Effective Communications - Giving Feedback

As a leader giving feedback is important to growing and developing your people. It is also important in effectively creating successful end products  as well as in setting boundaries for business relationships. We have all gotten feedback that has not been effective, right. What is an effective way to give feedback then?

• Specific - be detailed about the feedback that you are giving so that the receiver understands exactly what it that you are looking for. Do not just say "You did a great job," but give specifics about what was so great.
• Timely - give the feedback right after the event and/or soon thereafter. Make sure it is done in the appropriate venue (e.g. - praise publicly, criticize privately) and the appropriate medium (e.g. - in person, via email) so that it is the most effective for the person to hear the feedback.
• Limited - give feedback as it arises instead of holding a bunch of items for discussion at one time.
• Empathetic - give feedback that acknowledges emotions, understands what may be going on for the person at that particular time, and is sympathetic to wanting to help the other person improve.

What are you currently doing in providing feedback? What could you begin to implement to improve the ways that you give feedback?