360 Feedback Comment Examples: Emotional Intelligence

8 positive and 8 constructive comments you can adapt, plus a simple formula for writing your own.

Emotional intelligence is hard to comment on without guessing at feelings, so stick to what you saw and heard. Describe a moment, how the person read or managed the emotions in it, and the effect on others.

Positive comment examples

  • When a colleague was close to tears after the client call, you noticed, suggested a walk and covered her next meeting. It was quietly done and made a big difference.
  • You recognise when you are frustrated and say so: "I need ten minutes before I answer this." Your replies afterwards are always constructive.
  • In the restructuring announcement you acknowledged that people would feel uncertain before explaining the plan. The questions afterwards were calmer than we expected.
  • You pick up on mood in meetings. When the team went quiet during planning, you asked what was worrying us and we finally discussed the workload.
  • When I made a mistake on the board pack, you were disappointed but focused on fixing it with me rather than on blame.
  • You adjust how you give feedback to the person: direct with some colleagues, more gradual with others. Both groups take it on board.
  • Under pressure at quarter-end, you stayed steady and kept your sense of humour. The team followed your lead.
  • You remember what matters to people, like a colleague's parent being ill, and check in without making a fuss.

Constructive comment examples

  • When things go wrong at short notice, your frustration shows quickly in meetings. Taking a pause before responding would help others stay calm too.
  • You are very focused on tasks in one-to-ones. Asking how the person is doing before getting to the agenda would help them open up.
  • Feedback from you sometimes lands harder than you intend, especially with newer colleagues. Checking how it was received afterwards would help.
  • In the last two client escalations you defended the team before acknowledging the client's frustration. Starting with empathy would lower the temperature.
  • When a colleague raises a worry, the response is often a quick solution. Listening a little longer first would help them feel heard.
  • You sometimes take critical comments on your work personally and withdraw for a day or two. Asking a follow-up question instead would turn them into something useful.
  • Stress tends to show in your messages late in the week. Saving non-urgent replies for the next morning could help.
  • In team celebrations you tend to step back. Joining in, even briefly, would help newer colleagues feel more connected to you.

How to write your own comment

Use the Situation – Behaviour – Impact formula, then add one suggestion:

  1. Situation: when and where it happened ("In Tuesday's client call…").
  2. Behaviour: what the person actually said or did, not what you think of them.
  3. Impact: what it changed for you, the team or the customer.
  4. Suggestion (for constructive comments): one concrete thing to try next time.

Not sure your wording is fair? Paste it into the free feedback bias checker to catch vague or biased phrasing.

Frequently asked questions

How do you give feedback on emotional intelligence?

Stick to behaviour you observed, not assumptions about feelings. Describe the situation, how the person reacted or responded to others, and the effect, then suggest one small change.

Can emotional intelligence be measured in a 360?

Not directly, but a 360 shows how others experience someone's self-awareness, empathy and composure. Patterns across several reviewers are more reliable than any single comment.

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More comment examples

Looking for questions instead? See 360 feedback questions by role.