How do you create a feedback culture that encourages growth in your team?

In my experience providing feedback in cross-functional teams can be really daunting and painful experience. It's a matter of continual promotion among the organization's leaders and managers to remind everyone that the company goal is the same for everyone. Often there is this "fight" among teams that pretty much is about who is responsible for what. Rather than "how to get stuff done." Appointing feedback promoters helps. I also find it helpful to regularly hold team facilitation sessions, where teams share how they are affected by low-quality information and what are the quick fixes to change it.

Feedback is a leaders responsibility to grow and develop others. But feedback needs to be near real time. Much like a coach / player relationship you pull the player off the field, provide feedback, tell them they can do it, then send them back into the game. Feedback needs to relate to what improvement is needed and be factual with a dose of being confident in the individuals ability.

Foster a feedback culture by prioritizing open communication and trust. Start with regular, structured feedback sessions where constructive input is balanced with positive reinforcement. Encourage a growth mindset by framing feedback as a tool for development rather than criticism. Lead by example — show receptiveness to feedback and act on it. Create safe spaces for honest dialogue and ensure feedback is actionable and specific. Celebrate improvements and milestones to reinforce the value of feedback. By embedding these practices into your team's routine, you'll cultivate an environment where feedback drives continuous growth and collaboration.

Feedback is vital for any team to operate successfully. Set an example by asking and giving feedback! Establish a Safe Space for Honest Communication Provide Constructive Feedback to help them evolve. Highlight and honor those who welcome feedback. The process is improved with feedback from peers, and after calibration. A culture where feedback is prevalent provides the foundation for a high-energy team. Calibrate feedback expectations on a regular basis to ensure consistency. Prompt peer-to-peer feedback for a more well-rounded view. A feedback-rich environment is a hallmark of high-performance teams, after all.

For starters, the sandwich method is the most ineffective and outdated way to give someone feedback. Yet it can still be found in some handbooks today. The SBI model is decent and reliable. The problem with providing effective feedback is expectation management. I can only give proper feedback if I am clear on the expected task/behavior/goal in the first place. If only organizations would spend more time training people on providing specific and clear instructions rather than "how to feedback."

Try your absolute hardest to not take feedback personally. I also recommend to say thank you to whoever is giving feedback for taking the time to do so. It’s hard to give feedback and I see it as a gift (because many people may not take the time or effort to do so). Lastly, I always like to confirm and repeat back what I’ve heard to ensure that we are on the same page. Something like, “So what I’m hearing is…XYZ…is that correct?” This also helps to validate that the person giving the feedback is heard.

It is relevant to understand what feedback is and what is just some unnecessary comment. We live in a culture, where everything you are being told is labeled as "feedback". Yet often, the quality of the information and its intention could be more helpful. When receiving feedback, I need to understand if the feedback is genuinely constructive or not. Just because people have opinions about our work does not make it feedback. Usually, the more specific the feedback and the less emotional description it contains, the more likely you are to receive quality-based information to work with.

Building a feedback culture is like nurturing a garden; it requires patience, care, and the right environment to thrive. In my role, I’ve found that leading by example and openly engaging in feedback sessions paves the way for a team that values growth. Training sessions and workshops are the sunlight and water, essential for nourishing this culture. Celebrating those who engage well in feedback acts as the fertilizer, encouraging others to follow suit. This approach has transformed my team, making feedback not just a tool for improvement but a cornerstone of our daily work. It’s a journey of continuous growth, where each feedback session is a step towards a more cohesive, resilient team.

In my experience, feedback must be able to be given and acted upon in BOTH directions. If you as a leader are not willing to look at yourself in the mirror and confidently accept that you are not perfect yourself, then your team or cross-functional partners will sense that and the feedback channel will break. Being vulnerable as a leader takes guts. And it takes guts to hear feedback and then act on it. When you are open to feedback and you show your team and peers that will act on their feedback, it creates a beautiful culture of learning and improvement for everyone.

Leading by example is of utmost importance. You can only expect your team to have a positive attitude towards feedback if you yourself can handle it and are able to promote it. It is helpful to be clear about when and how the feedback is delivered. Consistency is key. Once the team agrees on rules and methods of feedback. You need to make sure this frame is stable and consistent in time.

Peer pressure is a most effective way to coalesce team focus. People are group hunter/gatherers at our core, and nobody wants to let down their team/tribe. If they do, they hear about it from their teammates. In guy-world, the rules are not dissimilar to a high school locker room. Women, often with vastly superior organization skills, can change that dynamic for the better. The wise Boss not only empowers the team to succeed, s/he works really hard actively removing barriers to the team's success, which are always myriad. This includes motivating other Bosses to shuck the confines of Corputopia, push the envelope where needed, and to dare to ask for forgiveness rather than permission as necessary to support the team.

Foster a learning environment: This will allow the individuals to encourage a growth mindset and promote continuous learning within the team. Example: Conduct regular knowledge-sharing sessions or brown bag lunches where team members can share their experiences, lessons learned, and best practices. Encourage individuals to provide feedback on each other's presentations or demonstrations, creating a safe space for constructive critique.

When thinking about feedback, we often overcomplicate it. Could you be clear about your goals and expectations toward others? Always stick with the description of the situation/goal or behavior rather than your emotions. Just because someone or something makes you sad or furious does not mean it's a subject of feedback. The issue is the task or behavior that still needs to be delivered as promised. Contrary to this belief, if the input is positive, show as much emotion as is appropriate to the relationship. Always think about how you would like to receive feedback and how helpful or constructive your feedback will be.

I have found that most 'managers' have no trouble in GIVING feedback, but really are afraid of GETTING feedback, especially negative feedback. Hence the 'kill the messenger' syndrome rears it's ugly head, which will effectively stifle any real two way feedback. How do you fight this?? Develop trust in your teams that there will be no negative consequences for 100% honest 360 degree feedback. Guess what will happen, communication will improve.