What do you do if your team members are hesitant to provide feedback to each other?

If your team is a bit shy about giving feedback, it's time to create an environment where sharing is encouraged and celebrated! Lead the way by showing how constructive feedback can spark growth and improvement. Imagine setting up feedback sessions that feel like brainstorming parties—everyone gets to share their ideas openly and learn from each other. Throw in some fun training sessions where team members can practice their feedback skills through engaging role-playing activities. And remember to sprinkle in some positivity by highlighting how feedback fuels personal and professional development, making your team unstoppable!

Start by asking yourself why are your team members hesitant to provide feedback to each other? Understanding why will help you think of relevant and tailored strategies. Maybe the team lacks trust in one another, or they are afraid of hurting each other, or maybe they don’t know how to do it - these are just a few of the possible reasons. Start digging more and identify which one is relevant to your team. Discuss with each team member and identify what are their preferred ways of receiving and giving feedback. Make sure your team members feel safe within the team to also share their preferences. Also, do you as a leader, walk the talk? Are you asking for feedback or providing it when it’s requested? Do you act on the feedback received?

If you want your team to go from doubt to action, the bridge is the trust that you are going to build in them through: wanting, knowing and being able. How can you do it? 0. Tell them what’s your team objective in this topic, that you have a proposal to work on and ask them what do they think about it. Then, a process to work on in action can be… 1. Choose a situation in which you are exposed to them. 2. Announce that after it you need feedback from each of them and schedule an specific space. 3. During the feedback interaction, focus on “tell me more & thank you”. 4. At the end, give them feedback about how you felt and why (recommendations...etc) and the value it has had for you. 5. And know…”what do we do”? Thank’s for reading

If team members are hesitant to provide feedback to each other, it's essential to create a safe and supportive environment where constructive criticism is valued. Foster open communication by leading by example, encouraging transparency, and highlighting the benefits of feedback for individual and team growth. Implement feedback training sessions, establish clear guidelines for giving and receiving feedback, and use tools like anonymous feedback platforms if needed. Emphasize the importance of constructive feedback in driving continuous improvement and achieving team goals. By promoting a culture of trust and collaboration, team members will gradually become more comfortable sharing feedback with each other.

To foster a culture of feedback within a team, building trust is essential. It begins with transparency; as a leader, openly share your thoughts and be accountable for your decisions. Encourage feedback by actively listening and giving thoughtful responses, showing that all perspectives are valued. Establish a safe space where feedback is seen as a means for growth and improvement, not as a precursor to negative consequences.

Feedback in teams is vital for growth and collaboration. Ground rules should include specificity in feedback, focusing on behaviors rather than personal traits. Encourage respectful and empathetic delivery, timely addressing of issues, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. These rules ensure feedback contributes positively to team dynamics and individual development.

Provide Feedback Training: Offer training sessions or workshops to educate team members on the importance of giving and receiving feedback effectively. Teach active listening skills, constructive feedback techniques, and strategies for delivering feedback in a respectful and empathetic manner. Role-playing exercises and real-life scenarios can help team members practice and build confidence in giving feedback to their peers.

I stumbled across a method called Feedforward instead of feedback. The goal of this method is to create an environment where everyone asks for feedback and thank others when they get it. It works like this: 1. Ask another team member for feedback on a certain issue. 2. Listen without speaking. 3. Ask any clarifying questions and paraphrase their feedback. 4. Thank them. If this is truly a team who values feedback the other person will then do the same steps to get feedback from that first person. I learned in Toastmasters that feedback is like a pearl or a gift. Ever since then, I love to improve when my clients give me feedback!

I love the FeedForward method, coined by leading coach Marshall Goldsmith, and I wanted to offer more perspective on what it is and why it works so well. Feedback is often backward-looking, where we are presenting information or criticism around something that has already happened. FeedForward is the opposite, where we are focusing on future-oriented solutions. Instead of "what did I do wrong", we put the focus on "how can I keep growing and improving - and avoid past mistakes". It's more empowering and more companies are making the switch to this method in training.

Feedback is often perceived as judgmental. Facilitate practical and hands-on training that teaches how to give and receive feedback effectively. Integrate this practice into every meeting. At the conclusion of each meeting, allow each member to share what went well and what could be improved. Remember, feedback can truly be a gift ??

Through interactive workshops, we should emphasize the importance of specificity, empathy, and respect in feedback exchanges. Participants learn strategies for delivering constructive criticism while fostering a supportive environment for growth. With practical exercises and guidance, sessions should empower the team to navigate feedback conversations with confidence and professionalism, enhancing overall collaboration and performance.

See chapter 8 in my latest book, Managing Organizational Conflict published by McFarlandBooks. Review critical thinking and overcoming obstacles to solid team functioning.

"Alright team, remember, feedback is like a good recipe—too much salt and it's hard to swallow, but just the right amount and it can really spice things up around here! Now, c'mon! Go ahead..." ?? One effective method to encourage the practice of giving and receiving feedback is by modeling it for your team. Leadership behaviors are contagious, so as the leader, you may want to initiate the process for them.

Create Structured Feedback Channels: Implement structured feedback channels and processes within the team to facilitate regular and constructive feedback exchanges. Establish formal feedback sessions during team meetings or set up anonymous feedback mechanisms, such as online surveys or suggestion boxes, to encourage candid feedback from team members. Provide clear guidelines and expectations for giving feedback, including specific examples and actionable suggestions for improvement.

Celebrate Feedback Successes: Recognize and celebrate instances where team members effectively provide and receive feedback to each other. Highlight positive feedback stories during team meetings or through internal communications channels to reinforce the importance of feedback in driving personal and team growth. By celebrating feedback successes, you can reinforce desired behaviors and encourage a culture of continuous feedback and improvement within the team.

Desde mi perspectiva lo que es clave es establecer una cultura de feedback. Lo que más cuesta es a nivel personal, se puede comenzar en las reuniones. Por ejemplo si hay una reunión recurrente todos los martes, al acabar la reunión y de manera muy dinámica puedes preguntar: ?qué ha funcionado para mantenerlo en la siguiente?, y de cara a la semana que viene, ?qué podemos hacer diferente? Esto se rueda durante dos meses más o menos, de forma despersonalizada. Después se puede dar el paso y al finalizar la reunión decir, ahora vamos a dedicar un espacio a tener conversaciones de a dos sobre la percepción que tenemos unos de otros, después poner en valor lo que se ha hecho (?que suele gustar mucho!)

No hay equipo si no hay feedback entre sus miembros. En mi práctica como coach de equipos hay dos motivos para que no se dé el feedback: falta de confianza entre los miembros y falta de competencia para dar/recibir feedback. Lo que suelo hacer en mis intervenciones es trabajar en ambas.

In my experience, psychological safety is key to give and receive feedback. Absence of safety encourages lack of feedback. To build a culture where exchange of feedback is active, one has to nurture safety / open communication. - Foster an environment where team members feel safe and supported when giving and receiving feedback. - Emphasize confidentiality and mutual respect for each other's perspectives. - Encouraging team members to provide specific, actionable feedback rather than vague or judgmental or general comments. - Effective training on how to give and receive feedback is must.

Introduce Anonymous Feedback Tools: Implement a system where team members can provide feedback anonymously. This can help those who may be uncomfortable sharing their thoughts openly to contribute their insights without fear of repercussions. Over time, as trust builds, the team might shift towards more open and direct feedback mechanisms.

People can be more willing to be provide feedback in an anonymous setting, so creating a blinded survey to seek feedback could be a good way to get individuals to open up and provide more honest feedback.