One written: "Your client report led with the two risks and the decision needed. The client replied in an hour with a yes. Keep that structure for every report." One spoken: "You asked what done looked like before starting. It came back right first time, and I'd like everyone to do that." Both name the action, the effect and what to keep.
Example one, written
"Your client report led with the two risks and the decision needed. The client replied in an hour with a yes instead of asking for a meeting. Keep that structure for every report."
Written feedback can be re-read, forwarded and quoted in a review. It suits results that others should see.
Example two, spoken
"You asked the client what done looked like before you started. It came back right first time, which has not happened on that account before. I'd like everyone on the team to do that, and I'll say it came from you."
Spoken feedback suits the moment, and it lets you add the human part: the credit, the plan to spread it.
The pattern
Action. A specific thing the person did, which they can picture.
Effect. What changed because of it. This is what makes the praise believable.
Keep. The habit to repeat. Without it, praise is a nice moment rather than a direction.
What to avoid
"Great job on the report." Which part? "You're a star." Of what? Praise without an action and an effect feels good for a minute and teaches nothing.
Where M-Tracker fits
Both examples come from knowing what the brief asked for and seeing that the work met it. In M-Tracker, each task has a brief, the finished work is checked against it, and accepted work is visible to the team. The record tells you which pieces met the brief first time and what they had in common. Writing the two sentences is then a matter of reading, not remembering.
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Questions people ask
Should positive feedback always have a "keep"?
Yes. It is the difference between praise and feedback.
Written or spoken, which is better?
Both. Spoken for the moment, written so it lasts.
Can I give positive feedback for effort rather than result?
Name the behavior, not the effort: "You checked every number" rather than "you worked hard."
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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