
In leadership, feedback is a little bit like using a mirror—it reflects both strengths and blind spots, allowing leaders and their teams to improve and grow. Yet, across the globe, many leaders fail to build a strong feedback culture within their organizations.
Giving good, consistent feedback is not as linear as we think, and even the most experienced and seasoned executives I work with often realise that they need to go ‘back to basics’ and reflect on what their current feedback culture looks like.
Leaders everywhere face growing complexity and fast change. They are required to lead dispersed teams, adapt to technology changes, and deliver results in competitive markets. Amid these challenges, many leaders avoid feedback, either by failing to seek it for themselves or failing to provide it to others.
Why is this happening?
A lack of feedback can be a result of fear—fear of confrontation, fear of being wrong, or fear of losing authority. It can also stem from the idea that feedback is only for pointing out errors, rather than encouraging improvement. Whatever the reason, the lack of genuine feedback creates an environment prone to assumptions and complacency.
The consequences of this feedback deficiency ripple throughout organisations. Employees who are not provided with constructive feedback may feel underappreciated and isolated. According to a Gallup survey, ‘no feedback’ is seen as worse than ‘just critical feedback’.
Similarly, leaders who fail to seek criticism miss out on important insights into their own behaviour and decision-making processes. Without other perspectives, they risk becoming insular and disconnected from their teams and the business.
Culturally, a lack of feedback fosters environments where mediocrity thrives.
Establishing a strong feedback culture within an organisation leads to improved employee performance and overall organisational success. Gallup’s studies show that employees who receive regular feedback are roughly four times more likely to be engaged at work. This resulted in a 21% increase in profitability and a 17% increase in productivity for their companies.
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Ken Blanchard
As a younger leader, I was petrified of giving feedback, especially when it was the course-correcting kind. I remember thinking ‘What if my team member gets upset about pointing out what they did wrong?’ I often resorted to correcting mistakes myself which resulted in re-work and overtime. Simply put, I was ‘rather being liked than being right’ and it impacted my team; them not learning and me being burned out.
And don’t get me wrong. It is BECAUSE we care about other people that we find feedback hard. There are emotions at play and relationships at stake. Or so we think.
What helps is having the skills and the confidence to give feedback well, both, positive and course-correcting. In our workshops, we teach two simple models that help with feedback:
The SBI model:
The Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI) model is a powerful framework for providing clear, specific, and effective feedback. It breaks down feedback into three distinct components to ensure the message is both comprehensive and easily understood.
S: Describe the “Situation,” give specific context in which the observed behaviour happened. The trick here is to be specific and succinct. Don’t fluff and simply describe the ‘when, where, who’.
B: Describe the “Behaviour” you have observed. This part is critical, as it focuses on what was actually done or said, rather than making interpretations or judgments about the person’s character or intentions. For example: feedback on someone being late: the behaviour is ‘being late’, not ‘you are so unreliable/you don’t care’ etc. It’s about objectivity.
I: Describe the “Impact,” the behaviour has on the team, project, yourself or the individual. It’s about connecting the behaviour to its consequences, highlighting why it matters. This way the team member can understand the significance of their actions and the importance of making adjustments. It’s all about reasoning.
Then you can ask open questions to invite dialogue into the conversation and agree on a way forward.
The EBI model:
A short and powerful way of conveying ‘little criticisms or improvements’. You start by sharing something your team member has done well, followed by ‘even better if’ (EBI) with something they could improve on. It avoids the archaic praise burger and doesn’t sound like a ‘telling off’ but rather like objective feedback.
Feedback is indeed the breakfast of champions—but only if leaders realise its importance and make it a regular practice. Leaders that cultivate a feedback-rich culture not only develop their own capabilities but also realise the full potential of their teams and organisations. Finally, feedback is more than simply a tool for growth; it is essential to building trust, connection, and long-term success.
Let me know if you are interested in running a ‘Feedback Workshop’ or ‘Lunch and Learn’ for your leaders and teams: jessica@intactteams.com