Why “doing good” is not good enough

Becky (not her real name) had just completed a project she was very proud of. She poured her heart and soul into the work, countless hours. Was it perfect? No. Was it solid? Yes. When Becky went to meet with her boss to discuss the project and how to improve it for next year, the only words she got were, “Good job. You’re doing well. Keep it up.”

Becky nodded politely and walked away. She knows absolutely nothing about what to continue or what to improve. Despite decades of command Training Workshops and Feedback Executives often resort to vague praise such as “good job.”

Feedback is not about kindness. It’s about clarity. Without clarity, no one grows, and nothing improves.

We think the reactions are all wrong. Instead of thinking of it as criticism, think of it as ideas for the future. It’s not about undoing the work you’ve done, but thinking about how to make it bigger, bolder and stronger for the next round. The first is depleted; The second is inspiring.

Employees crave good feedback, and according to GallupLeads to better work engagement. Human brain Treats Feedback as both a reward and a threat; Ambiguous feedback provides neither certainty nor safety. When feedback is specific and focused on the future, it reduces and increases ambiguity incentivize. This is especially true for High achievers Who see actionable directions.

Always/sometimes/never

When I conduct feedback workshops, one of my favorite reflection exercises is Always/Sometimes/Never First sophisticated Written by Dr. Stephen Brookfield. This two-part exercise asks leaders to write down the exact words used in the feedback they gave or received. They are then asked to rate them as always helpful, sometimes helpful, or not at all helpful.

For example:

• “I did well.” → Never helpful.
• “Your report was clear and concise.” → Sometimes useful.
• “When I presented the data visually, it helped the team see the problem faster — and do more of it.” → Always helpful.

It’s not the words that determine impact, but the clarity and direction behind them.

The second part of the exercise asks leaders to write down the best feedback statements they can come up with. They then categorize them by how often they hear them: always, sometimes, or never. This gives a visual representation that leaders know what good feedback looks and sounds like, but they don’t use it as often as they should.

Three types of reactions

Reactions can be divided into three main categories.

1. Appreciation – Recognizing what works well. Fuels motivation.
2. Training/Developmental – focused on future growth and improvement.
3. Evaluation – shows someone’s position in relation to expectations.

The best leaders balance recognition, development, and evaluation, and great leaders consciously choose what type of feedback they use and why. While most people get used to the recognition, growth occurs when coaching feedback is added.

For feedback to be effective, it must be:

• Specific – names the behavior.
• Focus on the future – offers the next step.
• Executable – can be practiced immediately.

From obscure to valuable

Instead of offering benign comments that don’t add value, consider providing more detail and linking it to an action or behavior. For example:

• “Good job” → “The way you summarized complex data helped everyone make faster decisions.”
• “Be more professional” → “Try opening the meeting by stating objectives; this signals preparation and authority and lets attendees know that you are in full control of the data you are presenting.”

Often times, we think of feedback as addressing the mistakes we’ve made. We need to shift our mindset to that of elite athletes. They know that the smallest bit of feedback can make the difference between standing on top of the podium or walking off it. When we replace “good work” with good direction, we not only improve performance, we build trust, trustAnd continuous growth.