Lesson 3: Give Effective Feedback | Adam Grant
January 5, 2026
3
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Big Think Episodes Around January 5, 2026
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
6:31Now PlayingLesson 3: Give Effective Feedback | Adam Grant
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelFrame feedback so that it’s useful and heard. Make feedback a two-way conversation.
Sandwiches are a classic lunch staple around any office — ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly! But the workplace also often serves the “feedback sandwich,” when a supervisor puts constructive criticism between two slices of praise, trying to cushion “negative” feedback. According to organizational psychologist Adam Grant, that sandwich isn’t as delicious or nourishing as people may think.
In this video lesson, he discusses why separating out praise and criticism — and framing criticism as attainable growth goals — is far more appetizing and effective.
Focus on behavior change
Feedback tends to be less effective when it moves away from the work and towards the person. Telling people how they’re ineffective or incompetent invites their ego to show up.
Instead, tell people 1-2 things they can do better. Help them focus on improving themselves (rather than proving themselves).
People will be more open to constructive criticism when you preface it with something like: I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I’m confident you can reach them.
Help people understand that your role is to coach them and help them grow. It’s easier to hear a hard truth from someone who wants to help you succeed.
Avoid the feedback sandwich
When you place a piece of criticism between two “slices” of praise, your feedback may be less effective. Anxious people may not hear the praise because they’re anticipating your criticism. Confident people may fall victim to primacy and recency effects: They’ll hear the first and last compliment but won’t retain the criticism.
Instead, segment the praise from the criticism by saying: I want to tell you a couple of things you’re doing well and a couple of things you can work on improving. Do you have a preference for which we do first?
Your goal is to make it a two-way conversation. Invite the other person to have a voice in the process. To reinforce this framing, ask: Is there anything I can do better? How can I work more effectively with you? That way, you’re building the foundation for better collaboration.
© Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go Deeper with Big Think:
►Become a Big Think Youtube Member
Get exclusive classes and early, adfree access to new releases without leaving Youtube.
►Become a Big Think Web Member
Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more.
►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack
Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Adam Grant:
Adam Grant has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven straight years. As an organizational psychologist, he is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning, rethink assumptions, and live more generous and creative lives. He has been recognized as one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers and Fortune’s 40 under 40.
Grant is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of five books that have sold millions of copies and been translated into 45 languages: Think Again, Give and Take, Originals, Option B, and Power Moves. His books have been named among the year’s best by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. His viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across all platforms.
Grant hosts WorkLife, a chart-topping TED original podcast. His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NBA, Bridgewater, and the Gates Foundation. He writes on work and psychology for The New York Times, has served on the Defense Innovation Board at the Pentagon, has been honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and has appeared on Billions. He has more than 6 million followers on social media and features new insights in GRANTED, his free monthly newsletter.
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.