According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report, poor management and lost productivity from disengaged or actively disengaged employees cost the global economy $8.8 trillion, equivalent to 9% of global GDP.

Constructive feedback is essential to maintaining employee engagement, yet it often gets lost in translation. Ben Wigert, Gallup’s Director of Research and Strategy for Workplace Management, emphasizes that constructive criticism is most effective when integrated into regular, collaborative conversations between managers and employees.

“When meaningful feedback becomes part of a weekly conversation, employees are four times as likely to be engaged at work. This creates a two-way street of dialogue and partnership rather than isolated criticisms that may not even align with feedback from other team members. Unfortunately, this coaching habit tends to be managers’ greatest weakness.”

While immediate feedback can be crucial, it should always adhere to key principles: it should be specific, objective, timely, supportive, and focused on actions and solutions.

Here are some guidelines that help differentiate between constructive and destructive criticism. They help identify when feedback is truly helpful or may be doing more harm than good.

THE THIN LINE

The clearest indicator is when the recipient feels solely criticized with little to no support. This type of feedback often causes more harm than benefit, as it needs more constructive elements for personal or professional growth.

“Attacking the person rather than specifics of performance is the fast track to destroying relationships and feedback efficacy. Failing to offer support and solutions can mean you were unprepared to deliver feedback effectively,” says Wigert.

He advises leaders to avoid critiquing personal style and to remember that others may have different perspectives or experiences. Feedback should be treated as input rather than a mandate.

However, if you’re a leader or manager issuing a directive for improvement, it’s crucial to distinguish between offering feedback as input and giving clear, actionable instructions for change.

“The best coaches give feedback that helps people use their strengths more effectively and manage their weaknesses, which often includes support from partners or additional development,” says Wigert.

DELIVERING CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

Ben Wigert outlines several key steps for leaders to provide effective feedback that guides and supports employees.

First, clarify your goals before offering feedback—know what you want to achieve and how you want the recipient to feel. Feedback should go beyond correcting behavior; it’s about managing relationships and future work efforts. 

Additionally, feedback must be a two-way conversation.

Encourage dialogue by asking questions to understand the reasoning behind actions and how the person felt about their choices. This helps create a collaborative environment where feedback becomes a tool for growth.

“Try to understand each other’s expectations for a situation before critiquing their actions. Sometimes it’s also wise to ask if and when feedback is welcome,” Wigert says.

Third, constructive criticism is more effective when a strong working relationship is built through regular conversations. Gallup’s research highlights that employees are four times more likely to be engaged when their manager has weekly, meaningful discussions with them, regardless of whether they work remotely, in a hybrid setup, or on-site.

This consistent communication, called ‘the coaching habit,’ is one of the strongest predictors of employee engagement. Unfortunately, managers and team members often see it as the biggest gap in management skills.

Fourth, emphasizing shared accountability is key. Rather than merely pointing out what went wrong, offering solutions and showing support can make feedback more impactful. Acknowledging your role in their success and taking ownership of any shortcomings fosters a more collaborative and supportive environment.

“Team visioning and feedback can be a particularly strong mechanism for inspiring growth. When a team is given a clear shared objective, convinced why it’s important, and empowered to achieve it, the seeds of collaboration have been planted. However, collaboration only flourishes when teams regularly discuss progress and continually re-align on their pursuit of excellence,” explains Wigert.

Lastly, the Goals, Reality, Options, and Way Forward (GROW) model effectively delivers constructive feedback. It emphasizes setting clear expectations, understanding the current context, exploring available options, and identifying the necessary steps to improve performance.

“When leaders involve employees in setting expectations and regularly discuss progress, constructive conversations emerge, and what once felt like criticism dissolves into helpful feedback,” says Wigert.