Melissa Miller is the cofounder and COO of The Mintable.
Meaningful, consistent feedback is a key component of a high-performance workplace culture.
In a 2022 Gallup survey, employees who received meaningful feedback in the previous week were four times more likely than other employees to be engaged. Employees who received daily versus annual feedback were 3.6 times more likely to strongly agree that they were “motivated to do outstanding work.” And in a 2019 Zenger Folkman survey, 94% of respondents agreed that corrective feedback improved their performance when presented well, and almost 75% said their performance and possibilities for success would have increased if they had received more feedback.
HR is tasked with creating a feedback culture, yet finding the right tool for the job can be elusive. Tools that facilitate training and documentation are crucial for building awareness and connection and maintaining compliance and record keeping, but they don’t get at the heart of creating an ongoing, consistent habit.
The State Of Feedback Today
Feedback must be a regular habit to be effective, but in many workplaces, it comes in fits and starts. Habits are formed through a loop, made up of a cue, a routine and a reward. Yet this loop is broken in today’s feedback process.
• Cue: Traditional cues for feedback, such as annual reviews or team performance problems, are infrequent and lagging, falling short of creating a consistent feedback culture. They consist of annual (or semi-annual) performance reviews, reminders during employee engagement survey season or during the occasional management training.
• Routine: Ideally, routines are as easy as possible, so that you are likely to try to repeat them. Often, the routine of giving feedback is challenging. You must navigate different styles, be cautious about avoiding biased language and provide the right balance of positive and constructive feedback.
• Reward: Rewards don’t have to be trophies or cookies. Instead, think of a reward as something that motivates someone to take this action again. Giving feedback doesn’t usually offer immediate gratification. These conversations are often invisible work, happening one-on-one behind closed doors. If you give positive feedback, you may receive a smile or thanks in return. If it is a hard conversation, the response may be tears, frowns or silence—none of which feels very rewarding in the moment.
The Future Of Feedback
There is no silver bullet for building the perfect feedback culture. But you can realign your tools and processes to create a better feedback loop and hence build a habit. A successful feedback process must be a consistent, integral part of your day-to-day operations and focus on establishing cues, routines and rewards.
Think of it like starting a new workout routine. You need a clear cue (an alarm on your phone), an easy routine (not even going to the gym but just putting on your running shoes) and an enjoyable reward (listening to your favorite podcast).
• Cue: Feedback isn’t always top of mind when you have a long list of responsibilities as a manager. Make cues timely and relevant to job roles and expectations. For example, you could start Feedback Fridays, where everyone spends 30 minutes giving feedback about a specific, pertinent topic—such as focusing one week on upfront contracts for the sales team. The only way this works is with buy-in. Leadership needs to be bought in. Actions speak louder than words. If leadership continually books over this time or signals that they don’t value it by not doing it, then the cue is dead in the water.
• Routine: Make it easy for people to give feedback. Harness technology, such as AI-powered tools, in a responsible manner to help managers craft high-quality feedback while saving time. Pick a feedback style and format that works for your crew, such as SBI, STAR or EEC. Ask that everyone stick to that format so folks don’t have the mental hurdle of having to pick a format as well as the feedback itself.
• Reward: Positive reinforcement goes a long way in motivating people to keep the loop going and establishing a strong feedback culture. Give kudos on public channels for those who appreciate that type of recognition, but don’t stop there. Connect exemplary feedback practices to rewards that matter to employees, including performance reviews, promotions and raises. Ensure that managers of managers and leadership in general know to recognize great feedback when they see it and acknowledge people who have leaned into hard conversations.
A feedback culture won’t just develop on its own. You need to be intentional about building ongoing feedback habits within your teams. If you invest in creating meaningful cues, routines and rewards, you can foster a feedback culture that drives long-term engagement, performance and satisfaction.
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