Here’s how to formalize feedback loops
Giving and receiving feedback is one of the easiest ways to create stronger relationships with your teams, yet too few managers have feedback systems in place. The real-time nature of work means that communication has become instantaneous and ongoing, and yet most companies still rely on annual reviews or infrequent employee engagement surveys. By the time managers receive the data, it’s no longer timely or actionable.
Whether you rely on technology to collect and give team feedback or not, the most important step to take is to formalize feedback loops early. Set the tone in your first week of becoming a manager by letting people know that you welcome open and transparent communication. Clearly communicate to teams how and when they can provide feedback to their manager.
Here are some thought-starters for formalizing feedback:
- At the end of weekly team meetings, make it habit to ask how your team is feeling. This can be as easy as asking each person to share how they’re feeling at the end of their individual updates.
- Always acknowledge feedback. If an idea isn’t actionable, explain why. If someone poses an idea that would benefit the team and/or company, take action as a manager to push it along, and share the success with the team.
- Use technologies like Butterfly to automate team feedback at regular interviews (weekly or biweekly) and train teams to get into the habit of giving feedback. Discuss the data gleaned transparently as a group to socialize the importance of feedback in the big picture.
Butterfly pro-tip: Holding regular Butterfly meetings will reinforce the importance of feedback to your team, and give people a platform for voicing their opinion on the key drivers that affect their engagement and happiness at work.
