Concept
Immediate feedback
Immediate feedback is Kim Scott's rule for how criticism and praise land: the same day, specific, about the work and its effect rather than the person, praise in public and criticism in private. In Julie Zhuo's test it only counts as feedback if it changed what the person did next.
A correction three weeks late is about a person; the same afternoon it is about a thing that just happened, which is why the delay turns a small adjustment into a character judgement. Scott's rules are short. Praise in public, naming exactly what was good, because that tells someone what to do more of and most managers ration it. Criticism in private, naming the behaviour and its effect: not be more careful, but the two numbers that were wrong and what they cost. Humble, because you may be wrong; helpful, because the point is next time. Zhuo adds the closing of the loop: say what you expect to see, agree how you will both know, and notice out loud when it happens. Feedback that was heard, nodded at and forgotten was a conversation, not feedback.
A real-life example
Kerem, a sales manager in Mersin, used to save feedback for the quarterly review, which everyone dreaded. He starts giving it the same day: a specific word of praise in the team channel, a specific correction in a five-minute private conversation. Within a month the team, who used to avoid the reviews, are asking for the conversations.
How to use it
- 1Give the correction the same day, in private, about the work and its effect.
- 2Give praise in public and name exactly what was good.
- 3Close the loop: say what you expect, agree how you will both know, and notice the change out loud.