Feedback is not a Gift (at least not in high performance cultures)

Feedback is Not a Gift

You've probably heard this phrase. It's place in the pantheon of ill thought out and widely adopted corporate tropes is well established.

For about as long as I’ve been in corporate life – I've heard organisations say that they aspire to have a ‘high performance culture’.

Unfortunately, for the majority the quest for this state of organisational being seems to be somewhat eternal. There are a few reasons for this, but I’d hazard a guess that viewing feedback as a gift might have something to do with it.

Let’s break down a few of these well used phrases and think them through.

The aiming point of course is to have a high performance culture. To my mind I’ve worked with a few organisations that think they have them (there is a clear difference in my mind between high performing and high performance organisations, I’ll save that for another day) and only one or two that do - I’ve also seen hundreds that aspire to but aren’t terribly close. As a result, I’m pretty clear on the attributes that define them.

1.     As I often write, culture is the way things are around here. It makes sense then, that in a high-performance culture, everything is done with an aspiration for ever higher levels of performance, whether those are in the achievement of the organisation’s strategy or support to those who achieve that strategy. As a result, good enough is never good enough, ‘just about’ isn’t part of the lexicon and doing ok isn’t seen as a success. This manifests in every role and in every function.

2.     In turn, this means that these organisations aren’t for everyone. Those that thrive in them have a certain mindset. I think of them as being in a state of ambitious frustration. However successful they are, they’ll still look for ways to do better and improve and be somewhat annoyed that they haven’t got there yet. They’ll celebrate success – but they aren’t great at this and will likely do so very quickly before setting off again. They’ll also challenge themselves with ambitious stretch targets with an expectation that they won’t hit them by simply doing more of the same.

3.     They don’t linger on poor performance; in fact, they jump on it quickly. The concept of poor performance is different in these organisations. Rather than being about missing deliverables, poor performance is likely to be considered achieving but not exceeding them. You probably don’t find many targets that are missed, but when they are it’s unlikely that you’ll find blame or exasperation – just multiple ideas to correct and be more successful next time. In addition, what was considered an exceptional performance last year would be normalised for this year, with a constant cycle of change (including explicitly stopping certain things that no longer are priorities), growth and out performance driving ever higher levels of performance and outcomes.

4.     Accountability and collaboration are core cultural attributes. To create the above outcomes, these firms expect accountability (at all levels), and they expect high levels of collaboration – because you won’t achieve high performance without others. In combination these behaviours remove any potential excuses (or ambiguity) that seem to arise in other organisations.

5.     Enablement not more effort - whilst there is a high expectation of effort and drive, these organisations achieve what they do because they also expect that those tasked with achieving those ambitious targets will need investment and additional support (training, systems, products and marketing) not just to work harder. The ‘contract’ then is that the investment to support ever higher performance is made by ‘the organisation’ and the individual.

By now you might have forgotten the title of this blog. So, let’s get back to it and what it has to do with high performance cultures?

Why feedback should never be seen as a gift?

I’d argue that to achieve the cultural attributes detailed above the essential enabler is feedback.

Re-read points 1 to 5.

I’d challenge you find a way to have those things without a steady, open flow of honest and detailed feedback.

As a result, if you think of feedback as a gift, in the search for a ‘high performance culture” you are likely to already be way off the mark.

In addition, the reality is that feedback involves a provider and a receiver.

Again check points 1-5 above - all need someone giving and someone genuinely receiving feedback (on their own, their team’s or their organisation’s performance).

In my experience, two things stand out with the phrase. First, it’s used in organisations that aren’t very good at giving and receiving feedback (and not in those that are) and too often it's tossed around as a frequently used justification for poorly delivered feedback.‍

Don't get me wrong. We should be grateful of feedback, it genuinely helps us improve and, whilst it might make us uncomfortable and take some time to realise, we are always better for receiving it.

What I have issue with is that feedback might be seen as an act of kindness or a favour. Instead, feedback should be an expectation — a fundamental part of collaborative processes and business protocols that acts as the essential underpinning of a high-performance culture

The power of feedback

Feedback is essential, and powerful, when delivered thoughtfully. It's hard to imagine improving our performance — output, input, or behaviour — without it.

Feedback creates choices, empowering receivers to decide how to respond and improve.

