There can be a number of reasons why. Giving feedback is not easy. It is not something that happens behind closed doors, at an annual appraisal meeting. It is a dynamic, continuous process - one that takes time and effort.

In short, unless organizations prioritize it, feedback remains underutilized.

With a changing workforce and a new way of working, how leaders approach feedback and integrate it into their organization’s culture will directly impact employee engagement, and consequently, business success.

Communication is key

A repetitive piece of advice. Yet, it is one that can single-handedly make or break relationships at work, and frankly, anywhere else.

Meaningful two-way communication has the power to nurture professional relationships into deep connections built on the foundations of trust. Yes, communication is key but the intention is what matters.

Everyone in an organization, not just leaders and managers, needs to understand why sharing honest and constructive feedback matters and how it impacts them. This understanding comes from practicing an open and intentional feedback culture, every day.

Why does it matter?

To understand the impact of feedback, let us explore what happens in its absence. When an employee does not know how they can improve, what their manager thinks of their performance, or how valuable their inputs have been, they can feel actively disengaged. More commonly though, individuals are free to interpret the lack of feedback as a lack of interest. For leaders, not sharing or accepting feedback, simply translates into stunted growth.

In both cases, the absence of feedback results in a massive mismatch of expectations and gross miscommunication. Needless to say, that is not what a healthy organization looks like.

The onus to creating a culture that leans on feedback to fuel individual and collective growth lies with the leadership. But while it begins at the top, it must not end there. A healthy culture derives from frequent and honest feedback between people at all layers of an organization.

Practice makes perfect

A shift in behavior takes time. Simply asking employees to start giving feedback or unloading monthly performance evaluations on them is not going to cut it. We wish it was that easy! Building a culture that values feedback is one where people feel safe sharing their opinions. This needs to be practiced, daily. From training managers on how to give feedback to encouraging employees to constructively assess their superiors at work, steadily introducing feedback initiatives can illustrate the effect it has on people, performance, and culture. When feedback happens routinely, it becomes expected. It integrates into everyday processes, and slowly, people get better at it.

Before we wrap up...

We know that the task hand looks daunting. But new-age leadership cannot afford to play by the traditional rules. Today’s leaders need to step away from a ‘command-and-control’ mode and into a more open, authentic, and honest style of leadership. They need to strike the right balance between positive and corrective feedback, while also providing appropriate outlets for employees to share both.