Master the 4 Levels of Feedback | ELITE Executive Coaching

Why It Matters

By reframing feedback as low‑power suggestions, leaders can reduce resistance and boost employee engagement, leading to more effective performance improvement.

Key Takeaways

• Shift from feedback to recommendation reduces resistance significantly
• Advice lowers power compared to feedback but still invites acceptance/rejection
• Recommendation suggestion further lowers power, almost eliminating pushback
• Pure observation lets recipients self‑interpret, useful for highly sensitive individuals
• Four-tier model: feedback, advice, recommendation, observation guides communication strategy

Summary

The video by ELITE Executive Coaching introduces a four‑level framework for delivering feedback, urging leaders to move from traditional feedback toward lower‑power communication forms.

It explains that feedback carries authority and often triggers resistance; advice reduces power slightly; recommendation‑suggestion lowers it further, almost removing pushback; observation removes prescriptive intent entirely, letting the listener draw conclusions.

The presenter illustrates the shift with lines like “Can I offer you some advice?” versus “I have a suggestion,” and notes that an observation such as “I saw you do this in the meeting” prompts self‑generated feedback.

Adopting this hierarchy can improve coaching effectiveness, increase acceptance of guidance, and foster a culture where employees feel empowered rather than dictated to.

Original Description

Randall Stutman breaks down how we can often unnecessarily overpower our feedback when talking to our teams. The truth is, there are more effective ways to provide notes to your team without introducing resistance simply by lowering your power.