Discussion Questions
- How do you give and receive feedback at work?
- How do you celebrate your hard work at the office?
- Is it hard for you to give critical feedback?
- Do you find that people are receptive to your feedback?
- What's the best way to receive feedback?
- What can bosses do to make their employees feel appreciated or positively-empowered at work?
- Has there been a time when you've given somebody negative feedback and found that they weren't receptive to it, but improved their performance as a result?
- Would you rather receive positive or negative feedback from people you work with, or your boss?
This IELTS cue card asks about positive feedback (praise or comments) you received related to work you did for someone.
Describe a situation when someone gave positive comments about the work you did for them.
You should say:- what work you did
- who the person was
- what the person said
IELTS Speaking Part 2
Describe a time someone gave you positive comments about your work
Sample AnswerWhen I was a student I spent about two years working part-time in a local business to help fund my studies. It was a family business and their main activity was selling and repairing domestic electrical appliances.
I worked on repairing things like lamps, electric kettles, toasters, radios, remote controllers, heaters, and lots of other electrical and electronic products.
At the time I was studying to become an engineer, but I had always enjoyed working with my hands and fixing things, so the work was good and the people working with me were nice.
It also allowed me to learn some practical aspects of problem-solving, fault finding and resolving things efficiently.
There was one time, that the owner of the business got sick and couldn’t work for about three months while he was recovering at home. I volunteered to do some extra work for the family to cover his absences.
It meant that I had to work almost every day while still studying so by the end of a few months I was extremely tired.
Anyway, when the owner of the business returned, he was very grateful and thanked me for all my effort, all the extra work I had done, and making myself available to help out in such a time of personal crisis.
He was very specific about how what I had done had made everything much easier for him because his family had not had to look for a new employee to replace him temporarily and then supervise them.
When I look back now, I don’t think I did anything particularly special. It was only for a short time, I earned some extra money as well, so it was good for me too. I didn’t do it to get praise – but it was nice to get such positive feedback from my boss.
But I do remember feeling proud that I was able to help out in the business because they were such good people.
It gave me a sense of value, and I realized that being able to count on people to help out when unexpected things happen is very important.
How would you answer this IELTS cue card about a time you received positive comments/feedback?
IELTS Speaking Tips
Feedback - Learn to listen to criticism, it will help you improve!
Knowing how to listen and learn from the criticisms your boss or supervisor makes is not an easy task for anyone. In order to know how to use feedback or comments in a constructive way, to improve your work performance, you must take into account some aspects regarding how to receive feedback.1. Listen
The first and most important thing you should do is listen attentively to the person who is criticizing you. Don’t just listen - you need to understand each statement. It is also necessary that you process what they are saying and try to imagine the reasons behind their comments, the motivation behind the feedback. If you have any questions, ask them at the end.2. Do not rationalize
Do not try to rationalize or justify all your faults and all the comments your boss/supervisor makes about you. This will only make you defensive, as if you are not ready and willing to accept the feedback at all.It is good to try and explain your point of view on some aspects, but do not be fussy about the comments in your eagerness to show that you are right. Accept that everyone has flaws and, instead of blaming yours on others, try to acknowledge and improve them.
3. Do not blame others
Blaming others is one of the worst things you can do when you are receiving feedback or comments about your work. Remember that the information your boss or supervisor is giving you is about your performance and the quality of the work you have delivered.4. Show interest
When listening to your boss, look him in the eyes and try to express as much interest as possible. Remember that you are there to listen to what you should hear.5. Do not attack
Remember that you should not attack your boss or supervisor or feel resentful. He/she is the one who should give you feedback and you should limit yourself to listening and identifying ways you can improve.Have you ever received negative feedback? How did you respond to it?
Describe a situation when you have given or received praise at work.
Sample AnswerI praise my coworkers almost daily, whether they are excellent at their job or if they went out of their way to do something special for me.
As a nurse, I feel it is important to praise others because it makes them happy and can help them grow as employees.
When giving praise, I will usually follow up with the individual at some point during the day, but always remember that people should not expect praise automatically!
As for receiving praise, most times I am pretty surprised when someone points out how well I did my job (which happens often), but this shows me that I am doing what my boss wants and also makes me appreciate my coworkers and other on my team.
Specifically, the last time I gave praise to someone was a few weeks ago. At work, I'll occasionally have to manage a student worker who is always happy and willing to help.
Because of their attitude, I praise them for being such a good sport and always getting the job done on time and with almost no direction.
And the last time I received praise was just the other day when my boss came up to me and said, "Thank you so much for working on this event, really looking forward to it!"
However, every time someone compliments my work ethic or ideas for upcoming events/programs at work, I am always surprised and flattered!
- Thank you! We appreciate your hard work and creativity.
- "Thanks, Tom! And thanks to everyone else too - for all your hard work on this project. It's very appreciated. We couldn't have done it without you all; our customers are happy with what they get out of this program. Let's keep up the good work, everyone!"
Describe a time when you received some positive feedback
Sample AnswerI remember when I first joined the company. I was overwhelmed with new information about products, production, policies, and expectations. It was a lot to take in all at once, especially since I was interested in becoming more hands-on with their work.
My boss noticed my efforts to stay involved even though everything was still very confusing to me. She began giving me praise throughout my orientation process, which boosted my enthusiasm for learning new things!
She gave specific positive feedback on my work which was both praise and criticism at the same time.
After a few days, I didn't feel as nervous about learning new things. I thought it was a good sign that my boss had noticed how hard I'd been working since day one!
I felt proud of myself for sticking through the confusion. Plus, praise from my boss made me want to work even harder.
Examples of Positive Feedback at work
- "Great job on that presentation!"
- "I really appreciate your help with this project!"
- "Thank you for stepping up and taking on that extra work!"
- "You're doing a great job! Keep it up!"
- "I'm really proud of the progress you've made!"
- "You're always so organized and prepared!"
- "You're such a pro at handling customer complaints!"
- "I really admire your work ethic!"
- "You're an excellent team player!"
- "I really appreciate your attention to detail."
- "Thank you for being such a team player."
- "I'm impressed with how you handled that difficult customer."
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is praise at work important?
Employees must know that their work is recognized and valued by management, leadership, peers, or supervisors. And praise should always be specific - that way, people know what they did exactly to deserve it.
What are some common ways to give praise or positive feedback at work?
At work, praise can be given in many different ways depending on the situation, but praise should always be specific that employees know what they did to deserve it.
It is important to praise people with specifics. Then they know how to adjust their behavior.
Praise can come in verbal form, written down on a card or memo, or through any medium of communication at work. There are also other praise examples such as bonus pay, promotions, better benefits packages, and time off for good performance.
What's your experience? Have you been praised for something at work that you didn't expect?