Mastering workplace feedback – A guide to building a strong feedback culture

Giving feedback is one of the most important yet challenging communication skills. Well-delivered feedback enhances motivation, clarifies expectations, and improves the work climate. On the other hand, poorly given feedback can erode trust, increase frustration, and negatively impact trust in a team. How can you develop feedback skills and create a feedback culture that supports both individual and team growth?

The challenge – or opportunity – of receiving feedback

When discussing feedback, it is important to acknowledge that few people genuinely enjoy receiving criticism about themselves – and that’s how corrective feedback can be perceived. Maybe you recognize from your own reactions when receiving corrective feedback how easy it is to become defensive. Defensiveness can be seen for example in the excessive need of giving explanations or reasons for one’s own behavior, denying the issue or even counter attacking with criticism.

From a self-awareness perspective, it is crucial to examine these defensive reactions and reflect on what triggers them. It is often not about the feedback itself but about the feelings it evokes. Defensiveness usually arises when we perceive a threat. Do we sense a threat to our professional identity, being respected by others, our sense of adequacy, acceptance, or to earning our living even? Exploring these feelings can be incredibly insightful, helping us understand ourselves and our reactions better. If we allow it, feedback can teach us a great deal about ourselves. On the other hand, when giving feedback, it is important to pay attention to the way feedback is given, to make it as easy as possible for the other to receive it.

Be generous with positive feedback

Numerous studies show that both children and adults are more motivated and develop their skills more effectively when they receive positive feedback. It is easier to do more of what we already do well when we become aware of its value.

Various studies suggest different ideal ratios of positive to corrective feedback, but one that stands out is the 4:1 ratio: four positive pieces of feedback for every corrective piece of feedback over a period of time. Positive feedback should ensure that all relevant actions contributing to goals, exceeding standards, or supporting desired behaviors are acknowledged.

Positive feedback not only strengthens performance and motivation but also builds trust. If I know that my colleague or manager sees and appreciates what I do well, I will be much more receptive to corrective and developmental suggestions as well. Corrective feedback should always be accompanied by positive reinforcement to support motivation for change. However, for positive feedback to be effective, it must be specific and tied to actions and their positive impact. Praise or a simple “thank you” may feel nice, but it does not yet support growth in any way.

Make feedback a natural part of everyday work

Feedback should not be an occasional event, like an annual performance review. When feedback is integrated into daily interactions, it fosters continuous learning, trust, and team performance. To build a strong feedback culture:

• Discuss feedback openly within the team – Highlight the importance of feedback for continuous learning and performance improvement. Encourage team members to reflect on how receiving feedback feels and establish good practices for giving feedback among colleagues.
• Make feedback a natural part of conversations – The best feedback is just clarifying everyday conversation. It doesn’t even have to be labeled as “feedback”; it can be naturally integrated into different discussions.
• Provide feedback on feedback-giving – When you see team members giving feedback to each other, reinforce this behavior by acknowledging its impact on team culture and development.
• Ask for feedback on your own actions – Lead by example by requesting feedback about your own work. Make it easy for others to give you feedback, as some may need more time to reflect before responding. Be mindful of avoiding defensiveness, as this can discourage future feedback. Listen with an open mind, ask follow-up questions, and reflect on the feedback. If receiving certain feedback feels challenging, be open about it, sleep on it, and revisit it later. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this?

Give feedback in a way that supports growth

The purpose of feedback is to help others improve. Developmental feedback relies on clarity, timing, and a respectful approach. To ensure your feedback is effective, prepare it in advance by noting the specific behavior you want to discuss and its impact (positive or negative) to ensure clear communication.

Use these three principles when giving feedback:

A) Be clear and specific

Vague feedback like “Well done” or “You could improve this” does not provide much value. Instead, make it concrete:

✅ “I really liked the way you presented the project to the client in a storytelling format, it was clear and inspiring. This also strengthens our company brand.”

❌ “Great meeting.” (Why? What went well?)

B) Time your feedback well

Feedback should be timely to be impactful. Do not wait until the next performance review to give positive feedback, and do not give corrective feedback months after an incident. The sooner feedback is given, the more effectively it supports individual and team development.

C) Build trust and avoid blame

Receiving criticism can be difficult, but it is easier to accept in a safe environment where feedback is clearly developmental rather than punitive:

✅ “The project timeline was delayed, and we weren’t able to include the results in the year-end analysis. This affects the quality of the report, and now we need to find a new way to present the data. I’d love to hear what caused the delay and how you can ensure better time management in the future.”

❌ “You didn’t finish the project on time. This was disappointing.”

When facing uncertainty: Reflective and enabling feedback

Sometimes, as a feedback giver, you may not have a clear idea of what needs to be improved – especially in situations involving innovation and exploration of the unknown. How do you encourage someone to move forward if you’re unsure of the direction yourself? Reflective and enabling feedback leaves room for possibilities:

1. Be honest about your uncertainty:
   
   “There’s a lot of potential here, but to be honest, I’m not sure what the best next step is. Let’s explore this together.”
2. Frame feedback as reflective rather than just evaluative:Instead of saying “This doesn’t work,” ask open-ended questions to guide development:

   “This sparks some interesting thoughts, what options could we try?”
   “What could make this even stronger or clearer?”

3. Use the ‘development + question’ model: 

   First, highlight what works well, then ask a question that expands perspectives:“This approach seems promising. In what situations would it work best—and where might it be less effective?”

4. Emphasize iterative development: 

   Remind the person that development is a process, not an instant solution:“This is just the first step, and it’s natural that things evolve through experimentation. What small experiment could we do on this?”

5. Acknowledge and articulate strengths: 

   Even if you don’t have a solution, highlight the person’s expertise and trust in their ability to move forward:“You have a solid grasp of this issue, and you clearly understand the core challenges. What do you see as the next step?”

A strong feedback culture supports psychological safety and continuous learning

Good communication is dynamic, reciprocal, and respectful while also setting boundaries. In such an environment, collaboration is safe because people feel heard and understand what matters to each other. A psychologically safe team fosters enough trust and self-confidence to address challenges and receive feedback without becoming defensive.

In addition to psychological safety, accountability is essential – expecting responsibility for results while providing support. A results-driven and psychologically safe team is always in a state of learning and development.

Do you want to develop your organization’s feedback culture and strengthen its leadership culture? Xpedio offers training programs to help managers and teams build feedback skills and create a strong, learning-driven organization. Contact us to schedule a discussion!