How I give high-quality feedback quickly

Effective feedback doesn't have to be a time sink. By carving out 1-2 hours each week and concentrating on the most impactful pieces of work, you can give feedback that moves the needle without burning out. The approach starts with identifying the 20% of output that will generate the biggest improvement, then showing the recipient exactly how to fix that piece in detail. That single example teaches a pattern they can apply across the rest of the document, saving you time while building their skill.

The next step is to give structural feedback before line edits. Starting with big-picture questions-should we be doing this at all, does the strategy make sense-prevents wasted effort on line-level changes that might be discarded later. When the revised draft aligns with the core direction, you can move to line edits to tighten execution. This order of operations keeps the conversation efficient and ensures the most important concerns are addressed first.

A variety of async tools make fast feedback possible. Voice notes, Loom recordings, and quick phone calls let you convey tone, visual cues, and nuance without the overhead of a full written review. The goal is to make feedback tactical, actionable, concrete, and specific (TACS) regardless of the medium. By choosing the format that works best for you and your team, you keep the process sustainable over the long term.

When leaders adopt this disciplined, high-impact feedback rhythm, they free up hours for higher-level work, teach their teams to notice what matters, and create a culture where feedback is expected and easy to give. The result is a faster feedback loop, higher team performance, and less burnout from endless revisions.