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Private vs. Public Feedback

Feedback visibility matters. Public feedback celebrates broadly; private feedback creates safe space for growth. Here’s how visibility works in Topicflow.

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Feedback visibility options

When giving feedback in Topicflow, you choose who can see it: Private to recipient Only the person receiving feedback can see it (and system admins for data access purposes). Shared with manager Visible to:

• The recipient
• The recipient’s manager
• The feedback author

Public (team or organization) Visible broadly across the team or organization.

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When to use private feedback

Constructive feedback Feedback about improvement areas should usually be private:

• “Your presentation lacked structure — let’s work on organizing your points more clearly”
• “I noticed you missed the project deadline without communicating in advance”
• “Your code reviews could be more thorough”

Making constructive feedback public can:

• Embarrass the recipient
• Make them defensive
• Discourage others from taking risks

Private constructive feedback creates psychological safety for growth. Sensitive topics Feedback about:

• Interpersonal conflicts
• Performance concerns
• Personal challenges affecting work
• Early-stage skill development

Should always be private. Feedback during development If someone is working on a new skill and still learning, keep feedback private until they’re more confident.

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When to use shared with manager visibility

When the manager should be aware Use “shared with manager” when:

• The feedback relates to goals the manager is tracking
• It’s important context for upcoming reviews
• The manager should know about the person’s progress or challenges
• It’s positive feedback the manager might not otherwise see

Balancing transparency and privacy “Shared with manager” gives the manager visibility without broadcasting feedback publicly. For peer feedback When a peer gives feedback, sharing it with the recipient’s manager ensures it’s part of the performance record.

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When to use public feedback

Celebrating accomplishments Public feedback works well for:

• Major project completions
• Demonstrations of company values
• Going above and beyond
• Helping others or the team

Examples of public-worthy feedback:

• “Alex shipped the billing redesign 2 weeks ahead of schedule and trained the support team proactively”
• “Jordan stayed late to help debug the production issue and got us back online within an hour”
• “Sam’s mentorship of new engineers has been outstanding — three people have specifically mentioned their support”

Public feedback recognizes impact broadly and reinforces cultural norms. Building team morale Public positive feedback:

• Makes accomplishments visible
• Encourages similar behavior from others
• Creates a culture of recognition

When public feedback might backfire Even positive feedback can be uncomfortable if:

• The person is very private or dislikes attention
• The accomplishment was a team effort but only one person is named
• The feedback is so effusive it feels insincere

When in doubt, ask: “I’d like to share this feedback publicly — are you comfortable with that?”

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How visibility affects performance reviews

Private feedback

• Visible to the recipient and their manager
• Included in performance reviews
• Provides context for development areas

Shared feedback

• Visible to the recipient, their manager, and the author
• Included in reviews
• Provides 360-degree perspective

Public feedback

• Visible broadly
• Included in reviews
• Demonstrates impact and recognition from others

All feedback types contribute to the performance record, regardless of visibility.

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Changing feedback visibility

Can feedback visibility be changed after submission? In most cases:

• Authors can edit their own feedback (including visibility)
• Recipients cannot change visibility of feedback they received
• Managers may have permissions to adjust visibility in some cases

If feedback was made public by mistake, contact the author or an admin to adjust it.

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Best practices

Default to private for constructive feedback Unless there’s a specific reason to make it visible to others, keep constructive feedback private. Ask before making positive feedback public Some people appreciate public recognition; others find it uncomfortable. Use “shared with manager” for peer feedback When giving feedback to a colleague, sharing it with their manager ensures it’s part of their performance record. Public feedback should be meaningful Don’t make every small “thanks” public. Reserve public feedback for significant contributions. Be consistent If you publicly recognize some team members but not others for similar work, it creates perceived favoritism.

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Privacy and data access

Who can see private feedback?

• The recipient
• System administrators (for data access and support purposes)

Who cannot see private feedback?

• Peers
• Other managers
• Skip-level managers (unless also the recipient’s manager)

How is feedback stored? Feedback is stored securely within Topicflow and respects organizational privacy settings. Can feedback be deleted? In most cases, feedback can be edited or retracted by the author. Check with your organization’s policies.

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What’s next