The Hidden Cost of Vague Feedback in Leadership
- Tanesha Moody
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
The Hidden Cost of Vague Feedback in Leadership
Most leaders don’t realize how expensive vague feedback really is.
Not expensive in a budget-line-item way — but expensive in time, trust, engagement, and momentum.
Because vague feedback doesn’t just fail to help. It quietly creates confusion, anxiety, and unnecessary self-doubt.
And the worst part?
Most leaders delivering vague feedback genuinely believe they’re being helpful.
What Vague Feedback Sounds Like (and Why It’s So Common)
Vague feedback often sounds professional on the surface:
“You need to be more strategic.”
“I’d like to see you show up more as a leader.”
“You’re doing fine, but there’s room for improvement.”
“Be more proactive.”
None of these statements are wrong.
They’re just incomplete.
Vagueness often comes from good intentions:
Wanting to avoid hurting feelings
Wanting to keep things high-level
Wanting to be efficient
Wanting the other person to “figure it out”
But what leaders intend as kindness often lands as confusion.
What the Receiver Actually Hears
When feedback lacks specificity, the person receiving it doesn’t hear guidance.
They hear uncertainty.
Internally, the questions start immediately:
What exactly did I do wrong?
Which moment are they referring to?
Is this about my performance… or me?
How big of a problem is this?
Without clarity, people fill in the gaps themselves.
And humans are rarely generous when left to guess.
Vague feedback creates emotional labor that leaders never see:
Overthinking
Second-guessing
Anxiety
Overcorrection
None of which lead to better performance.
The Leadership Cost No One Talks About
Here’s what vague feedback actually costs organizations:
1. Lost Time
People spend energy trying to interpret feedback instead of improving.
2. Eroded Trust
When feedback feels unclear, people question fairness and intent.
3. Decreased Confidence
High performers often assume they are the problem — even when they’re not.
4. Repeated Conversations
Because nothing changed, leaders have to revisit the issue again… and again.
Vague feedback doesn’t preserve harmony. It delays progress.
Why Leaders Default to Vagueness
In my work with leaders, vagueness usually shows up for one of three reasons:
1. Discomfort with Directness
Leaders worry that specifics will feel too harsh.
2. Unclear Expectations
It’s hard to be specific when standards were never clearly defined.
3. Fear of Being Wrong
Specific examples feel risky — what if the leader missed context?
So leaders hedge.
But hedging creates more risk, not less.
SAFE Feedback™: Why Specific + Actionable Are Non-Negotiable
This is why SAFE Feedback™ begins with S — Specific and A — Actionable.
Because clarity is not cruelty. And direction is not dominance.
Specific Feedback:
Anchors feedback in observable behavior
Removes interpretation
Separates identity from action
Instead of:
“You need to communicate better.”
Try:
“In yesterday’s meeting, the project timeline wasn’t shared until the last five minutes, which left the team unclear on next steps.”
Specificity turns feedback into information — not judgment.
Actionable Feedback:
Specificity alone isn’t enough.
Feedback also needs a path forward.
Actionable feedback answers:
What could be done differently?
What does success look like next time?
What support might be needed?
Action doesn’t have to be a command. It can be a conversation.
“What would help you surface risks earlier next time?” “What support would make this easier to do consistently?”
Actionable feedback creates movement. Without it, people stall.
The Confidence Gap Vague Feedback Creates
One of the quietest casualties of vague feedback is confidence — especially among high performers.
When expectations aren’t clear and feedback is ambiguous:
People assume they’re missing something obvious
They question their judgment
They become cautious instead of bold
Over time, this doesn’t just affect performance. It affects leadership identity.
Clarity gives people permission to lead.
Real-World Example: Same Feedback, Two Outcomes
Vague version:
“I’d love to see you take more ownership in meetings.”
What happens next:
The employee talks more — even when unnecessary
Overcompensates
Still misses the actual issue
SAFE version:
“In the last two meetings, decisions were deferred without a clear recommendation. Next time, I’d like you to come in with one proposed direction, even if it’s not perfect. This adds value and moves the conversation forward. What are your thoughts?”
Same issue. Completely different outcome.
That’s the power of Specific + Actionable.
Why Vague Feedback Feels Safer (But Isn’t)
Vague feedback feels safer for the giver.
It avoids confrontation. It leaves room to retreat. It minimizes immediate discomfort.
But leadership isn’t about minimizing discomfort in the moment. It’s about minimizing confusion over time.
Clarity is kinder than ambiguity — every time.
How Leaders Can Practice Clarity Without Harshness
You don’t need to become blunt or rigid to be clear.
Here are three shifts that help immediately:
1. Anchor Feedback to Moments, Not Traits
Talk about what happened — not who someone is.
2. Name the Impact
Help people understand why the feedback matters.
3. Invite Dialogue
Specific feedback should open conversation, not shut it down.
This is where SAFE Feedback™ does its best work — balancing clarity and care.
A Tool to Get Started
If you want a simple, repeatable structure for giving feedback that’s clear and human, I created a free SAFE Feedback™ guide you can use immediately.
And if vague feedback is slowing your team down, this is the work I bring into organizations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership development programs.
Final Thought
Vague feedback doesn’t protect relationships. It strains them.
Specific, actionable feedback builds trust — because people know where they stand and how to move forward.
That’s not micromanagement. That’s leadership.
