Feedback feels personal when it describes the person. It feels useful when it describes the work and the fix. Every example below points at the work, gives a reason, and says what to do. Copy and adapt them.
The pattern
Each comment has three parts. What (point at it). Why (one reason). Do (the change). Keep the person out of it.
For emails
- "The ask is in the last line. Readers skim, so most will miss it. Move 'please approve by Friday' to the first sentence."
- "There are three dates and no time zone. The client is in California. Add 'Eastern' or 'Pacific' after each time."
- "The subject line is 'Update.' It will get lost. Change it to 'Approval needed by Friday: June launch plan.'"
- "This goes to a bank. 'Hey guys' is too casual for them. Use their names and 'Hello.'"
For reports and documents
- "The recommendation is on page 4. Leadership reads page 1. Put the recommendation in the first paragraph and keep the detail after."
- "Chart 2 has no source or date. Someone will ask. Add 'Source: customer survey, May 2026, n=212' under it."
- "The brief asked for one page. This is three. Keep the three findings that bear on the pilot decision and move the rest to an appendix."
- "The two interviews are not in here. The brief listed them as required. Add a short section summarizing both."
- "'Significant improvement' does not tell the reader how much. Replace it with the number: 'from 41% to 60%.'"
For designs
- "The headline and the body text are the same size. Nothing stands out. Make the headline twice as large."
- "This is sized for print. It will go in an email, so it needs to be 600 pixels wide. Resize before anything else."
- "The discount says 25%. This year's sale is 20%. Update the number and check the sale page link."
- "Only the filled state is shown. We also need empty and error states so the developer does not have to guess."
For slide decks
- "Slide 1 is the agenda. Leadership wants to know the decision first. Make slide 1 the ask, then the agenda."
- "Slides 6 to 9 each have three ideas. Split them so each slide makes one point."
- "The last slide says 'Thank you.' End on the ask instead, so it is on screen during questions."
For tickets and specs
- "The ticket says 'fix the billing page.' It does not say what fixed looks like. Add the outcome: 'Team plan customers can download their last 12 invoices.'"
- "There are no done checks. Add two or three someone can test, like 'PDF downloads' and 'loads in under 2 seconds.'"
- "This depends on the invoice API in BIL-212, but the ticket does not link it. Add the link so nobody starts before it is ready."
When something is good
- "The structure is right and the closing is strong. Keep both. The only change is the price line, above."
Saying what is right is information, not padding. It tells the person what not to touch.
Lines to delete from your feedback
- "You always…" / "You never…" (That is a pattern conversation, not a review note.)
- "Not quite there." (Not quite where?)
- "Make it pop." (Pop how?)
- "Can you take another pass?" (At what?)
- "I'm not sure about this." (Then say what you would check.)
Paste a draft of your feedback into the Performance review generator. It flags vague lines and lines about the person, and suggests a rewrite.
Where M-Tracker fits
Writing feedback like this every time takes energy you do not always have. M-Tracker gives the first round for you. When a task is marked done, it compares the work with the brief and tells the person what matches, what is missing, and exactly what to change, in plain words and with no score. By the time you review, the missing dates and broken links are fixed, and your comments can be about judgment.
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