Be Specific With Your Feedback, By Peter Bregmans Analysis

What if there was one phrase that could dampen hopes? What if there was one phrase that could rock worlds? What if there was one phrase that could destroy dreams? Would you use it?
There is all kinds of feedback, and not all feedback is created equal. Peter Bregman writes that silence is the worst, most damaging kind of feedback. But what if there was something worse? Yes, silence can be very damaging but sometimes vagueness can be just as crippling. Nothing is worse than getting a complement or even a criticism that can not be deciphered.
That was good. All of us have been subjected to this phrase at some point in our life. It is probably the most used phrase when it comes to giving a compliment or feedback. However, this is probably the worst way to do so. “Be specific with your feedback.”(Celes) That was good is anything but specific. This phrase does not convey what was enjoyed by the experience or any feeling other than a lack of complete hatred toward the experience. 171,476 words encompass the english language. If someone really wanted to convey how they felt about a performance or any activity there is plenty of words to choose from besides “good”. The lack of specificity and details is demoralizing for those who receive them. It

Every parent gives it to their child, every counselor tells their kids they are doing a good job and are good kids. It does not matter how well they really are doing. It is the phrase that says “thanks for playing. You showed up and hit the bar minimum.” How is saying that a complement? What is basically being said is that after all those hours of work and all the effort that went into making that performance what it was, it was good but not good enough. That is enough to discourage anyone. To make them wonder if they tried hard enough, if there was something more they could do, or maybe if they should have chosen this path in the first