When we receive feedback, whether positive or negative, it gives us insight into our impact that we otherwise wouldn't have. This makes feedback incredibly valuable. By offering a clearer view of a person’s actions and their effects, feedback fosters self-awareness. This helps individuals become more effective within their organisations and in their personal growth.

Who owns the responsibility for feedback?

Healthy feedback takes on a reciprocal dynamic. It’s not confined to hierarchical structures, but thrives in an environment where everyone, regardless of position, engages in inviting, giving and receiving feedback.

Feedback is so essential that it should be a core responsibility in all our working relationships; a regular part of an organisation’s professional cadence.  Simply put, you cannot have any risk that an individual sees it as an act of generosity that they bestow on others twice a year (Birthdays and Christmas maybe?).

As a quick aside, many organisations confuse their annual performance cycle with something that will deliver their nirvanic ‘high performance culture”. Let’s be clear, most of these cycle’s exist for two reasons. First as a mechanism to distribute pay increases and bonuses and second as a mechanism to set the lowest performance standard for managers in providing feedback to their teams.  (In one of my favourite – now old but I think still valid - pieces of research on the topic, approximate 60% of business leaders rated their performance management systems as an underperformed!

So, who owns the expectation for feedback? Peers, managers, customers, and suppliers — all of us share this responsibility.

Managers

Although upward feedback from team members is valuable, power dynamics often make it less common. As a result, managers have a primary responsibility here (but not the sole responsibility). While performance management cycles often include biannual feedback sessions, these are usually insufficient.

People in senior positions should be accountable for delivering frequent feedback as well as creating a culture of expectation around feedback. This ensures that feedback is an integral part of growth and development, empowering individuals to improve continuously, at the end of projects and initiatives (those in agile environments should adopt a fanatical approach to retros in my view) and on systems and processes

Peers and team members

Peer-to-peer feedback often comes with unique, day-to-day insights that managers might miss, offering specific and actionable feedback in areas for improvement. Additionally, regular feedback among peers increases accountability and trust, helping teams work together more effectively.

Employee-to-manager feedback is also crucial as it gives managers ground-level insights into team dynamics, promotes transparency, and fosters a healthier workplace culture through better management practices.

Customers, clients & consumers

It can be frustrating not to receive feedback from customers, or potential customers. Without it, it’s difficult to truly improve in the ways consumers are seeking improvement.

Feedback from this group provides valuable insights into customer needs and preferences, enabling companies to make informed decisions. By actively seeking and utilising customer feedback, businesses can improve their offerings, increase customer satisfaction, and build stronger relationships with their audience.

In addition, customers typically find issues with your processes and systems before you do. So, if you make it easy for them to engage with you on that, you’ll likely be able to respond sooner and have less re-work

Suppliers

Feedback from suppliers helps companies understand how to streamline processes, enhance product quality, and ensure timely deliveries. Supplier feedback also provides valuable insights into potential issues and areas for improvement in the supply chain.

By seeking and utilising this feedback, businesses can build stronger partnerships, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency. This can lead to a more resilient and responsive supply chain, benefiting both parties.

Here’s the thing though – when did you last ask them or invite them to provide it. Power dynamics might apply here depending on the nature of the relationship., but most of the time, a bi-directional feedback process is incredibly mutually beneficial.

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The provider’s responsibility in feedback

1. Be frequent & deliberate.

Whatever a person’s role within an organisation, providers should not see feedback as a periodic kindness or a box that needs to be ticked, but as a crucial aspect of supporting and valuing peers. Frequent, deliberate feedback reflects genuine care and commitment to the growth of others. This can take the form of spontaneous feedback as well as planned feedback sessions.

2. Look back but aim forward.

Inevitably with feedback – you look back at something(s) that have happened. It might be interesting to explore the ‘why’ of that circumstance but in many cases that’s of less value than ‘how’ that situation could be avoided or better managed or improved.

So, if you are going to give feedback, you have to offer solutions and advice on guidance on what could be better and engage in a joint process of identifying and refining those things.

3. Embrace the subjective.

Years of business school courses, self-help books and manager development would have us believe that feedback should be objective. Even worse we should probably avoid the subjective.

