Most of us assume feedback improves performance. Surprisingly, one of the largest reviews of feedback research—conducted by Kluger and DeNisi (1996), which analyzed more than 600 feedback interventions—found that while feedback often helps, more than one-third of feedback interventions actually reduced performance.
So, what separates feedback that helps from feedback that hurts?
The answer isn't whether the feedback was positive or negative. It's where the conversation focuses our attention.
Researchers found that feedback is most effective when it stays close to the task—what happened, what was observed, and what can be done differently. As attention shifts away from the work and toward the individual, feedback becomes less effective. As the authors concluded, "FI [Feedback Intervention] effectiveness decreases as attention moves up the hierarchy closer to the self and away from the task".
This has important implications for the workplace.
When we tell someone, "You interrupted people several times during the meeting," we're discussing a behaviour that can be observed and changed. When we say, "You're not a good listener," we've shifted from the task to the person. The conversation is no longer about improving performance; it's about protecting identity.
I've also wondered whether this helps explain why feedback often feels different at different organizational levels. Front-line feedback frequently centres on tasks and processes. As responsibilities become more strategic, feedback may naturally shift toward leadership style, influence, and self-awareness. Those conversations can be valuable—but they can also be harder to hear because they feel more personal.
Whether you're giving or receiving feedback, the principle remains the same: keep the conversation grounded in observable behaviours, specific examples, and future actions. The closer feedback stays to the work, the easier it is for people to learn without feeling they need to defend who they are.
The purpose of feedback isn't to judge the person. It's to improve the work.
When you think about the most meaningful feedback you've given—or received—did it focus on the person, or did it focus on the work?