Fostering a Feedback Culture

Most organisations agree that embracing feedback could enhance their quality of service and grow their businesses. It could also improve elements such as employee motivation, reduce sick leave and staff turnover, and in turn, improve employer brand, making them more attractive to high-calibre employees. So why are feedback cultures so rare?

Because it takes a fully holistic approach. Yes, it needs to be seen and used at the top, but also at mid and junior levels. It also needs to work both ways: asked for, as well as offered. Finally, people within an organisation need to be aware of their own reactions to feedback, how to reflect on and use it. That is a big list, so where to start?

The elements that most impact in creating a feedback culture are:

Psychological Safety: An atmosphere where people feel respected and confident to voice their opinions and concerns without fear of negative repercussions.

Feedback Training: People learn how to give and receive feedback effectively.

Celebration of Accomplishments: Regularly communicating stories about achievements made through feedback.

Making Feedback the Norm: Encouraging frequent and regular feedback sessions to keep communication open and continuous.

Focusing on these four key areas can significantly contribute to the development of a strong and effective feedback culture and will need constant attention.

Feedback Techniques

Before I start looking at some feedback models, I’d like to state the obvious – feedback is not just for someone’s development; it should also be used to recognise things that are done well.

The Losada Ratio suggests that the ideal praise-to-criticism ratio for high-performing teams is 5:1. This means that for every negative comment, five positive comments should be shared. A Harvard study suggests that employees need to receive six positive pieces of feedback for every one constructive piece of feedback. Personally, I don’t believe there is a ‘one size fits all’ ratio, however, the research does strongly suggest that positive reinforcement has the biggest effect on improving future performance.

How to Ask for Feedback

Asking for feedback should be at all levels. Juniors, Mid-level, Managers and even Senior leaders should regularly ask for it - not just wait for their annual 360.

This can be an open request such as: ‘What would you like me to Stop, Start and Continue?’ Or for even better results, the IDEA model created by David Pendleton can be used:

How to Offer Feedback

Offering feedback is a skill that, when done well, can lead to significant improvements and a stronger team dynamic. The key lies in being clear, constructive, and compassionate, ensuring feedback leads to actionable growth and not resentment.

In an ideal world, this should always begin by asking the person if they would like some feedback. However, it is often the case that feedback needs to be given. There are countless feedback methods, but I find the simple ones are the most effective:

They all follow the same pattern:

• Describing the specifics of the situation, action, or observed behaviour.
• Explaining the impact or consequences of the action or observed behaviour.
• Suggesting an alternative - for developmental feedback, or

Asking them to continue - for recognitional feedback.

When providing feedback it should be:

How to Best Receive Feedback

To receive feedback and transform it into actionable insights, the following steps need to be taken:

• Recognise common reactions to feedback, which requires self-reflection which increases self-awareness.
• Truly listen to what the feedback provider is saying, instead of immediately preparing a response.
• Be open to feedback, hold off judgements, and avoid jumping to conclusions.
• Remember to pause and think before responding.
• Ask for clarification and examples if statements are general, unclear, or unsupported.
• Always give the feedback provider the courtesy of giving the matter some consideration.
• Thank the person who has given the feedback.

Using Feedback

Not every piece of feedback requires action. Deciding whether to make a change will depend on various factors. Here are some questions to consider before making a decision:

• Is there a way of checking if this information is correct?
• Is this a matter of perspective or preference?
• Does this align with previous feedback?
• Is the change possible?
• How important is the suggested change?
• Who might be impacted by this change?
• Is this the best time to make a change?

Finally, if the decision is made to make a change, consider who can support and who should be informed.

There is no doubt that having a feedback culture drives performance, fosters innovation, and ensures effective communication. Embracing feedback wholeheartedly will transform not only individual performance but also the collective success of the organisation.

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