Feedback culture Definition
Feedback in the sense of praise confirms a person's behavior or being. Negative feedback - or even criticism - on the other hand, leads to people having to move out of their comfort zone and think about their own mistakes. Self-reflection helps you to surpass yourself and develop further instead of standing still and stagnating. It is important to be demanding of yourself and to accept that you are not flawless - neither in your private life nor at school or at work. This is also a crucial aspect for working together in a business environment. A feedback culture can help to manifest this guiding principle. And it can be a call to become courageous. Because giving and receiving open feedback sometimes requires courage. A feedback culture stands for a value-driven working atmosphere. And the goal is ultimately quite simple: feedback must never mean a step backwards, but must reinforce progress. This is the only way to promote growth. Honest feedback sets the course for the personal development and orientation of each individual. And this is even highly valued by employees: a trusting, respectful working relationship strengthens the bond with the company. And in the "battle" for the best talent, HR managers should also communicate and represent an authentic feedback culture to the outside world.
The feedback paradox: a love-hate relationship
Surprisingly, the most common complaint about feedback is: "I'm not getting enough". Most people intuitively know that moving out of their comfort zone is a good thing in principle. In companies, this is confirmed: the majority want more constructive feedback, but only a few actively request it - and certainly not on a regular basis. Paradoxical, but where does this contradiction come from?
Inner barriers, fears and the moral compass that we acquire as we grow up often inhibit our honesty. Depending on the context and situation, anxiety is of course more or less pronounced in each individual. However, most of us are certainly familiar with the fact that we are all the more tense and nervous when it comes to assessing ourselves and our own development. A culture of openness is needed to integrate feedback into everyday working life and make it a pleasant experience. Giving and receiving open feedback also requires courage, especially in relation to your own boss. However, a good feedback culture thrives on a balanced mixture of give and take - across hierarchical boundaries. Being allowed to give feedback to superiors is perceived by employees in equal measure as appreciation on the part of management. The decisive factor is always constructiveness!
Advantages of a constructive feedback culture
- Investing in your own abilities: Feedback helps to discover new development opportunities on a personal level.
- Further development of the team: feedback points out weaknesses or acts as confirmation that we are on the right track together.
- Open feedback provides orientation and creates trust and psychological security. This promotes effective collaboration and thus ensures strong team performance.
- Basis for learning and change: Feedback promotes the ability to reflect.
- Increases adaptability: Through continuous learning, building on strengths and improving weaknesses, the collective in the organization continues to develop.
- Food for thought and ideas from other perspectives: Feedback is the basis for innovation.
Managers are not just performance evaluators, they are talent developers!
Managers in leadership positions have a special function: they act as role models! Regardless of the issue. And therefore they are the drivers of a culture of regular open exchange: they should set an example of how to give and receive constructive feedback and encourage people to be courageous. The more the managers merge with the topic, the more the team will "emulate" it. A leadership culture should ensure that managers consistently provide high-quality and development-oriented feedback.
FEEDBACK CULTURE: More than just a buzzword
It is also crucial for the success of the establishment that feedback culture is not just a trendy buzzword, but becomes an integral part of the corporate culture. It will certainly take a few attempts and a slow approach, but if employees do not feel directly threatened in their jobs and feel psychologically safe as soon as they give and receive honest feedback, individual self-confidence and an authentic value system will develop. To this end, it is also important that the company defines its values precisely and makes them accessible to everyone.
Study "Feedback culture in companies"
A recent Haufe survey was conducted to find out what the feedback culture in companies is actually like. Is it a relevant topic at all? Over 90% of participants agree: yes, absolutely.
The results of the study also show that the benefits of a strong feedback culture are obvious. Constant feedback makes collaboration more effective, performance increases, personal development is promoted and employee satisfaction is positively influenced. So much for the theory. At the same time, however, there is still a lot of untapped potential and therefore a gap between theory and practice. But where there is untapped potential, there are also many opportunities.
Find out more in the complete study brochure, which is available to download free of charge.
Julia Herzog
Julia Herzog understands her target group: she has a degree in occupational psychology and worked in the field of HR for several years. Today, she is happy to be able to empower HR managers in the direction of 'New Work'.
