Expanding the Feedback Loop

Feedback is a critical component that influences roles, responsibilities, and overall effectiveness. Let’s delve into the dynamics of feedback, its role in decision-making, and how it can be harnessed to elevate teams and organizations.

Understanding Systems Feedback

Every decision is an opportunity for feedback and relies on it. According to basic systems theory, every system involves taking an input, transforming it through a process, and producing an output. Feedback on that output informs whether the process should change (negative feedback) or remain the same (positive feedback).

Feedback at the Individual Level

In our daily lives, we often change our behavior only when we receive negative feedback. For example, if you eat a hamburger every day and feel fine, you’ll likely continue this habit. However, if you receive feedback from your doctor about high blood pressure, or you experience digestive issues, you might change your eating habits. This negative feedback prompts a change in your input to achieve a desired output.

Feedback in Organizations

Organizations function similarly. Imagine a company with a successful product that suddenly experiences a decline in sales. This negative feedback indicates the need for changes in the output process. The organization must gather feedback from various parts of its ecosystem and make several decisions to address the decline.

Determining the Amount of Feedback Needed

The complexity and impact of a decision dictate the amount of feedback required. Urgent decisions with limited impact might not need extensive feedback. In contrast, significant policy decisions require broad feedback and the involvement of more people to ensure thorough consideration and acceptance.

Leaders often find that decisions made without adequate feedback lead to decreased productivity and efficiency. Thus, incorporating feedback into decision-making processes is crucial for sustainable growth.

Embracing Collective Feedback

There are numerous models for organizational feedback, often focusing on operational or performance aspects. However, collective feedback—centered on the ecosystem's perceptions and insights—adds another valuable dimension. At Open Circle we use collective practices that are not transactional? like the Listening Circle to gather collective feedback, integrating diverse perspectives into the organization or project. This is not a tick the box exercise but instead the form of the listening circle creates a feedback loop immediately in the way people listen, share and witness each other's perspectives.

Elevating the Team through Collective Feedback

Collective feedback not only provides diverse insights but also elevates team thinking. When feedback is shared and witnessed by others, it enhances the team’s overall mindset and knowledge, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Feedback Across the Organizational Life Cycle

The type and extent of feedback required can vary depending on the life stage of an organization or project. Here is some examples:

• Birth or Childhood Phase: Creativity and experimentation are crucial. Feedback might be minimal to preserve the creative process, allowing individuals or small teams to move quickly and innovate.
• Growth Phase: As the organization scales, structured feedback systems become vital. With more people impacted by decisions, feedback ensures sustainability and long-term success, shifting focus from individual creativity to collective stability.
• Structural Change: In preparation for change and transition you may consider involving the staff in decisions on how the change will affect them and preparation for that. This is a perfect opportunity for collective feedback.While change almost always triggers a feeling of lack of control, this can assist in building team resiliency and some sense of agency in how each person or role can respond to it in their environment.

Expanding Your Feedback Choices

The key principle is to expand your choices in feedback:

• Negative Feedback: Changes the system by identifying areas needing improvement.
• Positive Feedback: Reinforces the current process, indicating success.
• Collective Feedback: Elevates thinking without driving toward a specific outcome, enhancing the team's overall perspective and mindset.

Feedback is a powerful tool in shaping roles, responsibilities, and the overall health of teams and organizations. By strategically being aware and aligning the type of feedback gathered to outcomes, leaders can drive meaningful change, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure alignment with organizational goals and values.

Join us on July 17th to explore more at Culture Unboxed: Aligning Purpose and Practice.

??? Date: July 17th

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Registration: weareopencircle.com/new-events/july-2024-culture-unboxed-miniworkshop

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