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The Power of Feedback

The power of feedback is impressive, it can improve employee motivation and engagement and aid in moulding employees and guiding them towards a fulfilling career path. A strong feedback culture welcomes feedback and uses it to foster the growth of individuals, teams and organisation.

Creating a culture where employee voices are valued through one to one meetings, recognition programs, employee surveys etc. can also lead to company and financial improvements.

Culture is people, so it’s important to begin screening new employees to being open to a feedback-rich culture. Look for people with a growth mind-set who are keen to learn and improve themselves.

Feedback needs to be cultivated correctly. Improper feedback can come across as demotivating, discouraging and all around frustrating for employees. Investing in training to ensure employees have the right tools that can be implemented in the day to day culture as well as the training session is vital.

A good way to begin is to offer employees the opportunity to get to know one another well and understand the right way to deliver feedback to individuals. This will help to create a sense of trust and understanding which will help foster positive encounters.

Different employees have different comfort levels, so its important no to force feedback. Communication is key, setting expectations around who gives and receives feedback, how often, how it’s done and what we are hoping to achieve.  If it happens routinely, it becomes expected and integrates into everyday working life and we get better at it.

Research shows that the most positive long-term relationships have a balance of five positive to one negative interaction – keeping that in mind as a rule of thumb will ensure that employees don’t see ‘feedback’ as a negative, but also a route to positive praise.  This is motivating, but also keeps employees open-minded about hearing criticism because they know you are seeing it in balance with all the good work they do do. Worth researching for more engaged, happy teams, ready to tackle new challenges in a supported environment.

Louise Hewett.