Protocol
Ask for one piece of advice for the next attempt
What should change next time? gives the reviewer a different job.
When it fits
- Feedback keeps producing praise or criticism without a usable next step.
When to avoid it
- Advice quality still depends on the reviewer and context. The study measured the input, not guaranteed improvement or promotion.
Why it matters
Ask a future-oriented question tied to a real artifact or performance. Experiments found more concrete developmental input from advice prompts than from feedback prompts. Then decide whether the suggestion fits the task and test it rather than obeying every recommendation.
Steps
- Show the relevant attempt and name the next situation.
- Ask for one change that would make that next attempt better.
- Choose a feasible suggestion and compare a fresh attempt.
An example
After a practice answer, ask what one change would make the next explanation easier for a nonexpert to follow.
Check your result
You leave with a specific adjustment that can be tried and evaluated.
Keep this limit in mind
- Advice quality still depends on the reviewer and context. The study measured the input, not guaranteed improvement or promotion.
Connected ideas
Useful withAsk an open question before assuming the other side's constraint
Evidence and sources
Supports
Future-oriented advice prompts produced more concrete and actionable developmental input than feedback prompts in the reported experiments.
Better input is not proof that the recipient subsequently improved.
Eliciting Advice Instead of Feedback Improves Developmental Input · Abstract