How to Give Feedback to Support Personal and Professional Growth

Feedback is all around us, whether in the form of a nod, a smile, or a comment on social media. It's a regular part of our lives and can come from many different sources, including colleagues, friends, family, and even pets 🙂

In a professional setting, managers often deliver feedback in performance reviews, but it's important to remember that feedback happens all the time, whether formal or informal.

How to Create a Culture of Feedback

To create a culture of feedback that fosters growth and innovation, companies must intentionally develop it through action and performance-oriented approaches. It's not enough to simply talk about having or wanting a culture of feedback.

Companies can use various tactics, such as social activities and team-building events, to develop this culture, but feedback must be embedded in the skills and day-to-day activities of employees, especially executives.

Model the behavior that you want to see.

To develop a culture of feedback, executives must model the behavior they want to see in other people. Executives often spend a lot of their time in a ‘what could go wrong’ type of world. Therefore, they gravitate towards a critical eye which leads to a lack of positive feedback. One goal that executives and leaders can set for themselves is to commit to giving one piece of positive feedback to one person every day. Then, once they develop the skills and practice of positive feedback, they can do it more intuitively. 

Consistency and Vulnerability 

Developing a culture of feedback requires consistency, practice, feedback about the feedback, and vulnerability. Leaders must name and model the behaviors they want to see from their team members. Giving and receiving feedback consistently and frequently is crucial, and not just only through software tools and anonymous surveys. 

Companies need to provide training, practices, reinforcement, and other investments to develop an engaging and effective culture around feedback. What’s more, over time feedback helps create a psychologically safe environment, which leads to more creativity, innovation, and ideation, and outcomes that can propel your business forward and align everyone around a shared vision.

Virtual and Hybrid Worlds 

In a virtual or hybrid world, feedback mechanisms require more intentional conversation through 1-on-1s and/or team meetings. For example, one method you could use and practice (to model the behavior) is to ask each employee to rate the effectiveness of each meeting and highlight what went well, what didn't, and what could change for the next one.

Positive Feedback vs. Constructive Feedback 

There are two common types of feedback: positive and constructive. 

Positive feedback focuses on what we're doing well and can come in the form of praise. 

On the other hand, constructive feedback is targeted toward improvement and should not just be a negative comment dropped on our lap. Constructive feedback should aim to help us grow and develop, and managers should deliver it with as much intent as possible.

Best Practices for Delivering Feedback

When delivering feedback, it's vital to have a clear intent and to know what you hope to accomplish. What is the goal of the feedback?

Sharing specific examples and data is key, as they help to provide context and make the feedback more meaningful and relevant. The impact of improvements and/or behavior shifts should also be shared, as it explains what changes are needed and why they matter. Finally, feedback should be delivered as a conversation, not just a one-way message.

Feedback should be delivered in the first person, using "I statements" that acknowledge the speaker's perspective and take ownership of their perceptions. It should be succinct and impactful but not necessarily brief. 

Some frameworks can help guide the feedback process and make it more intentional. These frameworks help to ensure that the feedback is succinct, impactful, and meaningful. They also help avoid common misfires, such as the "compliment sandwich," when positive feedback is given before and after a piece of constructive feedback.

Receiving Feedback

Receiving feedback is just as important of a skill as delivering it, and it's a skill that can be developed. People react differently to feedback based on their personalities, past experiences, and triggers. Still, it's important to remember that feedback should be received with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow.

Feedback is a critical component of personal and professional growth, and it's important to approach it with intent and a willingness to learn and grow. Whether you're delivering or receiving feedback, keep it balanced, specific, and impactful. 

To learn more about the art of positive feedback and to manage effective teams, sign up for the Foundation for Effective Leadership Program, which teaches these skills and provides frameworks for success.