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One thing I have been taught to use is the "shit sandwich". Positive, negative, positive. The danger is your negative lesson being lost so this method does favour directness.

The advantage of finishing on a high is it often lets the conversation continue so that your subject can ask for clarification if they need it.

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Indeed, the problem I find is that people come away with two positives, and unless they are actively trying to look for your advice it can be missed.

I think you just have to contextualise the feedback to show you understand the issue then explain where you see the problem. Then if asked give your advice on what you would do to fix the issue. Leading with your chosen solution is another common mistake. There may be good reasons they didn't do that to start with, and the problem you were addressing becomes lost.

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