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Communication course Course 02 of 24

Give feedback people can actually use.

A practical path for moving from vague impressions to specific observations, impact, and a clear change request.

Open Cadence on the App Store or Google Play and type the sentence on this page, or choose this course ready-made under Browse starter courses. Free to start.
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Try a feedback exercise

Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn

I want to give feedback that is specific enough to change behavior.

Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.

Two conversation shapes overlapping to show a clear exchange of feedback.
Feedback Giving feedback that lands

30 short lessons. Day 1 is ready.

Best for
Communication
Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites
Course length
30 daily lessons
Lesson pace
About 10 minutes a day
Total learning time
About 5 hours in total
Access
Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list

Practice from Day 1

Turn a vague comment into useful feedback.

Practise the method from What Specific Feedback Sounds Like, the first lesson in Behavior-Changing Feedback. Start with a fictional comment such as ‘Your updates are confusing.’ What would the other person need to know to change it?

  1. 01

    Name the moment

    Identify the meeting, message, or handover you mean. Keep the comment about that situation instead of making a claim about everything the person does.

  2. 02

    Describe the visible action

    Say what the person did or left out. Replace labels such as careless or unprofessional with something they could recognize and do differently.

  3. 03

    Explain the effect on the work

    Describe the result you observed, such as a decision left open or a task delayed. Keep guesses about the person's motives out of the message.

Worked example: a clearer update

In today's update, you listed three activities but did not say which decision you needed, so we could not agree on a next step.

This fictional example names the setting, the action, and the effect. Now rewrite ‘Your updates are confusing’ for a situation of your own, leaving out names and confidential details. Could the listener picture the moment and identify an action to change? If not, make the observation more specific.

Continue with the full first lesson in Cadence. Start free and choose Behavior-Changing Feedback, the in-app name for this course.

Right for now

If any of this sounds familiar, start here.

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons.

Your feedback gets softened

Keep the kindness without hiding the point.

People leave unsure

Tie examples to impact and one change request.

You manage peers or reports

Use feedback as operating clarity, not performance theater.

You want less rework

Make quality standards easier to see before the next pass.

Inside the course

Your first three days are already mapped.

The course follows a daily sequence, so the next practical move is waiting when you come back.

Evidence first

Ground feedback in examples the other person can recognize.

Specific impact

Explain why it matters without moralizing.

Actionable ask

Make the next behavior concrete enough to practice.

Follow-up rhythm

Check whether the change showed up instead of assuming it did.

Course preview 30 short lessons

Behavior-Changing Feedback

Day 1 What Specific Feedback Sounds Like

Tell specific behavior feedback apart from general opinions or personality judgments.

  1. Day 2

    Name the Behavior, Not the Person

    Identify the exact actions someone can repeat or stop repeating.

  2. Day 3

    Show the Impact It Had

    Connect the behavior to a concrete result the other person can understand.

Course arc

From vague intention to repeatable moves.

Cadence turns the course into a returnable habit: short lesson, quick check, review, and the next useful step.

01 / 04

Notice the pattern

Separate a one-off mistake from repeated behavior.

Frame the impact

Say what the work consequence is and why it matters.

Make the ask

Choose one behavior to change next.

Follow through

Reinforce progress and adjust when the first attempt misses.

Full syllabus

30 lessons, arranged as one clear path.

Learn to turn vague reactions into feedback that names observable behavior, shows impact, and makes the next step clear. You will practice phrasing, timing, and evidence so your comments are more likely to change what happens next.

Module 01

What Specific Feedback Means

Define behavior-level feedback and separate it from vague praise, blame, and personality talk.

  1. Day 1 What Specific Feedback Sounds Like
  2. Day 2 Name the Behavior, Not the Person
  3. Day 3 Show the Impact It Had
  4. Day 4 Turn Vague Into Specific
  5. Day 5 Build One Clean Feedback Message
Module 02

Behavior, Context, Impact

Translate workplace observations into clear statements that connect what happened with why it matters.

  1. Day 6 Is It Specific Enough?
  2. Day 7 Private, Live, or in Writing?
  3. Day 8 Tune It to the Role and Context
  4. Day 9 Time It So It Lands
  5. Day 10 Say It, Then Put It in Writing
Module 03

Choosing the Right Moment

Match feedback timing, setting, and delivery style to the stakes and relationship.

  1. Day 11 Ask for the Next Action
  2. Day 12 Stay Direct Without Going Harsh
  3. Day 13 Start, Stop, or Continue
  4. Day 14 Ask Questions That Open Change
  5. Day 15 Sharpen It Until It's Actionable
Module 04

Evidence, Fairness, and Recognition

Use representative evidence, check context and bias, and keep recognition as specific as correction.

  1. Day 16 Pick Examples That Support the Pattern
  2. Day 17 Pattern or One-Off?
  3. Day 18 Pressure-Test for Fairness
  4. Day 19 Wording That Backfires
  5. Day 20 Keep Recognition Separate and Specific
  6. Day 21 Diagnose Before You Prescribe
Module 05

Delivery Across Power and Follow-Through

Run the conversation, handle disagreement, adapt across roles, document fairly, and check for change.

  1. Day 22 Run the Conversation Start to Finish
  2. Day 23 Hold Your Ground on Pushback
  3. Day 24 Give Feedback Across Power Lines
  4. Day 25 Document Fairly and Privately
  5. Day 26 Follow Up Without Micromanaging
Module 06

Repair and Capstone

Repair feedback that landed badly, address repeated misses through the right process, and complete a usable feedback plan.

  1. Day 27 Repair Feedback That Landed Wrong
  2. Day 28 Respond to a Repeated Miss
  3. Day 29 Deliver It for Real
  4. Day 30 Your Feedback Script, Ready

How learning works

Read, listen, check your understanding, then keep going.

01

Short daily lessons

Each lesson is designed around about 10 minutes of focused learning.

02

Reading and audio

Read the lesson or play its audio when listening fits your day better.

03

Checks when useful

Lessons can use quizzes, written responses, or guided practice. A lesson can also teach without adding a forced exercise.

04

Progress and support

Track completed lessons, keep a streak, set reminders, and ask the in-lesson coach for help.

Know the limits. Cadence supports guided self-learning. It does not award an accredited degree or professional certificate, and important AI-generated claims should be checked against reliable sources.

Free to read first

Guides on the same skill.

Part of a career skill path

See the guides and related courses.

Course questions

What to know before you start.

Who is Behavior-Changing Feedback for?

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons. It is listed in the communication part of the Cadence course library.

Do I need any prior experience?

No formal prerequisites are required. The course is designed for guided self-learning, and it is most useful when you bring a real situation or goal to the lessons.

How long does the course take?

Behavior-Changing Feedback contains 30 lessons designed around 10 minutes each. You open lessons in sequence and can move at your own pace.

What is the learning format?

Lessons can be read or played as audio. The course includes quizzes or practical checks where the lesson calls for them, plus progress tracking and Ask Coach inside lessons.

Does this course award a certificate or degree?

No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.

Start today

Day 1: What Specific Feedback Sounds Like

Get Cadence and type the sentence above when it asks what you want to learn, or choose Behavior-Changing Feedback ready-made under Browse starter courses. Day 1 is already written.

Open Cadence on the App Store or Google Play and type the sentence on this page, or choose this course ready-made under Browse starter courses. Free to start.
Want new features first?