The best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues

Positive examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues

Let’s start with the fun part: recognizing people who are doing great work. Many of the best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues are short, specific, and focused on behaviors you’d like to see more of.

Here are sample phrases you might use when a teammate is doing well:

On collaboration and teamwork
Instead of saying, “You’re great to work with,” try something more concrete:

“I appreciate how you actively bring quieter team members into discussions. In our last two project meetings, you asked open-ended questions that helped everyone contribute. This has made our planning sessions more inclusive and productive.”

“You’re consistently willing to jump in and help when others are overloaded. When the Q3 deadline slipped, you volunteered to take on extra testing work, which helped the team deliver on time without sacrificing quality.”

These are strong examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues because they name a specific situation, describe the behavior, and show the impact.

On communication skills
Good feedback on communication goes beyond “You communicate well.” Try something like:

“Your weekly project updates are clear and concise. The way you summarize risks and next steps helps everyone stay aligned, especially stakeholders who aren’t in the day-to-day details.”

“You have a talent for explaining technical concepts in plain language. During the client demo, your explanation of the new feature helped the non-technical audience understand its value quickly.”

If you want more research-backed language about communication and feedback, the Center for Creative Leadership shares helpful insights on effective feedback conversations: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/feedback-that-works/.

On reliability and ownership
Here’s an example of peer review feedback for a colleague who always follows through:

“You consistently deliver on your commitments. When we had last-minute changes to the launch plan, you stayed late to adjust the documentation and made sure everything was accurate before release. I feel confident assigning you critical tasks because you take full ownership.”

“You’re dependable and proactive about flagging risks early. During the website migration, you identified potential downtime issues ahead of time, which helped us avoid customer impact.”

These positive examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues work well in annual reviews, 360 feedback tools, or informal notes of appreciation.

Balanced examples of peer review feedback for growth

Most of us don’t need more generic praise; we need specific feedback that helps us grow. The best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues strike a balance: they recognize strengths while also pointing out one or two areas to improve.

On meeting participation
If a colleague is strong individually but quiet in group settings, you might say:

“You do excellent work on your own, especially in preparing detailed analyses. I’d love to hear more of your perspective in team meetings, because your insights often change how I think about a problem. One idea could be to share a quick summary of your findings at the start of each planning session.”

Notice the structure here: you affirm a strength, explain why it matters, and then suggest a specific behavior change.

On prioritization and focus
When someone works hard but gets spread too thin:

“You bring a lot of energy and ideas to the team, and you’re always willing to take on more. At times, this leads to too many open tasks and delays on high-priority items. It might help to align with the team lead each week on your top three priorities so your effort has the greatest impact.”

This example of peer review feedback keeps the tone respectful while still being direct about the problem.

On leadership potential (even without a formal title)
For a colleague who is informally leading:

“You’re emerging as a go-to person on the team. People naturally look to you for guidance on processes and tools. To build on this strength, you could delegate more often instead of taking on everything yourself. This would help others grow and prevent you from burning out.”

Balanced examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues like these are especially helpful in 2024–2025 workplaces where many organizations are flattening hierarchies and expecting more peer-led development.

Constructive examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues (that stay respectful)

Giving constructive feedback is where people tend to freeze up. The trick is to focus on behaviors, not personality, and to describe impact, not just opinion. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that specific, behavior-focused feedback is more likely to be acted on than vague criticism: https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-feedback-fallacy.

On missing deadlines
If a teammate regularly delivers work late:

“Over the last two sprints, a few of your tasks were completed after the agreed deadlines. This created last-minute pressure for others who depend on your work to finish theirs. It would help the team if you could flag blockers earlier or renegotiate deadlines when priorities change.”

This is a direct example of peer review feedback that stays professional. You’re not saying, “You’re unreliable,” you’re describing what happened and why it matters.

On communication style
When someone’s tone can come across as harsh or dismissive:

“You have strong opinions and deep expertise, which is valuable. At times, your feedback in meetings can sound more dismissive than you intend, especially when ideas are rejected quickly. Pausing to ask clarifying questions or acknowledging the effort behind an idea before offering your perspective could help others feel more comfortable speaking up.”

This is one of the best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues who are technically strong but may unintentionally shut others down.

On attention to detail
If a colleague’s work is good but often includes small avoidable errors:

“Your work is creative and moves projects forward quickly. I’ve noticed that some deliverables have minor errors, like broken links or formatting issues, which then require last-minute fixes. Building in a short review checklist before submitting could help you maintain speed while improving accuracy.”

Here, you’re pairing praise (creativity, speed) with a practical suggestion (a checklist) instead of simply criticizing.

Real examples of peer review feedback for different roles

Peer feedback is not one-size-fits-all. The most helpful examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues are tailored to the type of work they do.

For a project manager

“You keep complex projects organized and transparent. Your use of dashboards and weekly summaries makes it easy to see progress and blockers at a glance. One area to consider is building in more buffer time for dependencies on external teams, since delays there have affected our last two launches.”

