The Feedback You've Been Avoiding
How to tell a colleague their work isn't good enough without damaging the relationship.
Welcome to the Friday Fix!
👉 Each Friday, we break down a real-world professional problem and replace “textbook” phrases with the authentic, native-level language that actually gets results.
There is a conversation you have been putting off all week.
A colleague’s work has not been up to standard. You noticed. Your team noticed. And every day you do not say something, the problem gets a little harder to fix.
You do not want to be harsh. You do not want to be vague. You especially do not want to sound like your manager. But you also cannot keep pretending it is fine.
So what do you actually say?
The Situation
Your teammate Maria sent you a client report yesterday. You opened it and spotted that the figures in section three did not match the source data. You had to rework them before the deadline, which put you an hour behind on your own tasks.
This is the second time it has happened in a month. Maria is friendly and hard-working, but the accuracy issue is starting to affect the team. You need to raise it with her today, in person, without making her feel attacked.
The Challenge
Write what you would say to Maria (3-4 sentences) when you sit down with her. Your words should:
Open the conversation gently (give her agency, not a lecture)
Describe exactly what happened (specific, not vague)
Explain the impact on you or the team (the “why this matters” part)
Suggest a way forward together (not a telling-off)
Have a go before scrolling down.
Phrases you’ll need for this one:
“Do you have a quick moment?”
“I wanted to flag something I noticed...”
“When that happened, I ended up...”
“Could we agree on...”
👇 Ready to see how a professional would handle this? The model answer, the breakdown of why each phrase works, the feedback framework hiding inside it, and the biggest mistake most ESL speakers make are below. 🔒
