--- title: The 4-Step Formula for Giving Good Feedback description: Focus on being constructive canonical: https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-19T21:31:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:16.105Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The 4-Step Formula for Giving Good Feedback og:description: Focus on being constructive og:url: https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d7093a22d1e3a0e/698879afcd1bba66556ff01b/business-man-talking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5500 og:image:height: 3094 og:image:alt: business-man-talking og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The 4-Step Formula for Giving Good Feedback twitter:description: Focus on being constructive twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d7093a22d1e3a0e/698879afcd1bba66556ff01b/business-man-talking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The 4-Step Formula for Giving Good Feedback > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=77dec25f-09fa-4b28-ac30-8064fcad331d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=77dec25f-09fa-4b28-ac30-8064fcad331d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=77dec25f-09fa-4b28-ac30-8064fcad331d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Tony Robbins: How to be a better person [Watch (HLS stream): Tony Robbins: How to be a better person](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pwTCW5Bo.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2015-03-11. Tony Robbins talks about his 37-year long career as a life coach._ by [Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. / LinkedIn](https://time.com/author/linkedin/) ## Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. / LinkedIn Contributor Jan 19, 2016 9:31 PM UTC  Businessman in discussion in office Businessman in discussion in office Getty Images by [Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. / LinkedIn](https://time.com/author/linkedin/) ## Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. / LinkedIn Contributor Jan 19, 2016 9:31 PM UTC I love the New Year and the opportunity it brings to take stock of what one can do better. And there’s _always_ something one can do better. As Benjamin Franklin said: “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” One business skill I will work on in 2016 is giving feedback. Like many folks, I find that this does not come naturally to me – but I also know how important it is, not just to the individual receiving the feedback but also to the health of the organization. When it comes to giving feedback, the formal review process is certainly important — but it’s far better for managers to provide regular, real-time feedback all year long. The fact that many do not is partly psychological: they fear the feedback will be poorly received. But the truth is that employees want to know how they are doing — and how they can do better. I know that’s been true for me over the course of my career. One study, highlighted by [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2014/01/your-employees-want-the-negative-feedback-you-hate-to-give/?referral=00060) found that people actually _preferred “_corrective” feedback over positive feedback — by a wide margin. “Corrective” in this case was defined as making suggestions for improvement, exploring new and better ways to do things, and pointing out something that was done in a less-than-optimal way. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said this kind of constructive criticism improves performance — and helps careers. There was an important qualifier though: the preference was for corrective feedback that was “_delivered appropriately_.” That’s a key distinction, because there’s certainly a right way — and a wrong way — to deliver feedback. Good feedback should be: * **Specific.** It should refer to an actual behavior. “You did not attend our team meeting” is more effective than “You do not contribute to the team.” * **Timely.** It should be provided as soon as possible after the specific behavior occurs. * **Relevant.** It should be aimed at helping the employee do his/her job, and it should be based on outcomes over which the employee actually has control. * **Constructive.** It should be phrased as an opportunity for improvement by providing suggestions for a specific action to take. Giving feedback is like a muscle — it gets stronger with use. So in 2016, in the spirit of Ben Franklin’s ideal of continuous improvement, I’m resolved to working that muscle more. Happy New Year! _This_ [_article_](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mind-skills-gap-giving-feedback-why-its-my-new-years-ferguson-jr-?trk=prof-post) _originally appeared on_ [_LinkedIn_](http://www.linkedin.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/"},"headline":"The 4-Step Formula for Giving Good Feedback","datePublished":"2016-01-19T21:31:02.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:06:16.105Z","description":"Focus on being constructive","url":"https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/","keywords":["Careers & Workplace","Management","New Year's Resolutions","Business"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d7093a22d1e3a0e/698879afcd1bba66556ff01b/business-man-talking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. / LinkedIn"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d7093a22d1e3a0e/698879afcd1bba66556ff01b/business-man-talking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"business-man-talking","caption":"business-man-talking","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/","name":"The 4-Step Formula for Giving Good Feedback"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Tony Robbins: How to be a better person","description":"Tony Robbins talks about his 37-year long career as a life coach.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/pwTCW5Bo/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-03-11T15:52:35.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pwTCW5Bo.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/","duration":"PT1M30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4185886/giving-feedback/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```