completes a personal action plan identifying the three to five changes they will implement immediately on returning to work. Information is provided about the post-course online learning portal and the three months of free telephone coaching, which provide ongoing support as delegates put their new skills into practice.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Online Live Training

£350 +VAT

per delegate

Interactive live sessions delivered via Teams using our superior green-screen technology.

  • Same content as face-to-face
  • Learn from home or office
  • Delivered via MS Teams
  • Laptop or tablet with webcam
View Online Dates

Bespoke In-House

£2250+VAT

per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
Proposal PDF Request Callback

All Our Training Includes

Full 1 day of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 6 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Upcoming Dates

Next Available Course Dates

View All Course Dates

No upcoming dates are currently listed.
Please get in touch to enquire about availability.

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
Effective workplace feedback requires objectivity, specificity and good timing. Describe the behaviour you have observed using objective language rather than opinions or labels. Be specific: name the precise action or behaviour, not a general pattern. Give feedback as close to the event as possible while it is still fresh. Connect the feedback to a clear goal for what you want the person to do differently, and always finish by acknowledging something the person is doing well. This approach ensures that feedback is received as useful information rather than personal criticism.
Productive feedback leads to a genuine, observable change in behaviour. To achieve this, your feedback must be specific enough for the other person to know exactly what to change, delivered in objective language that does not provoke a defensive response, connected to a clear and agreed goal, and followed up to reinforce any progress made. The course covers a structured feedback model that makes each of these elements straightforward to apply consistently in everyday management conversations.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.
Giving negative feedback positively requires you to separate the behaviour from the person, describe it in objective and factual terms, and frame your request for change around a specific, achievable goal. Acknowledge the person's effort or capability before and after delivering the corrective message. Use affirmative language that tells the person what to do rather than what to stop doing. Avoid labels, generalisations and emotional language. Close the conversation by expressing genuine confidence in their ability to make the change. This approach ensures that the person receives the message as constructive support rather than as personal criticism.
Delegates come from a wide range of industries, roles and organisational levels. Many are managers or team leaders who find giving negative feedback uncomfortable, or who have found that their feedback does not produce the improvement they are looking for. Others are supervisors taking on performance management responsibilities for the first time, or HR professionals who need to conduct structured feedback conversations as part of appraisal or development processes. What all delegates share is a desire to give feedback that actually improves performance without damaging working relationships.
Open courses run from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Delegates are welcome to arrive from 8:45 am; tea and coffee are available from that time. The course includes mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks plus a lunch break.

Have a question that is not answered here?

Call 020 3856 3037 Send Us a Message

On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 Upcoming Dates
  7. 7 FAQs

Book This Course

Online Live Training £350 +VAT
Bespoke In-House £2250 +VAT/day
Book Open Course Enquire About In-House

Questions? Call us on

020 3856 3037
Trustpilot

Trusted by Leading Organisations

Companies We Have Trained

Customer Reviews

What Delegates Say About This Course

Trustpilot
Read Our Customer Reviews
★★★★★

"I found the objective/subjective section really beneficial and will apply this to everyday work duties. Good presentation by trainer, well articulated and everything clearly put. Great level of humour incorporated into the course, good level of interaction."

Emma Smith

Natural England

★★★★★

"The two days were simply brilliant; content and delivery were spot on. Well worth the time, and which will help me, my company and my team. This will also help in my personal life. Trainer's presentation was truely professional."

Nick Baker

Pacific West Foods

★★★★★

"I found the course content very interesting and believe that many of the topics can be integrated into my working day, to enable me to complete more productive and valuable work. The presentation was excellent, informative and easy to understand. The diagrams were especially useful."

Samantha Loughlin

Royal Air Forces Association

Related Reading

Ready to Give Feedback That Makes a Difference?

Enrol on our next open course, book a live online training session, or speak to us about tailored in-house delivery for your team.

Book Open Course Enquire about In-House

Or speak to a member of our team directly:

020 3856 3037 01452 856091