How to succeed with PI Feedback conversations

A guide for HR and leaders

Giving feedback on PI Behavioral results is so much more than just showing a profile. For HR-specialists and leaders, it is an opportunity to create understanding, increase awareness, build relations, and promote both individual and organizational development. 

But how can PI feedback be delivered in a way that is meaningful, engaging, relevant, and truly adds value?

Here are some practical tips to enhance the impact of the PI feedback.

1. Start by being clear about the purpose of the feedback

Before the session, take a step back. What is the goal of the feedback? Is it supposed to support recruitment, onboarding, development, conflict, or team development? Clarifying the purpose helps build trust and focus on what’s most relevant.

The introduction is an important opportunity to create trust for the feedback session. Explain how PI is a work-related tool that focuses on drives, needs, and behavior. All results are unique, and everyone has their own strengths and challenges; there are no right or wrong, good or bad results. Clarify that the purpose is not to tell the person how they are, but to use the results as a starting point and explore if the person can relate to them. Conclude by explaining why you use PI and how it contributed to creating better conditions for collaboration, leadership, and development.

2. Put the results into context, and create a real understanding

When interpreting a PI profile, it is important to remember that the center point of the graphs represents the average expression of each drive and need within the population. This means that everyone has a certain need for, for example, both independence and collaboration, but depending on where a person's drives fall, they are likely to prefer one over the other.

In other words, it is not about a person lacking a certain ability, but about where the most natural behavior falls. An individual with a strong need to cooperate can certainly work independently, but will likely actively seek opportunities to involve other people. These types of nuances are important in a feedback session and often create greater understanding, both for the individual themselves and their relationships to others.

PI is always interpreted in context and in relation to other people. Some of the most valuable insights arise when we discover small differences between ourselves and others. Differences that affect how we communicate, cooperate, and make decisions. Highlighting these in the feedback session makes the discussion both relevant and impactful. 

3. Avoid technical PI terms and speak in a human language

When giving feedback, it is important to communicate clearly and simply, free from technical terms and internal jargon. This means avoiding letters and other internal PI terms.

Instead, describe the person's pattern with normal words. For example: 

• "In your result, it looks as if you are a person who likes to take initiative, has a high tempo, and likes freedom in solving tasks. Do you recognize yourself in that description?"

Also, avoid using only isolated adjectives such as "quick", "structured", or "social". Instead, put them into a context or use full sentences to make their practical meaning clear. For example:

• "You seem to thrive in an environment where you can be social and have contact with others in your work."

Instead of:

• "You are social. "

4. Create a curious discussion, not a presentation

A PI feedback session shouldn’t be about telling someone who they are or how they behave. The greatest value lies in exploring together. Use questions throughout the conversation to understand how the other person views their own behaviors and drives.

Use questions like: 

• "Can you relate to what I am describing? "
• "What comes to mind when you listen to this? "
• "How does this show in your everyday life? "
• "Does this resonate with you, or can you think of other examples? "

When the discussion is based in curiosity and respect, it becomes more accurate and engaging.

5. Bring forward strengths and put them into a relevant context

Start with the strongest factors in the profile (high or low A, B, C, or D) and give feedback that includes both the person’s needs and the behaviors that may result from those needs. Put it into a context that makes it relevant to the role, the collaboration, or the work environment.

Exemples:

• "Based on your results, it seems you thrive in environments with clear processes, order, and planning. You also appear to prefer having control over the details and work to create quality through being prepared, thorough, and systematic in your work style. Can you relate to this? "

When you place the feedback into a context, it becomes both more useful and meaningful. 

After going through the individual factors, take a look at the strongest factor relationships in the profile. What do they reveal? How do they reinforce the person’s overall pattern or create a unique dynamic? Connecting this with earlier reflections helps form a more complete picture.

6. Be open to discussing challenges

A good PI feedback session strikes a balance between confirming what already works and inviting reflection on potential challenges. Frame it in a way that encourages dialogue. For example: 

• "A person with this pattern may at times come across as a bit tough, not because that is the intention, but because they know what they want and stay focused on the result. Has that ever happened to you? "

When we normalize and add nuance to challenges, it often opens up for deeper reflection and understanding.

PI Feedback is a skill that can be trained and developed

Giving great feedback isn’t something you master overnight. But with the right preparation and mindset, PI can become one of the most powerful tools for strengthening self-awareness, building trust, and creating meaningful conversations. A well-delivered feedback session opens the door to reflection, deeper understanding, and new possibilities, for both the individual and the team. When delivered with curiosity, respect, and relevance, it can be a turning point or a starting point for a new level of development and collaboration.

Are you about to hold a PI feedback session but still feeling a bit unsure? Book a meeting with Klara Skoglösa at klara.skoglosa@predictio.com, and we will help you further develop your way of working with feedback!