How to Give Feedback as a New Manager (Without Dreading It)
Most new managers dread giving feedback — specifically developmental or corrective feedback. They worry about damaging relationships, getting emotional responses, or getting it wrong in ways that make things worse. That avoidance is understandable and counterproductive: the longer feedback isn’t given, the harder the eventual conversation becomes, and the more the underlying issue compounds.
Key takeaways
Feedback is one of the most important things a manager does for their team’s development.
Delayed feedback is almost always harder and less useful than timely feedback.
A simple framework — specific, behavioral, forward-looking — covers most feedback situations.
Blomma helps you prepare for specific feedback conversations and reflect on how they went.
Positive feedback is feedback too, and most managers give too little of it.
On this page:
Why feedback feels hard for new managers
New managers feel several compounding discomforts around feedback. They’re aware that the quality of their relationship with the team is fundamental to their success — and feedback feels risky to that relationship. Many also bring their own complicated experiences of receiving feedback from managers, which shapes how they imagine delivering it. And there’s often a gap between knowing someone needs feedback and knowing how to frame it constructively.
The antidote is a consistent approach that reduces the improvisation required and builds the feedback muscle over time.
A simple framework that covers most situations
The most useful feedback framework for most managers is three steps: Observation (what specifically happened or was observed), Impact (what effect that had — on the work, the team, or the situation), and Forward (what you’d like to see differently or more of). SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) is a similar structure if you prefer a named version.
The key is specificity. “You were really effective in that client meeting” is nice but not useful. “When you stepped in to reframe the question in the client meeting, it shifted the energy in the room — that kind of presence is exactly what we need” is both positive and informative.
Giving positive feedback well
Positive feedback is undervalued by most managers, and its impact is usually larger than managers expect. Specific positive feedback tells people what to do more of, reinforces the behaviors the team needs, and builds the psychological safety that makes developmental feedback easier to receive.
Aim for at least one piece of specific positive feedback per person per week. It sounds like a lot — and then you realize how much goes unnoticed and unsaid.
Giving developmental feedback without softening it away
The most common failure mode in delivering developmental feedback is the “feedback sandwich” — positive, critical, positive — which usually results in the critical point being missed entirely or its message being diluted to meaninglessness.
Be direct and kind, not euphemistic. “I want to share some feedback that I think will help you” followed by the specific observation and its impact, followed by the forward-looking ask, is straightforward enough to be understood and respectful enough to land constructively.
How Blomma supports feedback habits
Blomma is useful both for preparing specific feedback conversations and for reflecting on how they went. Preparing in the coaching helps you find the right framing before the pressure of the live conversation. Reflecting afterward — what landed, what got a defensive response, what you’d do differently — builds your feedback muscle over time.
The accountability partner keeps your feedback commitments visible: “This week I’ll give specific feedback to each member of the team” stays on the list rather than quietly not happening.
For the broader 1:1 structure where feedback tends to live, how to run better 1-on-1s gives the full framework. For external research on feedback effectiveness, see [EXTERNAL: Gallup research on recognition and feedback in the workplace].
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I give feedback to someone who gets defensive?
Stay specific and curious rather than global and declarative. “When X happened, Y was the result — I wanted to understand what was going on from your perspective” is more likely to open dialogue than “You need to stop doing X.”
How soon after an event should feedback be given?
As soon as practical. Feedback given within 24-48 hours of the observed behavior is far more useful than feedback delivered weeks later in a review.
Is it okay to give feedback in writing?
For positive feedback, yes — writing is often fine. For developmental feedback, in-person or video is usually better because tone and two-way dialogue matter.
What if my feedback isn’t well-received?
Stay calm, acknowledge their reaction, and give them space to process. Not every piece of feedback will land well immediately. Follow up appropriately and stay consistent.
Can Blomma help me prepare feedback for a specific situation?
Yes. Describe the situation and what you want to address, and the coaching can help you find the framing and language that’s specific, clear, and constructive.
Building the feedback habit early is one of the highest-value things a new manager can do. The conversations get easier with practice, and the impact on your team is significant.