How do you balance feedback and maintain morale?

Building on the importance of feedback, it is essential to recognize its role in fostering an environment of continuous improvement and open communication. When offering feedback, we create opportunities for personal and professional development, this helps us as individuals to understand our strengths and areas for improvement. This exchange should be ongoing because it not only enhances individual performance but also strengthens teams and encourages a culture of respect and support. Feedback acts as a catalyst for personal improvement. It helps individuals to challenge their assumptions and explore new ways of thinking and acting.

"Feedback is the breakfast of champions." - Ken Blanchard To balance feedback and maintain morale, focus on delivering feedback constructively and promptly. Start with positive aspects before addressing areas for improvement. Encourage open dialogue, listen actively, and recognize achievements alongside areas needing development. Offer support and resources for growth. Ensure feedback is specific, actionable, and aligned with individual or team goals to foster a positive and motivated workplace culture.

The importance of good feedback simply cannot be overstated. Feedback plays a crucial role in clarifying expectations within a team. Effective communication is essential because team members cannot intuitively know our preferences. Instead of growing frustrated with recurring issues, it's vital to establish a constructive feedback loop that benefits both parties. Building a team with a deep understanding of each other is pivotal for any organization's success.

While giving feedback, I always start with the positives, which helps in creating a conducive atmosphere where the individual is more receptive. I am direct, honest & polite while communicating the areas in which the individual should focus in future (feedforward); I also offer to help the recipient implement the change & follow up if any action items are outlined. Feedback should always be kept confidential & should be recent. Regular feedback lets team members apply lessons learned on the fly. Constructive feedback, whether it’s positive or negative, always opens the door to conversations. It sets us on a rewarding path to self-discovery and self-improvement.

Imagine feedback as the main course of a meal, where both positive and constructive elements are essential. To deliver feedback that maintains morale and promotes growth, leaders should embrace a sincere and straightforward approach, much like a chef thoughtfully selecting and seasoning ingredients to create a harmonious dish. The sandwich technique, like serving a subpar meal with a distracting garnish, often lacks sincerity and can dilute the impact of the feedback. Instead, leaders should prioritize honest and caring communication that addresses concerns directly while acknowledging strengths and achievements. Fostering a culture of caring and action-oriented candidness is the secret sauce that enhances the feedback experience.

Balancing feedback and maintaining morale is like being the star of a reality show—how you receive feedback determines if you're a fan favorite or not. Imagine your team as avid viewers, and feedback as the plot twists. When receiving feedback, approach it like the drama unfolds on reality TV. Stay open and receptive, much like a character facing a surprising turn of events. Engage with the feedback, just as reality stars address the challenges thrown their way. By treating feedback as the exciting narrative of your leadership journey, you not only keep morale high but also become the star everyone roots for.

I receive feedback all the time. For the most part when it is not constructive, I try to engage the person so I can understand and make it usefull to me. I am human and the first instict is to be annoyed. I cool off and think about it, or table it. Always revisiting so that I can learn. Ego aside, I know I can always learn and increase my emotional intelligence while dealing with the conflict at hand.

Lead by example. As a leader, feedback and feedback loops are critical to improving products, processes and careers. So, be open about what's happening, what you're learning, what you learned and ask for advice and specific feedback from your employees, peers and leaders. For people that you lead, set expectations that they need to set up routines/systems for collecting feedback on everything they want to improve. Show them how. Reflect on the effectiveness of these routines/systems and improve them - visibly.

Imagine feedback as the power-ups and obstacles in Super Mario. To avoid feedback pitfalls and maintain morale, leaders should take inspiration from Mario's resilience and straightforward approach. Instead of employing the sandwich technique, which can dilute the impact of feedback, leaders should prioritize candid and action-oriented caring communication that addresses concerns directly while acknowledging achievements, similar to how Mario navigates obstacles head-on to save the princess. Like Super Mario, who confronts challenges with sincerity and determination, leaders should avoid feedback pitfalls by delivering honest feedback that balances praise and constructive input.

Desde mi experiencia, para que haya un espacio de retroalmientación, debe generarse un ambiente de confianza propicio con el equipo, donde participe activamente el lider en recibir y brindar feedback oportunamente, tanto de correción como de reforzamiento. Si existe confianza en decir las cosas cumpliendo su objetivo principal, que es alinear o reforzar el comportamiento con el objetivo del negocio, se abren oportunidades increibles con los equipos de trabajo para que por si mismos fomenten la cultura de retroalmientación. Lideres que abren espacio tanto para felicitar como para corregir, a comentar sus propios fracasos o aciertos constantemente, invitan a los equipos a no temer conversar, finalmente de eso se tratan el feedback conversar.