“Joe, I have some feedback for you. Can we schedule a chat before 5pm?”
Joe reads this email, his mind whirs and he feels his heart race. He begins to think about all of the things that his manager is going to tell him that’s wrong. His mind jumps to plan a, plan b and a rehearsed response. As he enters the zoom call at 5pm, full of trepidation, his hands shaking as he waits in anticipation for the meeting to begin.
“Joe, good job – that project was delivered on time and the feedback has been exceptional. I would like to congratulate you on your quality, hard work and fantastic communication skills – well done”
How many of you can relate to this fictional story?
The word ‘feedback’ is proven to ignite the fight/flight response in many of us. In fact data shows that fear of feedback is linked psychologically to when we feel threatened, which means we instinctively have a fight or flight response. Not only does receiving feedback increase stress, but giving feedback can ignite the same response. Our brains are designed to scan for danger, prepare for the worst – after all this kept us safe from being killed in the cave days. Humans like to feel safe, comfortable and we like to feel familiar – so the unpredictable nature of giving or receiving feedback can easily tip us into the danger zone.
Latest Gallup data shows that 80% of employees who say that they have received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged in their role. The same study also demonstrates that employees are 3.6 times more likely to strongly agree that they are motivated to do outstanding work when their manager provides daily (vs. annual) feedback.
The power of the manager
First line managers are crucial in driving a feedback culture. If you are a first line manager, we encourage you to set the scene with your team. Making it clear that the word feedback has the intention of driving excellence, is future focused, based on evidence and never personal. Inviting feedback and being comfortable receiving it is also crucial driving a feedback culture. Well intentioned two way feedback will also drive psychological safety, encourage a growth mindset, foster innovation and drive brilliance in teams.
Why company wide feedback frameworks are essential
Consistent company wide feedback models are crucial in fostering brilliance. Whilst feedback is essential, learning how to deliver it will reap rewards. Consistency is key, and training all of the leadership team in the art of delivering and receiving feedback is essential in driving human sustainability.
5 top tips when giving feedback
- Never make it personal
- ‘Contract’ or set the scene with the team/individual receiving the feedback. Set expectations about the conversation and your intention in giving the feedback
- Avoid ‘fluffing’ around what you are trying to say, clarity is key and contributes to psychological safety
- Use specific feedback models and use the same one in every team
- Make sure feedback is both positive and constructive, and that leaders welcome regular feedback using the same models from their team.
Driving a feedback culture can really harness innovation, encourage collaboration, increase confidence and drive wellbeing in organisations. In our experience, companies that invest in training people leaders to feedback with confidence experience higher performance and a growth mindset culture.
We work with organisations to build confidence in delivering crucial conversations and to foster a feedback culture without fear. We love to work with people leaders to embrace, not avoid a crucial conversation through training and coaching – a crucial component of driving human sustainability in your workforce.