Observation-based feedback

Observation-based feedback is a conveyance cleansed of interpretation and label, resting only on what is seen. 'You are lazy' is a judgment; 'you left the last three tasks to the final day' is an observation, and the difference between them changes everything. An observation cannot be argued with, because it rests on fact; a judgment, on the other hand, evokes defensiveness. Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication approach emphasizes precisely this distinction. Staying tied to fact carries the conversation toward a solution rather than blame.