Creating a positive feedback culture in the workplace

When was the last time you received a compliment from your colleague? Or do you recognize that feeling of getting a heartfelt pat on the back for that presentation you have to give? Small examples of a feedback culture, a positive team spirit that leads to good collaboration as the key to success. To work well together, then, feedback is essential. From top to bottom, peer-to-peer and bottom-up!

If the opportunity to give feedback is lacking, there is often "noise": unspoken expectations, mounting frustrations, lack of clarity... It is also a missed opportunity to reward employees and to work together on a healthy and pleasant working environment. Feedback is thus the basis of personal leadership and growth, for both giver and receiver.

According to the McKinsey Global Institute, employees who feel engaged with their employer are 20-25% more effective in the workplace.

 

In this article, we will go a little deeper into achieving a positive feedback culture and explain our new campaign. Which comes free with our snack boxes.

So what is a feedback culture?

Feedback culture is the culture that prevails in the workplace that focuses on giving and receiving heartfelt feedback between employees. Both top-down, peer-to-peer and bottom-up and on a regular basis.

Building a feedback culture is therefore essential to building a healthy company in the long run:

• It increases employee engagement
• It creates a positive work ethic
• It improves internal communication
• It ensures better performance in the workplace

Tips for introducing a feedback culture

Introduce feedback as early as the selection process

The selection procedure is an important time to sound out the employee's views on feedback and personal development. People with a growth mindset take feedback much more readily, even (and perhaps especially) when it comes to areas for improvement.

Poll how the candidate deals with setbacks, with the fact that one of their colleagues may not be doing something or may be doing something right....

Explain that feedback is an important aspect within the organization and how you accomplish this.

Let managers lead by example

Introducing a feedback culture starts with upper management. With the people who have an exemplary role within the organization. Make sure they create support within the organization. They do this by starting to give feedback, but also by being open to receiving it.

This gives the other employees confidence to get started.

Routine is important 

A culture is created only when something happens on a regular basis. So as an employer and as a manager, ensure regular feedback moments. This can be done by evaluating projects at mid-term or after completion. Scheduling weekly 1-on-1 consultation moments. Scheduling feedback meetings to reinforce each other and the team, but especially by encouraging everyone to reward positive work with compliments.

Giving regular and heartfelt feedback motivates employees to improve themselves.

Get to know each other 

Make sure the team really gets to know each other! This will ensure that a bond of trust is established that allows for easier feedback. Celebrate birthdays, go on team building events, etc.

Introduce in-house training

Enlist the help of experts who will come and provide training on giving and receiving feedback. These trainings are often ideal for finding ambassadors to initiate the feedback culture.

Write a charter on feedback culture

Document why you think feedback is so important as an employer, what its benefits are and how employees can get started. The latter is especially important because many people don't immediately know how to give good feedback.

Rules and agreements about giving feedback help encourage employees to give it.

Start!

There is only one way to create a feedback culture and that is to start doing it! Good luck!

Feedback campagne

Our mission at JustBite is to make people feel fitter and more productive throughout the day! We strongly believe that giving feedback is an important part of this. For that reason, we have developed feedback cards that can be found with the snack boxes. The cards serve to encourage and acknowledge each other in a positive way. It is a way to break down hierarchical constraints and encourage everyone to give positive feedback immediately.

How do feedback cards work?

1. Choose your card and write a personal message for the recipient
1. Thumbs up! 
2. Good job! 
3. Take a break! 
4. Let’s workout!
5. ... 
2. Hang the card around a healthy snack
1. The recipient's favorite snack?
2. An energy ball to get through the upcoming meeting?
3. A snack rich in protein for after the workout?
4. …
3. Deliver it to the recipient 

With these cards, we want to give our clients a push in terms of introducing a positive feedback culture and creating an even nicer workplace.

Get started today! Good luck!