How can you establish a feedback loop that supports innovation and collaboration?

One common technique is to use a future-focused language (e.g. next time, let's try ...) while providing feedback, instead of focusing on what is wrong, if you are really interested in boosting improvement and learning for the future.

You must know your organization and your people. What are their preferred ways of giving feedback—survey, focus group, conversations with their boss, individual conversations, or virtual polls to name just a few. Don’t over-engineer the process. Meet your stakeholders where they are and in their preferred form of feedback, and you’ll get powerful insights. I prefer democratic feedback tools that allow for a flat, versus hierarchical, feedback solicitation. Often your junior or frontline employees have some of the most innovative—and applicable—ideas. It beats the board room every time. Don’t be afraid to start small and build competence and confidence from quick wins and benefit from behavioral momentum.

The genuine heart of innovation lies beyond mere technology—it's deeply rooted in mindset and collaboration. When we talk about feedback loops, it's essential to recognize that innovation is driven by collective belief. By actively involving the team in the feedback loop, you're not just promoting transparency; you're instilling ownership and accountability. How can we expect to shatter the barriers of conventional thinking if the voices guiding us aren't diverse, inclusive, and invested? Involving every team member ensures that all perspectives are accounted for, and often, it's these unique viewpoints that spark the brightest ideas. So, do you truly engage all voices, or do you merely hear them? Challenge the norm.

The worst thing you can to is to ask an opinion, then ignore the answer. Though that’s rarely the aim of these exercises, if we don’t act on feedback and broadcast this to our team, teams may feel that their opinion isn’t value—the opposite of what we need for innovation. Consider hosting coaching sessions for your organization leaders on how they can illustrate the positive impact of feedback and ensure that the process is getting the airtime it deserves. You’ve done the work, so give yourself the credit!

In one of the organizations I worked with, I saw a continuous feedback loop. They had a tight-knit software development team and a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Every week they meet for retrospectives discussing the developments, exchanging interesting ideas and providing constructive feedback. Their commitment to this feedback loop has proven to be a game changer. It’s not just about identifying areas where processes and workflows can be improved; It is also a platform for creativity to unfold. New features and improvements that can make the product more impressive are constantly being considered. Apart from this they also started with online feedback form that allows to submit and receive anonymous feedback regularly.