How can you use feedback to promote team ownership?

1 Feedback culture

Creating a feedback culture in your team is the first step to using feedback to promote team ownership. This type of culture should expect, appreciate, and act on feedback from all members, not just managers. To create a feedback culture, you must set clear expectations and goals for your team and communicate them regularly. Additionally, provide feedback frequently, timely, and constructively, focusing on behaviors and outcomes rather than personalities or intentions. Ask for feedback from your team and show that you are open to receiving it and learning from it. Last but not least, recognize and reward feedback efforts and achievements, as well as celebrate successes together as a team.

2 Feedback skills

The second step to using feedback to promote team ownership is to develop your feedback skills and help your team do the same. Feedback skills involve the abilities to give and receive feedback effectively, such as listening, asking questions, expressing appreciation, and making suggestions. To hone these skills, practice feedback regularly and seek opportunities to improve your delivery and reception. Additionally, use a feedback model or framework, such as the SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact), to structure your feedback and make it clear and relevant. Balance praise and criticism in both positive and negative feedback, emphasizing strengths and opportunities. Use examples and evidence to support your statements, rather than making vague or general comments. Finally, ask open-ended questions to invite dialogue from your team and check for understanding and agreement.

3 Feedback ownership

The third step to using feedback to promote team ownership is to foster feedback ownership in your team. Feedback ownership is an attitude and behavior of taking feedback seriously and using it to improve work and performance, as well as being accountable for actions and results. To foster feedback ownership, involve your team in setting feedback goals and criteria, let them choose how they want to receive feedback and from whom. Empower them to give feedback to each other and you, and create a safe environment for peer feedback. Encourage them to reflect on their feedback, make action plans, follow up, learn from mistakes, overcome any barriers or resistance to feedback, and share their experiences with the team. Modeling feedback ownership yourself is also important. Feedback is not only a way of telling your team what they are doing well or poorly but also a way of engaging them in their work and development. By using feedback to promote team ownership, you can build a stronger, more productive, and more motivated team.