Feedback is a cornerstone of professional growth and development, yet it's often approached with trepidation and anxiety. For leaders, it's essential to cultivate a culture where feedback is not only welcomed but embraced as a tool for personal and collective improvement.
In a global survey, 72% of the respondents rated “managers providing critical feedback” as something that would be most helpful to them in their career going forward but was currently lacking (Zenger & Folkman, 2014). Another survey conducted across more than 50 countries found that only 5% of employees believed that their managers provided candid and critical feedback about their performance (Mercer, 2013). There's clearly a mismatch in what employees want in terms of feedback and what they're actually receiving.
So how can we foster a culture of constructive and empathetic feedback within teams and among colleagues?
- Establish Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where team members feel safe to voice their opinions and receive feedback without fear of judgment is crucial. Leaders play a pivotal role in setting the tone by encouraging open communication and demonstrating vulnerability themselves. This is ongoing work that needs to be continuously focused on.
- Focus on Behavior, Not Personality: When giving feedback, concentrate on specific behaviors or actions rather than making it about the individual's character or personality. This approach helps in keeping the conversation constructive and avoids triggering a defensive response.
- Use the SBI Model: The Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model is an effective framework for delivering feedback. Start by describing the situation, then the behavior observed, and finally, its impact on the project, team, or organization. This structure provides clarity and context for the person receiving the feedback.
- Lead with Empathy: Before delivering feedback, put yourself in the recipient's shoes. Consider their perspective, emotions, and how they might perceive the feedback. Leading with empathy fosters trust and strengthens the relationship between colleagues.
- Encourage Two-Way Communication: Feedback should be a dialogue, not a monologue. Encourage recipients to share their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on the feedback received. This promotes mutual understanding and allows for constructive dialogue.
- Provide Timely Feedback: Prompt feedback is more impactful and actionable. Don't wait for formal performance reviews to address areas of improvement or praise noteworthy achievements. Timely feedback enables individuals to course-correct and build on their strengths effectively.
- Celebrate Feedback Culture: Recognize and celebrate instances where feedback leads to positive outcomes or improvements within the team or organization. Highlighting success stories reinforces the importance of feedback and encourages others to participate.
- Lead by Example: As leaders, managers, or experienced team members, lead by example by actively seeking feedback, both giving and receiving. Demonstrating a willingness to learn and grow sets the standard for others to follow suit.
- Offer Training and Resources: Not everyone is naturally adept at giving or receiving feedback. Providing training sessions, workshops, or access to resources on effective feedback techniques can empower individuals to engage in productive feedback exchanges.
- Regularly Solicit Feedback: Foster a continuous feedback loop by incorporating it into regular team meetings, project debriefs, or one-on-one check-ins. Encourage a culture where feedback is seen as a valuable tool for ongoing improvement rather than a one-time event.
Cultivating a culture of empathetic feedback requires intentionality, practice, and commitment from every member of a team and organization.
