Delivering Feedback with Grace

Upper Intermediate (B2) Work American Accent 56s

Learn how to use tact in professional situations to deliver difficult feedback without hurting feelings or damaging working relationships.

Vocabulary Highlights

tact /tækt/: The ability to speak or act in a sensitive, diplomatic, and thoughtful way to avoid offending others or hurting their feelings.; "The manager handled the delicate employee dispute with immense tact and professionalism." — diplomatic communication; "When telling someone they have a mistake on their slides, it is best to use a bit of tact." — sensitive feedback

Speaker 1: Hey Elena, how's that feedback session with the client going?

Speaker 2: Honestly, it's pretty rough because their design ideas are just terrible.

Speaker 1: Oh boy. You've got to tell them, but you need a lot of tact.

Speaker 2: I know, but I'm not sure how to say it without sounding rude.

Speaker 1: Maybe start by praising their creativity before gently pointing out the technical issues.

Speaker 2: That makes sense. Frame it as a constructive pivot instead of a flat-out rejection.

Speaker 1: Exactly, because a little tact goes a long way in keeping clients happy.

Speaker 2: I'll try that. It's definitely better than just saying 'this won't work.'

Speaker 1: Definitely. They'll appreciate your honesty if it's delivered with some grace.

Speaker 2: Thanks, Marcus. I feel a lot more confident about this meeting now.

Speaker 1: Anytime! Let me know how it goes.

Practice in Shadowee with interactive phrase-by-phrase audio playback, Echo mode, and Focus mode.