How to Establish a Feedback Culture in Your Company

A feedback culture involves the regular and transparent practice of providing constructive feedback to improve individual and collective performance. This practice enhances communication, collaboration, and employee recognition. Moreover, 65% of employees want more feedback, and 80% of millennials prefer instant feedback. An effective feedback culture can reduce turnover by 14.5%. So, how can you establish a feedback culture in your organization?

What is Feedback in a Company?

Feedback in a company involves giving or receiving input on a colleague’s behavior, performance, or results. It can be solicited or unsolicited, individual or collective, formal or informal, positive or negative. The goal is to learn to give and receive constructive feedback.

Opportunities for Feedback

Feedback can be expressed in various situations:

• Individual Feedback: One-on-one meetings and annual performance reviews.
• Collective Feedback: Team meetings and 360° reviews.
• Global Feedback: Annual surveys, monthly pulse surveys, and project-related inquiries.

Keys to a Good Feedback Strategy

1. Assess the Current Situation: Evaluate the company’s context and existing feedback practices.
2. Clarify Needs and Goals: Define what the company aims to achieve with feedback.
3. Select Appropriate Tools: Choose feedback tools that align with your goals.
4. Train Managers and Employees: Teach the best feedback practices.

Providing Effective Feedback

Feedback in a company can take different forms. It can be:

• Given or Received: Learning to accept feedback is crucial.
• Solicited or Unsolicited: Sought by an employee or offered by a colleague without request.
• Individual or Collective: Directed at a single employee or a team.
• Formal or Informal: Written or during daily interactions.
• Positive or Negative: Or a mix, though mixed feedback can be less effective.
• Conditional or Unconditional: Related to a specific situation or based on inherent qualities, which should be avoided.
• Self-Evaluative or Empirical: Based on self-critique or objective results.
• Continuous, Regular, or Occasional: Through daily rituals, regular mechanisms like pulse surveys, or occasional events like annual reviews.

In all cases, good feedback should be:

• Frequent: Shared regularly.
• Clear: Based on concrete observations.
• Constructive: Focused on improvement.
• Understood: The recipient should assimilate the information.
• Actionable: Implementable immediately.

To encourage feedback between managers and employees, it’s important to:

• Ritualize Frequent Feedback
• Facilitate Instant Feedback Sharing

Feedback Tools and Rituals

• Supermood Pulse Surveys: Short, regular company-wide surveys.
• Popwork Guided Feedback Sessions: Structured, regular exchanges between managers and employees.
• Popwork Instant Feedback sharing

The Crucial Role of Managers

Managers play a key role in fostering a feedback culture. They must be aware, trained, and equipped to fulfill this mission. Tools like Supermood and Popwork help managers interact better with their teams and establish a solid feedback culture.

Managers have a significant impact on human capital: 57% of resignations are due to the direct manager. Managers are crucial in motivating, engaging, and enhancing the performance of employees. Regular feedback prevents stagnation and frustration, allowing employees to progress and thrive.

The problem: Despite their efforts, managers are overwhelmed and exhausted. On average, they oversee 11 people, with two-thirds struggling to manage their team, and 64% experiencing psychological distress. It’s urgent to equip, train, and support managers to help them fulfill their strategic roles. As a leader or HR professional, you must enable your managers to perform effectively.

In addition to the previously mentioned tools, several strategies can support managers in promoting a feedback culture:

• Educate Managers on the importance of feedback culture and their central role.
• Ensure Employee Buy-In by demonstrating that feedback practices enhance their daily lives.
• Monitor Feedback Rituals to make necessary adjustments.
• Provide Training, Coaching, and Support to help managers implement feedback practices.

In Summary

To establish a feedback culture, choose the appropriate types of feedback, disseminate best practices, use suitable tools, and support managers. This creates an environment where feedback becomes a powerful tool for employee performance and satisfaction.

To learn more about how to transform your company's feedback culture with Popwork: https://pop.work/