Someone sends you a draft and asks what you think. You skim it, you have a feeling about it, and you reply with something like “Looks good, maybe tighten it up a bit.” It feels kind. It isn’t much use. The person now has to guess what you meant, and they often guess wrong.
These days I spend ten minutes with AI before I give feedback on anything that matters. Not to write it for me, but to turn my vague reactions into a few clear points someone can act on. Here’s how.
Step 1: Get your reactions down roughly
Read the work once and jot down what you notice, in your own words. Don’t be polite yet and don’t tidy it. “Lost me on page two”, “love the opening”, “too many charts” is fine. Before anything goes into a chat, take out names, client details and anything confidential. You only need your reactions, not their document.
Step 2: Sort the useful from the personal
Paste your notes in and use this prompt:
“Here are my rough notes on a colleague’s draft. Sort them into three groups: what’s working well, what genuinely needs changing, and what is just my personal preference.”
That third group is the one that saves people time. A lot of feedback is really “I’d have done it differently”. It’s fine to mention, but it shouldn’t sit next to the things that actually need fixing.
Step 3: Make each change specific
Next prompt:
“For each item that needs changing, tell me exactly what they could do differently. Make each one a concrete action, not a general comment.”
This is the step that makes the difference. “It’s a bit long” leaves them guessing. “Cut the second section and open with the numbers” gives them something to do. If you can’t make a point specific, it might not be worth raising.
Step 4: Boil it down to three points
“Turn this into no more than three short points I could say out loud in about two minutes. Start with one thing that’s working.”
Three is plenty. Ten small notes feel like a pile-on, even when every one of them is right. Pick the changes that matter most and let the rest go.
Step 5: Say it yourself
Rewrite the points in your own words so they sound like you, not a template. Where you can, say it in person or on a quick call rather than leaving a wall of comments. Finish by asking what they think, because they may know something about the work that you don’t.
Where AI stops
AI doesn’t know the person, the history of the project or what they were asked to do, and it can sound sure of itself when it’s missing the point. You still decide what’s fair, what’s kind and what’s worth saying at all. Keep names and confidential material out of the chat, and never paste someone else’s work into a tool your workplace hasn’t approved.
Quick questions
Is it okay to paste a colleague's work into AI?
Only if your workplace allows it. The safer route is to paste just your own rough notes and reactions, with names and confidential details taken out, rather than their document.
How many points of feedback should I give?
Three is usually plenty. Start with one thing that's working, then the one or two changes that matter most, and let the small stuff go.
Should I send feedback in writing or say it?
For anything that matters, say it in person or on a quick call, then send a short written follow-up if it helps them remember.