Taking the fear out of feedback 

When you hear the word ‘Feedback’, what connotations come to mind? 

Does the word conjure a picture of colleagues sharing learning in a supportive environment to enhance performance and effectiveness? Or does the word create a picture of fear, where feedback is focused on problems, is reactive, and is often a ‘one-off’ conversation? 

If it is the latter, you’re not alone! 

Feedback is important for fostering learning. If successful, feedback is a habit that can lead to better employee experience, team performance, and overall organisational success. Research conducted by McKinsey found that employees value and want more feedback to support their career development but fear asking for it (Blanding, 2022).  

We know feedback is valuable, so why the fear? Feedback is often associated with criticism, making it somewhat uncomfortable to give or receive it. There are also strong associations with organisational process, structure, and compliance, rather than recognising the importance of relationships, and the value of giving and receiving feedback.   

Research demonstrates that where a high level of trust exists in a relationship, feedback is more likely to be welcomed and seen as a supportive measure to be learned from (Willis, 2007).  

So.. how can we develop a supportive feedback culture? There’s no denying it’s a big question, so let’s start by sharing some ideas about making feedback a habit:  

The Three T’s 

Technique  

Quite often, people tend to focus on the discomfort of delivering feedback. This distraction can lead to overlooking the value of the feedback for the receiver. So how could you shift this focus?  

Applying a coaching approach creates a powerful space for reflection by asking people to give themselves feedback instead of, or before, giving your own.  

Next time you’re having a conversation with your team member, try asking these questions:  

• What went well/what challenged you? 
• What did you notice about your performance?  

• If you could do it again, what would you do differently?  

Then, give your feedback…. May I tell you what I noticed?  

Timing 

If feedback is something you’d like to normalise in the culture, what’s stopping you from sharing feedback, little and often, and making it part of the daily routine? If feedback happens only at specific times (such as a performance review), it becomes more challenging to embed in the culture. It must show up in everyday working life — on a walk, at the end of a meeting, or over a coffee.  

Make it a Team Effort  

Peer-driven feedback is a meaningful way to increase confidence, collaboration, and shared learning. As a leader, how can you create the space for feedback and reflective practice, and encourage colleagues to do this together? Put simply, role model the way – ask your team for feedback! Whether as part of the weekly team meeting, or during the delivery of a project, try asking:  

• What is one thing I do well that benefits the team or our work together? 
• What is one thing I can do to be more effective? 

Over time, encourage your team to do the same.  

When it comes to feedback, there are lots of tools and techniques to experiment with (see the Development Toolkit).  

What might you start doing to take the fear out of feedback?  

Lizzie Little, Workforce Development Team, Department of Human Resources

References 

Willis, J. (2007). The Neuroscience of Joyful Education. Supervision and Curriculum Development, 64 (9).  

Blanding, Michael, (2022). ‘Why People Crave Feedback – and why we’re afraid to give it’. Harvard Business School.