Feedback is essential for learning, improvement, and innovation in any organization. However, creating a feedback-rich culture is not easy. It requires trust, openness, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. In this article, you will discover some of the best ways to foster a feedback-rich culture that drives innovation in your workforce management (WFM) team.
Before you start giving and receiving feedback, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you want to behave. What are the feedback goals and values of your WFM team? How do they align with your organizational mission and strategy? How do they support your innovation efforts? Communicate your feedback goals and values to your team members and stakeholders, and make sure they understand the benefits and expectations of feedback.
Start with the Tone at the Top. Co-opt your senior leaders into being the ambassadors of feedback culture by sharing stories and role-modeling how they seek, give and receive feedback. Without leadership support and their active involvement, it's likely to remain an "HR thing".
Feedback is most effective when it is given and received frequently and promptly. Waiting for annual reviews or formal meetings to share feedback can reduce its impact and relevance. Instead, create a culture where feedback is part of your daily routine and workflow. Use various channels and methods to give and receive feedback, such as face-to-face conversations, online tools, surveys, peer reviews, and coaching sessions. Make feedback a habit, not an event.
Make feedback part of daily routines. People are unlikely to ask or give feedback unless it's required. So, incorporate pair-feedback moments into your team meetings, insist on after-action review sessions upon completion of any project, do feedforward sessions in all of your leadership programs, start the 2+2 feedback routine (see Marc Effron's article), etc. The benefit of turning feedback into a habit, routine, or regular practice is that it makes it a norm. Normalization of feedback removes the fear. And when there is no fear, it's easier to exchange feedback. A virtuous circle!
Feedback can be positive or negative, but it should always be constructive and specific. Rather than focusing on faults and failures, focus on strengths and opportunities. How can you leverage the strengths of your WFM team members to drive innovation? How can you help them overcome their challenges and grow their skills? How can you celebrate their achievements and learn from their mistakes? Provide feedback that inspires and motivates your team to innovate, not feedback that demoralizes and discourages them.
I often work with leaders who don't give feedback to their subordinates. Not that they don't tell them anything at all, but they don't tell them the BIG THINGS: what holds them back, what they need to improve, what creates "noise", etc. I ask them a question, "If somebody had information about how you could be more successful, would you like them to share it with you?" Invariably, they say 'yes'. My next question is "Then, why do you keep that information from your team members?"
Feedback is not only a one-way street from managers to employees. It is also a two-way street between peers, colleagues, customers, and partners. To create a feedback-rich culture that drives innovation, you need to seek feedback from diverse sources and perspectives. How do your WFM team members perceive your performance and behavior? How do your customers rate your products and services? How do your partners evaluate your collaboration and communication? Seek feedback from different sources to gain a holistic and balanced view of your WFM team's strengths and weaknesses.
Feedback is useless if it is not acted upon and followed up. To create a feedback-rich culture that drives innovation, you need to show that you value and appreciate feedback by implementing it and measuring its results. How do you incorporate feedback into your WFM team's goals and plans? How do you track and report on the progress and outcomes of feedback? How do you acknowledge and reward the feedback providers and receivers? Act on feedback and follow up to demonstrate its impact and importance.
Feedback can be challenging and uncomfortable for both the giver and the receiver. To create a feedback-rich culture that drives innovation, you need to create a safe and supportive environment where feedback is welcomed and respected. How do you establish trust and rapport with your WFM team members and stakeholders? How do you ensure that feedback is given and received with empathy and respect? How do you handle feedback conflicts and disagreements? Create a safe and supportive environment where feedback is constructive and positive, not destructive and negative.