How Supervisor Should Give Feedback to Sub-Ordinate

It is important for supervisor to be concise and precise when giving feedback to sub-ordinate during the performance management cycle. After all, feedback is one of the few "tangible" output in the performance review process.

The following are sample comments for you to make reference. While you can directly apply the listed sample comments to your appraisal procedure, two key concepts we wish to deliver and remind are:

  • Your Feedback Should Be Concrete: Feedback should cover action and result, instead of simply showing a list of adjectives.
  • You Should Tell the Frequency: Especially for negative feedback, be sure whether behaviour that you want to correct happen "occassionally" or "always", which makes great difference.

Excellent Result
Leadership Quality Able to steer improvement in quality of team performance by setting example
Embrace to chance to make difficult decision while offering justification
Communication Skill Deliver inspiring presentations to stakeholders in multiple occassions
Praised by other departments for clear explanation on new and complex ideas
Initiative Demonstrate perfect judgement when starting new initiatives to drive better results
Willing to take up tasks typically not welcomed by others
Team Work Being counted on and well-received by colleagues and management
Help create inclusive environment where colleagues can always fully participate
Quality of Work Able to identify problems on timely basis to streamline the process
Exceed expectation on time and quality of delivery
Customer Service Zero customers' complaint in previous year
Able to maintain composure even when dealing with demanding customers

Satisfatory Performance
Leadership Quality Cheerful and willing to help subordinates when needed
Work hard to ensure clear communication within the team
Communication Skill Able to being patient when communicating on difficult topics
Convey and explain new ideas in a simple manner
Initiative Always bring positive attitude to work
Able to work under pressure
Team Work Able to share knowledge effectively within team
Willing to offer help when junior staff in need
Quality of Work Being detailed-minded in daily work
Meeting company's best practice in daily work
Customer Service Meet deadline and target without compromising quality of service
Occassionally praised by customers for enquiry handling

To Be Improved
Leadership Quality May actively delegate and empower subordinates to a further extent to improve team performance
May engage subordinates by frequent updates on company's and project's target and progress
May further understand needs and feedbacks from subordinates
Communication Skill Prone to occasional mis-communication with colleagues/client
Tendency to withhold bad news, missing opportunity to correct so at early stage
Initiative Able to deliver expected results though subject to continuous supervision
May initiaie ideas for improvement in area of focus
Team Work May improve level and quality of participation in team-work by active involvement in discussion and timely attendance in meetings
Quality of Work Occasionally fall short of highest standard of work and loss of focus in work
Can be more careful and less error-prone
Customer Service Prone to over-promise and fail to properly manage customers' expectation