Positive Feedback

As one of the work streams of our ambitious people projects launched this year we have introduced an app to foster a culture of trust and transparency through regular positive feedback. 

I’ve written earlier this year on the topic of feedback, and how to give and receive constructive feedback for development, but as feedback remains a hot topic of the moment I’m penning this second article. During the numerous exchanges I’ve had with literally thousands managers over the past months moderating webinar sessions, questions and answers on our online management community, or indeed through face to face exchanges in the office, I realise this is a topic that really incites much debate, and divergence of opinion. 

One of the key debates that has intrigued me and raised my interest (other than the means of feedback through an app versus face to face) is why focus on “positive” feedback. 

Positive or Constructive?

Firstly, you’ll notice I haven't used the word “negative”. This is because I believe, if done properly, all feedback is caring and well intentioned. I do however distinguish between two types of purpose or intention for feedback. 

The first intention is the one we generally hear about more often in management circles : constructive feedback. This is crucial in a manager’s role as coach of the individual in their development, to help factually identify a specific event, focus on the emotional impact it had, and to work with them in a trusting and open dialogue to explore alternative ways should a similar situation be encountered in future. Sometimes we speak of “feedforward” with this type of feedback as it generally focuses on expressing a need to alter, improve or change something in future. 

Positive feedback meets a different purpose or intention: one of encouragement, celebration, or reinforcement. This is also a crucial skill for the manager-coach, both for individuals in the team but importantly also collectively to celebrate success and federate the team members and promote a good team spirit. 

Put simply the two conceptions of intention for feedback sound simple. Yet, I sometimes feel like a fish out of water: an anglo-saxon Brit in a French Headquarter working culture, and it is sometimes it is easy to underestimate the cultural biases that impact the openness to feedback, and particularly to positive feedback. What comes naturally in some cultures is harder in others. It may be a horrid stereotype but, whilst my colleagues in Houston will describe an initiative as “awesome”, my British compatriots may refer to it as “interesting” or if I’m lucky “good”, whereas in the office in Paris I rejoice at a comment of “ce n’est pas mal” (it's not bad).

Types of recognition 

Realising that there are cultural differences is important but I remain convinced of the power feedback as a management tool, and that ultimately whether American, British or French (or indeed any other nationality or culture) we all have basic human needs, one of which is recognition. 

At the most basic level feedback feeds our need for existentiel recognition - feedback is an opportunity to exchange, dialogue and acknowledge. By its very nature it meets a fundamental social need to exist and be heard or seen. We can refer to this as the “who”.

Beyond this basic entry level, feedback also meets the need to recognise the process of work, either in the way someone works - their behaviour, skills or professional competencies - or in their effort, implication or investment that they have made. My personal view is these two types of recognition on work process (behavioural practice or practical implication, or the “how”) are the sweet spot for developmental feedback and should be the main focus of the manager-coach.

A fourth category of feedback focusses on the result of the work. This is commonly where many people focus their feedback. The “what” focussed feedback is the low hanging fruit, the easy option. Feedback on the result recognises the output itself, the fruits of the work process. 

Feedback that only focusses on one of these types of recognition is never going to suffice by itself. Only ever giving feedback when a job is finalised and the deliverable finished will often be too infrequent, too late, and may crucially totally omit the important behavioural aspects or the effort that was made. A mix of all types of recognition is crucial, not just focusing on the “who” or the “what” but importantly on the “how”. 

Needless to say, either constructive or positive intentioned feedback can meet our needs for recognition on any of these four categories and help people learn, grow and develop. 

 The power of positivity

One of the fascinating aspects about positive feedback for recognition and encouragement is the effect it has on our mental state. 

When we receive positive feedback it feels like we have been rewarded. Recent neuroscience research indicates that receiving positive recognition activates the same areas in our brain that are activated when we receive money – the ventral striatum and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex. It also said to release the neurotransmitter dopamine which is associated with motivation, focus, and positivity. In other words, positive feedback activates our brain’s reward circuit, and the brain is encouraged to repeat the same task to be able to feel that rewarding dopamine ‘high’ again and again, so we become more willing to complete a hard or stressful task than we otherwise would without the positive feedback recognition. 

Contrastingly, the more traditional “controlling” or “directive” management styles focusing on critical feedback gives the brain an adverse reaction. The stressors are rising, pulling up anxiety and danger-response elements like cortisol. Our brain’s natural reaction is to shut down the source of the stressor, so there is a much higher chance of disregarding criticism, even valid ones. 

Instead of using feedback as a tool to discuss “bad” behaviour, choosing instead to reward desirable behaviour through positive feedback is a more effective strategy for effective development. 

A word of caution 

I think by now you get my point. Positivity is good. It works wonders, it harnesses the brain’s natural reward mechanisms meaning we are working with our cerebral chemistry and not fighting against it. However, an important point must be noted here. Positive feedback will only have this effect when given and received in a trusting relationship. 

Giving fake or insincere positive feedback can actually have the opposite effect. We know deep down how to distinguish between praiseworthy and non-praiseworthy actions. While an insincere feedback may still feel momentarily good because of the short term dopamine surge, if perceived as insincere it is bound to create distrust which in turn heightens our danger-response instincts and our brain releases cortisol, cancelling most of the positive effects of the feedback. So, a key to using positive feedback efficiently is to do so authentically and genuinely. 

To conclude, by recognising our basic human need for recognition, using basic principles of neuroscience to harness the brain’s reward circuit, a manager-coach who authentically and sincerely embraces positive feedback will drive their team to persevere, perform, grow and develop. 

Alan Lambert is a people development projects leader in the corporate HR Strategy team for the fourth largest energy major