Theoretically, evidence-based feedback is more credible, trustworthy, and understandable, making it easier for the receiver to see what needs to be addressed. It provides specific, actionable examples, ensuring fairness and reducing subjectivity.

Sadly, I don’t believe that’s true.

Over the last 25 years or so, one of the questions I’ve asked colleagues and clients to think about the best and most successful person that they have worked with and to identify why that person gets that title. Roughly 99% will respond with behavioural attributes.

The ‘how we do things’ therefore appears to be much more important than the ‘what we achieve’ (I know we really do want both!) but limiting ourselves to just focusing on the outputs fundamentally limits our ability to establish high performance.

Getting skilled at providing subjective behavioural feedback is a great investment and one that is often overlooked – to the detriment of many.

4. Follow-up & provide support.

By providing ongoing support and action points, feedback givers demonstrate their commitment to the receiver’s development and success. This reinforces the value of the feedback and shows that the provider cares about the receiver’s progress. It’s also an opportunity to clarify understanding, monitor progress, motivate, and encourage.

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The recipient's responsibility in feedback

1. Be gracious and curious.

People may hesitate to give feedback due to fear of conflict or upsetting others. If everyone is confident that their feedback will be well-received, more feedback will naturally flow. This involves managing emotional reactions, being curious about the message, asking clarifying questions, seeking support from the feedback provider.

As a recipient, it’s important (and professional), to accept feedback graciously. This does not necessarily mean the receiver has to agree with what’s been said — remember, feedback empowers choices. It simply means trusting the intent behind the feedback, appreciating the effort, and being open-minded rather than defensive. Recipients should recognise the value of the input, even if it's not perfectly aligned with their expectations.

In addition, be curious, if the feedback provider doesn't give you the detail you'd really like, ask some questions, help them communicate what's at stake and how you can improve.

2. Invite feedback.

Feedback is the responsibility of everyone in the workplace, but if it’s not being regularly delivered, it’s perfectly acceptable to request it (65% of employees say they want more feedback!). Taking the initiative here shows a proactive approach to personal and professional growth. It demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and learning and can help foster a healthy feedback culture.

3. Action the feedback.

When receivers act on the feedback given, it shows they’re taking responsibility for their professional development and performance. This accountability is essential for building trust and credibility with colleagues and managers. Actioning feedback also shows respect for the feedback provider’s input and time, building trust and encouraging more honest communication in the future.

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Final thoughts — what feedback looks like in a high performance culture

Let’s imagine you start at a new workplace with a high performance culture. Whatever your position in the company, here are some of the things you might notice (and  if your reality is that you don't work in one, here are some things you can build on):

1. Open, honest exchanges make feedback a frequent, natural part of everyday interactions.

2. Giving and inviting feedback is a continual process. Feedback isn’t exclusively confined to scheduled periods in the year but is also given spontaneously, addressing situations as they arise.

3. Recipients expect regular feedback, they don’t view it as a rare, surprising event — or worse still, are caught off-guard by it.

4. Providers and receivers invest in quality feedback exchanges. The giver strives to deliver it effectively, and the receiver accepts it in good faith and acts on it.

5. People have learned how to deliver and receive feedback. The organisation understands that delivering and receiving feedback well doesn’t always come naturally. Leaders prioritise building soft skills here so that everyone feels more comfortable with feedback, whatever end of the conversation they’re on. This might look like training in feedback provision, performance management, coaching, and manager effectiveness.

6. There are various channels for feedback, such as formal reviews, casual check-ins, surveys, PIRs and retros

7. Feedback is actionable — providers include practical steps for change in the feedback they give (corrective feedback without the correction is just criticism!).

8. Everyone follows up on their feedback. For providers, this looks like additional support where necessary, monitoring performance, and ensuring the receiver is clear on the feedback. For receivers, following up simply comes down to actioning the feedback and making a conscious decision to make changes in behaviour, input, or output.

... (and the word gift hasn't been mentioned at all).

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Transform the feedback culture in your organisation

Read to embrace feedback as a valuable tool for growth and improvement? Book a call to explore how Rutherford HR can support you in transforming the feedback culture in your organisation.

With practical steps and proven strategies, we’ll help you create a more effective, supportive workplace where feedback is just another part of everyday life.

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