A short, interactive lesson on giving feedback that actually lands, built on the GROW model. Move through it at your own pace and check your understanding as you go.
Most performance feedback fails for one of two reasons: it is too vague to act on, or it is delivered in a way that puts people on the defensive. Either way, nothing changes.
A great feedback conversation does something different. It builds trust, gets specific, invites dialogue, and ends with a clear path forward. In the next few minutes, you will learn a simple, repeatable model for exactly that, and check your understanding along the way.
The model is called GROW. Let us walk through it.
Four steps that turn a difficult moment into a productive conversation:
Open with care and shared purpose. Set the tone so the person is ready to hear you, no surprises, no ambush.
Describe the observed behavior and its impact. Focus on what happened, not on personality or assumptions.
Ask, listen, and invite their perspective. Feedback is a two-way conversation, not a one-way verdict.
Agree on a concrete next step and a follow-up. End with a path forward, not a wound.
See how the same feedback lands differently. Imagine a team member, Jordan, missed a key deadline that affected the wider team.
"Jordan, you dropped the ball again. This is becoming a pattern and it needs to stop."
"Jordan, I want to talk through last week's deadline so we can set the next one up for success. (Ground) The report came in two days late, which pushed back the whole team's review. (Root) Help me understand what got in the way. (Open) Let us agree on how we will flag risks earlier next time. (Walk forward)"
The difference: same message, but the second version is specific, curious, and forward-looking. Jordan leaves ready to improve, not defend.
You now have a simple, repeatable model for giving feedback that builds trust and drives change.