Here's how you can foster an open and constructive feedback culture in the workplace.

To foster a feedback culture within my financial team, I’ve always led by example. ???? Regularly, I engage in open and meaningful conversations with each team member to discuss their performances, goals, and areas for development. ?? I show appreciation for their hard work and contributions, and I’m always receptive to their suggestions and feedback. By modeling the importance of constructive and timely feedback, I’ve set a standard for the team, promoting an environment of trust and continuous professional growth. ?? #FeedbackCulture #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment

Everybody makes mistakes. Recognizing and openly admitting your own mistakes in front of your team demonstrates a powerful commitment to transparency and trust. Not only are you humanizing yourself as a leader, but you are also reinforcing the notion that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning and growth process. Conducting team retrospectives focused on projects or decisions where you played a pivotal role, and mis-stepped, shows your team that the primary goal is improvement, not perfection. By embracing accountability, you create an environment where team members feel safe to express concerns and contribute constructive feedback.

I actively seek feedback from my team, demonstrating a willingness to listen and adapt. This includes soliciting opinions on decisions, asking for suggestions on improvement, and acknowledging the value of diverse perspectives. By transparently sharing my own experiences and challenges, I model humility and vulnerability. Additionally, I make it a point to provide timely, specific, and constructive feedback to my colleagues, reinforcing the importance of communication. By setting an example of openness and respect, I create an environment where others feel safe and encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas.

When we create a safe environment, where people are respected and their efforts are acknowledged we see that people are more open to change and take feedbacks seriously

Leading with transparency and integrity, I build trust and model active listening. I emphasize feedback as a routine part of growth, providing training and resources for effective communication. Addressing concerns promptly shows commitment to employees' input, while offering confidential channels ensures honest feedback. Recognizing achievements publicly also helps nurture a respectful and supportive atmosphere.

I establish a feedback policy that defines the purpose, channels, and timing for giving and receiving feedback. This policy ensures everyone understands how to participate in the process. I also promote a balanced approach, encouraging both positive and constructive feedback to foster growth. Training sessions on effective communication help employees engage in respectful, solution-oriented conversations. I maintain transparency by regularly reviewing and updating the framework to align with the company's evolving needs and goals.

I focus on providing employees with practical tools and strategies for giving and receiving feedback effectively. Workshops on active listening, emotional intelligence, and clear communication help employees navigate conversations with empathy and clarity. Additionally, I prioritize role-playing exercises and case studies to simulate real-world scenarios, enabling employees to practice feedback in a supportive environment. By empowering the team with these skills, I promote a culture of respect, continuous improvement, and collaboration.

In my experience, I have employed a free role management style coupled with an open door policy. I allow my team members to fully express themselves, hence take ownership and responsibility of their decisions. My door remains open whenever they feel the need to feedback or consultation. I have realized that micromanagement does not yield good results from the team and instead, it overshadows a lot of potential opportunities that an organization can from its work force. If your subordinates have a free role, they are much prepared to open up and have a voice to constructively contribute to any discourse.

Empathy Being empathetic allows social connections between the team. As a leader pay attention to nonverbal cues, listen attentively and allow team members to express themselves. This breeds a culture of trust and belonging. This culture encourages and promotes feedback

In my experience, as a Lean Six Sigma Certified Black Belt, I have come to realize most organizatios and people overcomplicate continuos improvement. In business, like in life, we tend to freeze when it comes to change and improvement. Most organizations (led by people) try to first create all the necessary environment conditions before they jump into improvement. One key principle coming from the Kanban philosophy is the following: "Start where you are". Don't try to spend countless hours and resources in creating the tools, the systems, the processes, the certifications, and a potential long etc. of "excuses". Improvement can and should happen now and where you are.

Life is all about continuous improvement and learning, so feedback should be a continuous ongoing process to improve rather than a one time event, it helps to improve performance and to improve overall functioning of a business