Protocol
Turn feedback into a rehearsal before the real repeat
Agreement is not yet performance.
When it fits
- The receiver understands the correction but has not practiced the new behavior.
When to avoid it
- Rehearsal cannot reproduce every live constraint; treat it as practice, not proof of future performance.
Why it matters
Before the next high-stakes occurrence, rehearse the corrected behavior on a small example, draft, role-play or sample. Give another short round of task-focused feedback. This is especially useful when the desired change is a skill rather than a reminder.
Steps
- Choose a small realistic example.
- Perform the new behavior.
- Compare against the target.
- Correct one remaining gap.
- Use it in the next real case.
An example
Before the next client escalation, the consultant rehearses a 60-second issue summary with impact, options and ask.
Check your result
The recipient has executed the improved behavior at least once before the next consequential use.
Keep this limit in mind
- Rehearsal cannot reproduce every live constraint; treat it as practice, not proof of future performance.
Connected ideas
Use beforeTrack the next two opportunities, not the next six months
Evidence and sources
CIPD's evidence review recommends connecting feedback to clear goals and tracking progress rather than treating feedback as a standalone conversation.
Goal difficulty and learning goals should be adapted when skills are new or tasks are complex.
Performance feedback: an evidence review · Practice recommendations
Workplace health-profession trials found face-to-face feedback may improve task performance on average, but prediction intervals and prior syntheses show substantial variation including possible harm.
Evidence quality was low and context-specific; do not generalize the effect size to ordinary office work.
Effect of face-to-face verbal feedback on workplace task performance of health professionals · Results and discussion