Most bosses fail at giving feedback – with these 3 tips you can do it right

As a founder, Jason Modemann first had to learn how to give his team proper feedback. What started as spontaneous feedback turned into development discussions. Here are his three tips.

Jason Modemann is the founder and managing director of the social media agency Mawave Marketing. At 27, he manages 150 employees. Mawave's clients include Red Bull, Nike, and Lidl.

Everyone wants to grow—as an individual, as a team , as a company. But growth doesn't just happen. As a leader, it's my job to both demand and encourage this growth. Above all, however, I have to create the conditions for it. One of the most important levers for this is feedback. Clear, sometimes uncomfortable feedback. Regular, structured, and with real impact. Sounds simple, but in practice, it's anything but easy.

Because giving feedback is almost an art. It shouldn't be hurtful, but it must be honest. It shouldn't discourage, but rather motivate. I've learned a lot in recent years. Partly because I often got it wrong myself in the beginning.

In the past, feedback for us was—let's say—spontaneous: sometimes over coffee, sometimes between the door and a Slack call, sometimes while walking. I usually knew roughly what I wanted to give feedback. Sometimes there were goals, sometimes none. There was no system or structure behind it. The conversations were approachable and honest, but not really sustainable. And certainly not comparable.

At the time, this situational feedback was absolutely right for us. Especially in a young, rapidly growing team, sometimes that's exactly what's needed: You sense what's needed at the moment – and react accordingly. But as structures grow, feedback also needs to become scalable. Otherwise, development remains a matter of chance.

That's why we now deliberately set aside time twice a year for Growth Conversations. These are our semi-annual development meetings, and for me personally, they're always a highlight. Of course, they require intensive preparation: evaluating individual goals, providing personal assessments, and taking notes from the meeting.

But what you learn about people, collaboration, and leadership is incredibly valuable. And it creates the necessary space for growth. Precisely because feedback often gets lost in day-to-day business or some people shy away from it, it's important to create the right framework for it: in a safe space and without time pressure.

In these discussions, we begin with a review: What goals did we set for the past six months? What went well, what didn't? We then proceed to an evaluation – based on clearly defined competency profiles for each role. At the end, we set new goals: individual, specific, and realistic, but also bold. This is intended to motivate us to grow with the goals. This structure helps not only me, but especially the people in the discussion. Because it creates clarity and allows us to pinpoint exactly where development has taken place and where there's still room for improvement.

By the way, I always ask for feedback about myself—at least one, preferably three, point on how I can improve as a leader. What didn't work well? Where did I perhaps go too fast, be too unclear, or be too far off the mark? Because feedback not only helps others progress, but also me. At the end of the meeting, I'm especially excited because I know how much potential lies in these conversations.

The more context you have, the better and fairer your feedback will be. Use clear guiding questions, competency profiles, or goal reviews as a common thread. Provide concrete examples, especially for critical points, and also address emotional or interpersonal issues.

Let your counterpart speak, listen, and ask questions. And actively request feedback as an integral part of the conversation.

Don't just talk about what's been, but also about what's to come. Point out development opportunities, discuss next steps together, and clearly identify where you see potential. This turns feedback into a real lever for growth.

I firmly believe that feedback isn't a chore. It's one of the most powerful tools we have as leaders. Not just to assess performance, but to facilitate development, offer perspectives, and provide direction. Those who take the time to do this become better leaders. And help others to surpass themselves.