What are some best practices for giving and receiving feedback on creative content?

The best content comes from a good briefing or good indication. If the first foundations are set, creators are smart to follow the guidelines and the content aligns with the strategy. If the content still lacks the touch, we have to take the collaborative approach rather than being demanding, and map out what might have don't work and ask the creator how your audience will like it because they know what their followers love.

Feedback is not an opportunity to criticise a work for the fun or hatred of it. You have to single out the error and be specific about it. - Identify the issues - State why they are issues and how they affected the work. - Use examples in the work to buttress your point. - Don't generalise and don't be shallow.

First, as the giver of feedback, it is essential to focus on the aspects you liked or felt could be improved rather than making broad criticisms. Offering concrete examples and suggestions for improvement helps creatives understand how to enhance their work. Moreover, providing feedback in a gentle and supportive manner helps maintain enthusiasm and motivation. As the receiver of feedback, keeping an open mind is crucial. Accepting criticism enables personal growth and development while viewing it as an opportunity for improvement. Lastly, both parties should engage in active listening and open dialogue to ensure effective communication, allowing everyone involved to benefit from the exchange of ideas.

Best practices for giving feedback include being specific, constructive, and respectful. Focus on particular aspects of the work, provide clear examples, and suggest improvements. It's important to balance criticism with positive comments to encourage and motivate the creator. For receiving feedback, it's crucial to stay open-minded and avoid taking criticism personally. Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and reflect on the feedback before responding. Use feedback as a tool for growth and improvement, recognizing that constructive criticism can significantly enhance the quality of creative work.

Base your feedback on facts and what works for the business; filter out personal feelings towards the subject, ensure alignment with your target audience.

Afraid of coming off as harsh? Try starting your constructive feedback with the words "I wish..." This reminds the receiver of feedback that what you're about to say is your opinion, and they get to decide if the feedback is right for them.

La clé est de maintenir une communication ouverte et de montrer aux auditeurs que vous appréciez leurs retours, même s'ils peuvent être difficiles à entendre. Cela renforce la confiance et montre que vous êtes engagé dans l'amélioration continue de votre contenu. Il est utile de demander des éclaircissements plutôt que de supposer la signification derrière un commentaire. Cela peut conduire à une discussion plus productive et aider à résoudre les problèmes de manière plus précise.

- From the client's point of view, it's totally fine when a specialist asks questions and proves their ideas. It only makes the result better. - If you are a client, remember you're not a god. You're not always right, and you can't know everything. - I always enjoy working with proactive specialists who are really engaged in the process and contribute ideas. - If you only do what's asked, never argue, and don't suggest anything extra, you won't develop as a specialist.

Be Respectful and Constructive: 1. Giving: Focus on the work, not the person: "This character's motivation could be clearer." Avoid attacks like "The writing is amateurish." Maintain a positive and encouraging tone: "I like the concept, and I think it can be even stronger with..." Frame your suggestions as options, not directives: "Have you considered trying a different ending?" 2. Receiving: Be open to different perspectives and appreciate the effort someone put into giving you feedback. Acknowledge valid points and thank the person for their input. If you disagree, explain your perspective respectfully and avoid defensiveness.

Offer solutions, not just problems. If there is a good reason behind your criticism or that of others, then work together to find a compromise which encapsulates both the creative idea behind the work and resolves any doubts. It shouldn't have to be an all or nothing situation, there is always a work around. It is also important to seek feedback from those outside of your immediate team or circle. For example, working in a marketing team, but not getting product's opinion on the new product video just doesn't make sense. What's really important to avoid is

- Miro is great, very useful for the visual content creation process. - If you often order a similar type of content from different specialists, visualize the workflow in Miro and then share it with the next person you work with, instead of explaining everything multiple times. This has saved me so many hours. The same method works with Jira request templates, but Miro is on another level – it offers a clearer and more enjoyable process.

Be Collaborative and Supportive: 1. Giving: View feedback as a conversation, not a judgment. Encourage interaction and discussion. Offer support and resources to help the creator implement your suggestions. Celebrate successes and acknowledge the progress made based on feedback. 2. Receiving: See feedback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification or additional feedback. Share your thought process and explain your creative choices to facilitate understanding. Be open to compromise and finding solutions that work for everyone involved.

As a creative myself, I am often pouring my heart into my work. While it is "work", it's also a little piece of who I am. Remember this. See what the creative is going for and support them where they've gone right. Sometimes our hearts will lead us a little off subject, so it's totally fine to nudge them back on track and remind them that while it was a great idea, it just doesn't fit this project.

When it comes to receiving feedback, these are some things I've learned in my creative journey: Timing is important. Try not to give feedback when the creator is feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Wait until they have had a chance to relax and reflect on their work. Be open to feedback. Even if you don't agree with all of the feedback you receive, be open to considering it. It's possible their perspective could help you to improve your work. Be willing to make changes. If you receive feedback that you think is helpful, be willing to make changes to your work. This doesn't mean that you have to change everything, but it does mean that you should be willing to consider the feedback and see if it adds value to your work.

When it comes to giving feedback, always appreciate what has been done first, embrace what you like, and what you find really good, and then start clarifying your feedback with precise points, and don’t make it vague. Remember if you didn’t like almost anything about the task that has been done, give an appreciation too, in any case, that person has made an effort into it, that simple word of appreciation would help him accept any criticism with a constructive way, even if he’s not that kind of person.

Additional Considerations: Context is key: Tailor your feedback to the specific creative work, goals, and audience. Mind the timing: Offer feedback at appropriate stages of the creative process. Don't wait until the final product is complete. Establish ground rules: Set expectations beforehand on the format, tone, and purpose of feedback. Be mindful of the power dynamic: If there's a hierarchy involved, be extra sensitive and respectful when giving feedback. Remember, feedback is a gift: Use it thoughtfully and with gratitude to elevate creative work.

The creative creator usually have emotional attachment with the content and can take the feedback as criticism making him defensive instead of receptive. If this happens that the feedback goes wasted. To mitigate this it is important to: 1. Appreciate the intent and effort 2. Work as a team towards a single goal and not as an approving authority to build trust and confidence 3. Make it a collaborative outcome to create synergy 4. Listed to ideas and though process of the creator with an open mind Giving feedback is only useful when it is understood and actioned. Hence the art of feedback is critical.

Give timely feedback and complete feedback. That way we can discuss the feedback, decide on next steps, and come to a great resoution. If you actually care about the outcome of a certain project, set aside an appropriate time to review it. If you don't really care, or don't have time, then you should be prepared to not like the outcome since you did not give feedback.