You’ve received vague feedback on your project. How can you make it more actionable?

Feedback is essential for any project, but sometimes it can be vague, unclear, or unhelpful. How can you turn vague feedback into actionable feedback that helps you improve your work and achieve your goals? Here are some tips to help you communicate better with your partners and stakeholders, and make the most of their feedback.

1 Clarify the expectations

The first step to make vague feedback more actionable is to clarify the expectations of your partners and stakeholders. What are their objectives, criteria, and priorities for the project? What are the specific outcomes or deliverables they want to see? How will they measure the success of the project? Asking these questions can help you align your vision and scope with theirs, and understand what they are looking for in your work.

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Chidi Chukwudi-Madu, PSM1, PMP®

Business Analyst | Agile Project Manager | Driving Business Impact through Strategic Solutions, Data-Driven Insights, and Team Leadership | Leadership & Communication Coach | Keynote Speaker & Collaboration Expert |
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Vague feedback is never clear enough for you to action, so the first thing to do is book time with the provider to gain clarity of the feedback. You need to understand your stakeholders' wants and ask open questions to gain more insight. reiterate their feedback and receive a yes or no response on correctness and completeness. Ensure that at the end of the meeting, you are on the same page with them on the result.

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Muya Dennis

Consultant | Population Health Leader in Reproductive Health | Strategic Partnership Builder | Expert Program Manager | I apply an innovative, systems-level lens to program design and implementation
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If I received vague feedback on one of my projects, I would first request specific examples from the feedback giver about where and when they saw the behaviors or issues mentioned so that I could understand the context in a more targeted way. I would then ask clarifying questions about any ambiguous terms or ratings that were used so we have a shared understanding of definitions and scope. Additionally, I would inquire about what potential impacts or consequences there may be if the vague feedback is not addressed more concretely so I know how urgently certain actions need to be taken.

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2 Ask for examples

The second step to make vague feedback more actionable is to ask for examples. Sometimes, feedback can be vague because it is based on subjective opinions, preferences, or feelings, rather than on objective facts, data, or standards. To overcome this ambiguity, you can ask your partners and stakeholders to provide you with examples of what they mean by their feedback. For instance, if they say your work is "too complex", you can ask them to point out which parts are complex, and why. If they say your work is "not engaging enough", you can ask them to show you what they consider engaging, and why.

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Arnav C.

Technical Product Leadership [Customer Experience, Trusted Experience, AI/ML implementation]
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When you get vague feedback; ask probing questions and yes specific examples too . Asking for examples helps in understating the context and clarify the feedback. Often we don’t ask enough probing questions or examples to understand the feedback and misinterpret it. It’s crucial to understand the exact feedback to act on it .

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3 Request specific suggestions

The third step to make vague feedback more actionable is to request specific suggestions. Sometimes, feedback can be vague because it is too general, broad, or abstract, rather than specific, concrete, or actionable. To address this issue, you can ask your partners and stakeholders to give you specific suggestions on how to improve your work. For example, if they say your work is "missing something", you can ask them to tell you what that something is, and how you can add it. If they say your work is "not clear enough", you can ask them to tell you what aspects are unclear, and how you can clarify them.

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4 Summarize and confirm

The fourth step to make vague feedback more actionable is to summarize and confirm. After you have clarified the expectations, asked for examples, and requested specific suggestions, you should summarize the main points of the feedback, and confirm that you have understood them correctly. This can help you avoid misunderstandings, miscommunications, or conflicts, and ensure that you and your partners and stakeholders are on the same page. You can also use this opportunity to thank them for their feedback, and express your commitment to implementing it.

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Chidi Chukwudi-Madu, PSM1, PMP®

Business Analyst | Agile Project Manager | Driving Business Impact through Strategic Solutions, Data-Driven Insights, and Team Leadership | Leadership & Communication Coach | Keynote Speaker & Collaboration Expert |
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This is always a winner. You should always summarize what your stakeholders have said in your own words and ask them to confirm that you have captured it correctly and completely. This way, you understand the request in a way that makes sense to you to be able to action.

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5 Create an action plan

The fifth step to make vague feedback more actionable is to create an action plan. Once you have confirmed the feedback, you should create a clear and realistic action plan that outlines the steps you will take to improve your work, and the timeline and resources you will need. You should also communicate your action plan to your partners and stakeholders, and ask for their feedback and approval. This can help you demonstrate your accountability, professionalism, and responsiveness, and build trust and rapport with them.

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6 Follow up and update

The sixth and final step to make vague feedback more actionable is to follow up and update. After you have created and communicated your action plan, you should execute it diligently and efficiently, and keep your partners and stakeholders updated on your progress and results. You should also ask for their feedback and input along the way, and make adjustments as needed. This can help you show your respect, appreciation, and collaboration, and achieve the best possible outcome for your project.

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Nishant Sharma

Health Tech • Helping Healthcare & Lifescience Companies Drive Growth
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After receiving vague feedback on her AI model's user interface, Maria decided to turn it into actionable insights. She scheduled a follow-up meeting with her project team to clarify their expectations and asked for specific examples of where the interface fell short. Maria requested detailed suggestions for improvement and summarized the discussion to ensure she fully understood their points. She then developed a clear action plan to refine the UI, incorporating their feedback on making it more intuitive and user-friendly. Maria shared this plan with her team, setting milestones for implementation and seeking their approval.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You’ve received vague feedback on your project. How can you make it more actionable?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Clarify the expectations

2 Ask for examples

3 Request specific suggestions

4 Summarize and confirm

5 Create an action plan

6 Follow up and update

7 Here’s what else to consider

Partnerships

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You’ve received vague feedback on your project. How can you make it more actionable?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Clarify the expectations

2 Ask for examples

3 Request specific suggestions

4 Summarize and confirm

5 Create an action plan

6 Follow up and update

7 Here’s what else to consider

Partnerships

Rate this article

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