AI in 5: How to Write Better Colleague Feedback in Minutes

Ever stared at a colleague feedback form, wondering how to start without sounding like you’re writing a wedding speech or a formal complaint?

If you’ve ever taken part in a 360° review (where colleagues give feedback on each other), you’ll know the struggle. You want to be honest, constructive, and professional, but finding the right words can be harder than the actual job you’re reviewing.

For some, it means hours spent polishing sentences; for others, it’s so daunting they simply don’t give feedback at all.

This week, I’ll show you how AI can help you turn your unstructured thoughts into a polished, professional feedback report in less time than it takes to make a cup of coffee.

Well-crafted feedback can help colleagues grow, strengthen teams, and improve company culture. But if the process feels too hard, it gets skipped – and that’s a missed opportunity for everyone.

By using AI tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, you can quickly transform your bullet points and half-formed ideas into feedback that is:

• Clear: saying exactly what you mean, without waffle.
• Professional: even when you’re giving constructive criticism.
• Balanced: highlighting strengths while noting areas to develop.

The result? Your feedback has more impact, and you can get it done in minutes rather than hours.

How It Works

Here’s the simple process:

1. Jot down your thoughts – Don’t overthink grammar or structure. Just note what you’ve observed: strengths, contributions, and any areas for improvement.
2. Open your AI tool of choice – ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or any other reliable AI writing assistant.
3. Explain the task – Tell the AI you’re writing professional workplace feedback, and include any tone preferences (e.g., friendly, formal, concise).
4. Paste in your notes – The messier the better; AI will organise it for you.
5. Review and edit – Always check the final wording to ensure it reflects your true views and stays free of personal or sensitive details.
6. Note – I’d always recommend leaving names or personal information out. I simply add “X” in place of any names, just to ensure I’m not using any personal information.

Example in Action: Before & After

Let’s imagine you’ve been asked to provide 360° feedback for a colleague named James (we’ll call him ‘X’). You know what you want to say, but you’re not sure how to phrase it so it sounds constructive, professional, and balanced.

Here are your rough, unfiltered notes:

• Always hits deadlines but sometimes last minute
• Very knowledgeable about our product
• Doesn’t always listen to other opinions – can be stubborn
• Good with clients, explains things clearly
• Should delegate more – tends to try and do everything himself
• Works long hours, very committed
• Can be impatient in meetings when things move slowly
• Great at spotting problems before they happen

Now, here’s what happens when you give these notes to ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot with this prompt:

“Write a professional 360° feedback summary for a colleague based on the following notes. Make it balanced, constructive, and suitable for workplace use: [paste notes].”

Here’s the AI-Output

X is a highly committed and reliable member of the team who consistently meets deadlines, even when working under pressure. His deep knowledge of our product and his ability to explain complex ideas in a clear, client-friendly way make him a real asset in customer interactions. X is also skilled at identifying potential issues early, which helps the team avoid costly mistakes.

There are opportunities for X to have an even greater impact by involving others more in his work. Encouraging broader input in decision-making and delegating tasks where possible could free up his time for higher-value activities, while also strengthening team collaboration. In meetings, taking a little extra time to hear all perspectives could help ensure solutions benefit from the full range of expertise within the team.

The difference is clear – the AI takes your raw thoughts and turns them into a professional, balanced, and constructive piece of feedback that’s easy to read, easy to deliver, and gets your message across without unnecessary friction.

Prompt Ideas for Colleague Feedback

Here are a few ready-to-use prompt templates you can try:

1. Positive feedback
“Write a short, professional feedback statement for a colleague based on the following notes. Keep it encouraging and highlight strengths: [paste notes].”

2. Balanced feedback
“Turn these notes into a professional workplace review that is mostly positive but includes one or two areas for improvement, written in a constructive and supportive way: [paste notes].”

3. Formal feedback
“Based on these notes, write a concise and formal workplace review suitable for a senior manager: [paste notes].”

4. Peer-to-peer feedback
“Rewrite these notes as friendly, professional feedback I might give to a teammate, avoiding overly formal language: [paste notes].”

Final Thoughts

AI won’t tell you what to think about a colleague, but it can make it far easier to express your thoughts clearly, constructively, and professionally. That means less time staring at a blinking cursor, and more time focusing on what really matters: building strong working relationships.

If you want to explore how AI tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot can help your team work smarter – from writing feedback to automating admin – get in touch. We help organisations adopt AI in a safe, human-first way, so your people can spend less time wrestling with words and more time making an impact.

Want to Be Ahead of the Curve?

If you’re ready to move from AI curiosity to real business impact, we’d love to help you on that journey.

👉 Connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s talk, or book a FREE 1:1 Introductory Session to start your AI journey.

And if you found this article helpful, please consider registering for our FREE weekly email Newsletter – filled with AI news, tips and free guides. No jargon and no spam – just helpful insights to power up your working week.