There’s something that underpins not just excellent training but excellent laboratories too; it’s the staff. But understanding how we take a trainee from their early days at university or initial days as a qualified Biomedical Scientist through to becoming a confident and competent Biomedical Scientist is a complex process.
At the heart of that process lies feedback. How we give it, when we give it, and the culture that surrounds it. Training isn’t just about ticking boxes or signing off competencies it’s about creating an environment where people grow. Feedback is the fuel for that growth.
So whether you’re a training officer, a laboratory manager, or a BMS in training yourself, I want this article to serve as a reflection on how we can do feedback better.
Why Feedback Isn’t Just an Afterthought
Feedback is often treated as a side note, avoided altogether, or used only when something that negative happens, like after a mistake or squeezed in between service pressures. But the truth is, feedback is the learning process.
In the pathology lab, accuracy and precision are non negotiable. Failure to provide feedback that promotes the growth of your staff can eventually compromise patient safety. Trainees don’t just need feedback they depend on it. Done well, feedback can;
- Build confidence, not fear.
- Transform technical skills into professional habits.
- Reinforce the culture of quality and safety that every lab relies on.
So why, if it’s so important, does feedback so often go wrong?
The Common Pitfalls We Keep Falling Into
Let’s be honest: many of us struggle to give feedback effectively. Sometimes we’re too vague (“Be more careful”), sometimes we avoid the conversation altogether, and other times we overdo it, leaving trainees demoralised.
The truth is, giving feedback isn’t natural for everyone. Your job as a provider of feedback is not to address insufficiencies or to to discipline a trainee but to use conversational skills as a bridge to develop trainees by showing what they’re doing well and what they could be doing better. The first port of call is a shift in mindset from fault finding to growth building.
How to Do Feedback Right
There’s no magic formula but there are some principles that can go a long way when embedded into your training culture. These tips can help to completely transform the experience for both trainee and trainer and it can’t be overstated enough, feedback requires a dynamic two person approach.
1. Start with Clear Expectations
If a trainee doesn’t know what success looks like how can they possibly aim to achieve it? Before starting any new task set clear and achievable learning objectives. “Today you’ll focus on mastering preparation of a peripheral blood smear” is far better than “Make a slide”.
2. Make It Timely and Specific
Don’t wait until the end of the week to correct something you spotted on Monday. Feedback is most powerful when it’s immediate. And don’t just say “be careful with pipetting”—say, “air bubbles are forming because you’re releasing the plunger too quickly.” Specifics stick.
3. Focus on Behaviour, Not Personality
This one is crucial. Telling a trainee they’re “careless” achieves nothing but defensiveness. Instead, address the behaviour: “I noticed you didn’t label that bottle, this could confuse someone that comes along afterwards so let’s fix that before it happens”.
4. Encourage Dialogue, Not Lectures
Feedback isn’t a one way street, ever. Too many trainers fall into the trap of talking at trainees rather than with them. Ask them:
- What do you think went well?
- Where do you think you struggled?
That conversation builds ownership of learning, not dependency.
5. Turn Mistakes into Learning Opportunities
Mistakes will happen, labs are high-pressure environments. But every mistake is a choice point: you either make it a punishment or you make it a learning experience. Calm and constructive feedback always produces better scientists than fear driven correction or blame culture.
6. Reinforce Growth, Not Just Competence
Don’t let feedback stop at “once you’re signed off, you’re done.” Competence isn’t an endpoint, it’s a milestone. Feedback should encourage curiosity and continuous development. That’s what keeps trainees engaged long after the training period ends.
The Role of Training Officers and Managers
If you’re responsible for training, this is where it gets serious. Feedback isn’t just something you do occasionally it’s something you plan to do regularly and even better, it’s something that happens naturally outside of planned and formal occurences. It needs time in the schedule just like daily tasks do. If you don’t prioritise it trainees will feel like a burden and trainers will feel under pressure to fit it in wherever they can.
And if you’re managing the trainers? Remember this: trainers also need training. The ability to give feedback is a skill in itself, and a skill that improves with investment.
When feedback becomes part of everyday practice rather than an afterthought, the culture of the lab changes. People stop fearing mistakes and start embracing growth. That shift is powerful.
Blood Geek 