Feedback as a Method for Continuous Improvement

Feedback is defined as “information about reactions to a product, a person’s performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.” In this post I share insights on feedback as a practice, it’s value and how it contributes to personal & professional improvement, as well as tips on how to prepare, give and receive feedback.

At Pivotal, feedback is an key aspect of the culture. To help foster an environment of development and collaboration, all Pivots are encouraged to frequently provide brief but effective feedback with the people they work with. It is ingrained in many of the daily activities and practices Pivots do and they are all opportunities for Pivots to exchange feedback with one another. These activities include pairing, daily team stand-ups, retros, user research, weekly client calls. The list goes on…

At Pivotal, rather than relying fully on formal manager-led performance reviews at specific times during the year, people are encouraged to solicit feedback throughout the whole year, from peers (across disciplines), managers and clients. Hence feedback becomes more of a method for continuous improvement and professional development.

The idea is to provide each person with the opportunity to get honest personal and professional feedback. This allows people to course correct and improve continuously, rather than waiting for periodic performance reviews, which may not be timely enough, could be dominated by a single person’s opinion (the manager) and could also be slightly disconnected from reality.

Moreover, this regular cadence avoids any surprises. If a person has been frequently getting a certain type of feedback about a certain action or behavior, from multiple people in multiple roles, it’s obvious that this is an area of improvement.

Feedback strengthens relationships

Apart from improvement, having honest conversations and exchanging feedback helps breaks the ice between people and sets expectations. This in turn helps establish stronger relationships. Establishing this human relationship in the workplace allows for tolerance in the general day-to-day interactions and increased tolerance for when having disagreements. People usually do not resort to escalation right away when this human relationship exists, and try to resolve any conflict one-on-one first. This ultimately leads to overall better communication and better outcomes.

Tips on Giving Feedback

When giving feedback, it helps if that feedback is actionable, specific and kind. Usually sharing positive feedback or appreciation is easy, the following tips focus on the more difficult situations of exchanging constructive feedback or critique:

Preparing the feedback:

Giving the feedback:

Tips for Receiving Feedback

Receiving positive feedback is usually great and people enjoy it. It’d be equally great for the recipient to be thankful in return. That way it’d be understood that you value and appreciate the other person’s time and effort in sharing this positive message.

Receiving constructive feedback, or feedback you do not agree with is more difficult. It could feel inconsiderate, incorrect or at times impolite. What I found to be really helpful in these situations is the following:

Surely it is easier said than done. Developing and improving our ability to exchange feedback is an ongoing exercise. Each encounter is an opportunity for learning and improving. Although encounters might be similar (especially within the workplace), no two people are alike.

What I’d definitely stress on is: Exchange feedback. Don’t worry too much about how it could go wrong. As long as it is a well-articulated piece of feedback, delivered in an actionable/specific/kind and reasonable manner, more often than not, the outcome is great and helpful, and totally and worth the discomfort and effort.

For further reading, I suggest Stone & Heen’s book “Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well”.

Originally published at medium.com on September 8, 2017.

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