For a software engineer

“Your code is consistently readable and well-documented, which makes maintenance much easier for the rest of us. I also appreciate how you mentor junior developers during code reviews. To strengthen your impact further, you could share more context on architectural decisions during sprint planning so everyone understands the trade-offs.”

For a customer support representative

“You’re patient and empathetic with customers, even in stressful situations. I’ve seen several cases where you turned a frustrated customer into a satisfied one by listening carefully and summarizing their concerns. One opportunity for growth is documenting solutions more thoroughly in the knowledge base so others can benefit from your experience.”

For a marketing specialist

“Your campaign ideas are creative and data-informed. The A/B tests you ran this quarter helped us refine our messaging and improve click-through rates. Going forward, it might help to share test results in a short monthly summary so sales and product teams can leverage those insights as well.”

These are real examples of peer review feedback that you can adapt across industries—tech, healthcare, education, nonprofits, and more.

How to write your own examples of peer review feedback

Reading the best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues is helpful, but you’ll get the most value when you can write your own quickly and confidently. A simple structure many managers and teammates use is often called SBI (Situation–Behavior–Impact), popularized by organizations like the Center for Creative Leadership:

• Situation – When and where did this happen?
• Behavior – What did the person do or say?
• Impact – What was the result or effect on others, the project, or the organization?

Here’s how that looks in practice:

“During last week’s client presentation (Situation), you adjusted your explanation when you noticed the client looked confused and asked if they’d like a simpler overview (Behavior). That flexibility helped rebuild their confidence and kept the meeting on track (Impact).”

You can use this same pattern for constructive feedback:

“In the last two planning meetings (Situation), you arrived 10–15 minutes late and missed the initial context for task assignments (Behavior). This led to confusion later in the week and required extra clarification from the team (Impact). It would help if you could join on time or let us know in advance when you’ll be delayed.”

When you’re stuck, skim back through the earlier examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues and look for phrases you can reuse: “I’ve noticed…,” “It would help if…,” “One idea could be…,” “Going forward…,” “One opportunity for growth is….” These starter phrases make it easier to keep your tone calm and constructive.

For additional guidance on giving and receiving feedback at work, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offers resources on performance management and appraisals: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/.

2024–2025 trends that shape peer feedback

Workplaces in 2024–2025 look different from just a few years ago, and that changes how we use these examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues.

Remote and hybrid teams
With many teams working across time zones, written feedback has become more important. Comments in performance tools, chat, or email often stand in for hallway conversations. That means your words can be re-read many times. Clear, respectful language—like the real examples above—matters even more.

Continuous feedback instead of once-a-year reviews
More organizations are moving toward ongoing feedback instead of relying only on annual reviews. Regular peer feedback helps people adjust quickly rather than waiting months to hear how they’re doing. Short, specific examples of peer review feedback are perfect for these quick check-ins.

Focus on well-being and psychological safety
Research from the American Psychological Association highlights the impact of supportive work environments on mental health and performance: https://www.apa.org/topics/workplace. Thoughtful peer feedback—especially when it’s balanced and behavior-focused—can support psychological safety by showing that mistakes are learning opportunities, not reasons for shame.

When you combine these trends with the best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues, you get a practical toolkit for building healthier, more effective teams.

FAQ: examples of peer review feedback for colleagues

Q: What are some quick examples of peer review feedback I can use in a pinch?
A: Here are a few short phrases:

• “You’re reliable and consistently meet your deadlines, which makes it easier for the rest of the team to plan.”
• “I appreciate how you ask clarifying questions instead of making assumptions.”
• “One area for growth is sharing updates more proactively so others aren’t left guessing about your progress.”

Q: How do I give an example of peer review feedback to a colleague who is older or more experienced than me?
A: Focus on shared goals and observable behaviors, not seniority. For instance: “Your experience has been invaluable on this project. One thing that would help me and others learn from you even more is talking through your thought process when you make key decisions.” Respectful language, specific examples, and a learning mindset make feedback easier to accept.

Q: Are negative examples of peer review feedback ever appropriate?
A: It’s fine to point out problems, but avoid attacking the person. Instead of saying, “You’re disorganized,” say, “When documents are uploaded late or to the wrong folder, it slows down the review process. Could we agree on a consistent naming and storage approach?” The goal is to solve a problem, not label someone.

Q: How long should peer review feedback be?
A: It doesn’t need to be long. A few sentences that clearly describe the situation, behavior, and impact are far more helpful than a vague paragraph of general impressions. Many of the best examples of peer review feedback examples for colleagues are just three to five sentences.

Q: Can I reuse these examples of peer review feedback word-for-word?
A: You can, but it’s better to adapt them. Swap in your colleague’s name, specific project details, and your own voice. The more your feedback sounds like you—and reflects real situations—the more authentic and helpful it will feel.