Given a piece of work, there are at least two kinds of feedback you can provide:

1. This is not good.
2. I think it would be better like this.

This is not good is easy because no work of man is perfect. It is always possible to find something that is not just right, especially when you look for it. While easy, the effect of this kind of feedback is limited because it does not serve directly to improve the work. That is, knowing what is wrong only rarely leads to knowing how to improve.

More difficult is to provide a more thoughtful feedback. One that goes beyond the obvious, and leads to improving the work. This is the constructive feedback, and it comes in form of I think it would be better like this.

Here are some of my guidelines for providing constructive feedback:

• Do not stop with a negative statement.
• Do not formulate your ideas in absolute terms.
• You were probably asked for opinions, not for judgements.
• The goal is to improve the work of your peer, not to advertise your smartness.
• Just because you do not understand, it does not mean it is wrong.
• Intonation matters.
• Provide at least one alternative solution.
• Do not get upset if your peer does not follow your idea.
• Do not ask for, or even expect recognition.
• Remember: it is his work.