A Simple Employee Feedback Framework for Busy Managers
- Roe Medina
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Giving feedback is one of the hardest parts of managing people.
Say too little, and your team keeps repeating the same mistakes.
Say too much, and you risk discouraging them.
But when feedback is delivered the right way, it builds clarity, trust, and motivation, turning performance conversations into real opportunities for growth and improvement.
Many small business owners and managers struggle with the same challenge: how do I give feedback that is clear, constructive, and doesn’t knock confidence?
The good news is, it doesn't need to be over-complicated.
There’s a simple employee feedback framework that works: Continue - Start - Stop.
What is the Continue-Start-Stop Framework?
It is a straightforward method for structuring feedback, and it focuses the conversation on three areas:
Continue: What is the person doing well that you want them to keep doing?
Start: What should they begin doing to grow or add more value?
Stop: What is not working and needs to be dropped?
It's as simple as that. Three prompts that take feedback from vague to clear, specific and actionable.
Why This Simple Employee Feedback Framework Works
This simple framework is effective because it:
Balances positive reinforcement with areas for improvement.
Keeps feedback specific and behaviour-based, so employees know exactly what to work on.
Reduces defensiveness by keeping the conversation fair and structured.
Creates consistency across your team so everyone knows where they stand.
When used well, it helps managers replace tense performance reviews with constructive conversations that employees actually value.
How to Use It in Practice
Here’s how to put the framework into action in your next one-on-one:
Prepare before the conversation: Think of one or two examples for each category. Keep them specific and tied to behaviours you have observed.
Lead with Continue: Begin by highlighting what the person is doing well. For example, “I’d like you to continue building strong client relationships - you’ve built trust that makes a real difference.”
Move into Start: Frame this as an opportunity. For example, “I would like you to start leading the weekly team update, you communicate clearly and it would help you grow your leadership skills.”
Handle Stop with clarity: Be honest but constructive. For example, “Let’s stop sending incomplete reports. They slow down the team’s planning and I need them finished before they are shared.”
Wrap up with next steps: Summarise the three points and agree on specific actions moving forward.
Insights That Are Often Overlooked
The Power of Continue: This step is important. Managers often rush past the 'Continue' part, but this is really the anchor.
When you tell someone what they are doing well, it shows you notice their efforts and builds trust. That makes them far more open to hearing what they need to change.
Why Stop Matters Most: Many managers find 'Stop' the hardest part because it feels uncomfortable. But if you avoid it, small issues can become big problems.
Stopping the wrong behaviours frees up time and energy for the right ones, which often has the biggest impact on performance.
The Key is Consistency
The real value of Continue-Start-Stop is in using it regularly, not just once a year at review time.
When used in weekly one-on-ones, team meetings, or project debriefs, feedback becomes predictable, fair, and part of your business culture.
Your team stops dreading 'the feedback chat' because they know the process will be balanced and actionable.
And you stop dreading it, because you've got a simple, easy to remember process to follow, which actually brings about positive change.
Final Thoughts
The Continue Start Stop framework is one of the simplest and most effective ways for managers to give feedback. It’s practical, motivating, and easy to understand - perfect for small business environments where time is tight, but performance matters.
If you’d like support in building stronger feedback practices or setting up one-on-one structures that improve performance, we can help. Together, we can create a system that makes performance conversations natural, constructive, and far less stressful.
And if you're looking for training for your managers so that 'Performance Review Time' isn't just another painful task on the to-do list, we can help there too.
FAQs - About Giving Performance Feedback
How often should managers give feedback?
Feedback works best when it’s regular and consistent. Instead of saving everything for an annual review, aim to include short feedback conversations in one-on-ones or team check-ins. This makes feedback less intimidating and more actionable.
What if an employee reacts badly to feedback?
Stay calm, listen, and bring the focus back to behaviours rather than personality. Using a structured method like Continue-Start-Stop reduces defensiveness because it’s balanced and fair.
Can I use Continue Start Stop in team settings?
Yes. It’s just as effective in project debriefs or team meetings as in one-on-ones. In group settings, keep the feedback constructive and professional, never personal.
Is positive feedback enough on its own?
No. While recognition is important, only giving positive feedback means problems go unaddressed. Balance 'Continue' with clear 'Start' and 'Stop' points to drive real performance improvement.
How detailed should feedback be?
Keep it specific and tied to behaviours. For example, instead of saying “good job on reports”, say “your detailed client summaries helped the team plan faster - keep doing that.”
Book a free discovery call today, and let’s take the HR off your plate so you can focus on growing your business.
Need help? Contact us today - sandra@hrconsultingtas.com.au or 0408 408 225
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