Candid
KAN-did
vs blunt · BLUNTHonest and direct with care for how it lands, where blunt skips the care.
“Let me be candid: the design doc isn't ready for review, and here's what would get it there.”
blunt“His reply was blunt — just "this won't work" with no reason and no next step.”
Constructive
kun-STRUK-tiv
vs positive · POZ-ih-tivAimed at helping someone improve, whether or not the news is good.
“The review was constructive: two real problems, each with a suggested fix.”
positive“The customer feedback was positive — they loved the new onboarding flow.”
Acknowledge
ak-NOL-ij
vs agree · uh-GREEShow you heard and understood a point, without saying you accept it.
“I acknowledge the deadline feels tight; I still think we can hit it with the scope cut.”
agree“I agree with your estimate — three sprints is realistic for the migration.”
Accountable
uh-KOWN-tuh-bul
vs responsible · rih-SPON-suh-bulOwns the outcome and answers for it, even when others do the work.
“Priya is accountable for the launch, so she makes the final go/no-go call.”
responsible“Sam is responsible for writing the migration scripts this sprint.”
Specific
spuh-SIF-ik
vs detailed · dih-TAYLDPoints to one exact behavior or moment, not just a lot of information.
“To make the feedback specific: in Tuesday's standup you cut Ana off twice.”
detailed“The postmortem is detailed — twelve pages covering every alert and timeline step.”
Think of one teammate you owe feedback. Say it out loud as if they're in front of you: be candid, make it specific (one moment, one behavior), and end with a constructive next step. No filler words.