Newsletter No. 100

At A Glance Infographics

Leadership Series

The Four Step “Coin” Model For Feedback

Have you ever struggled to give someone feedback without it coming off the wrong way? It can be tricky, right? That’s where the COIN Model comes in — it’s a super handy tool for making feedback clear and helpful. COIN stands for Context, Observation, Impact, and Next Steps. Here’s how you can use it in everyday life:

• First, you set the context so the person knows exactly what situation you’re talking about. For example, “Hey, during yesterday’s meeting…” This helps ground your feedback in a specific moment. Next, you move on to observation — just describe what you saw without adding any of your own interpretations. Something like, “…I noticed you interrupted Jane a few times while she was speaking.”
• Then comes the impact part, where you explain how that behavior affected you, the team, or the project. You might say, “That caused Jane to lose her train of thought and kind of threw off the flow of the meeting.” Finally, you suggest some next steps. This is where you offer actionable advice, like, “Maybe next time, try waiting until she’s finished before jumping in. It’ll help keep things on track.”

Using the COIN Model makes feedback way less awkward and much more productive. It keeps things clear and objective, which means fewer misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Plus, it gives the person a clear idea of how to improve, which is a win-win for everyone involved. So next time you need to give some feedback, try out COIN — it might just make those tough conversations a whole lot easier!