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Feedback is one of the most important tools for building great teams. By encouraging team members to give each other praise when things go well and pointing out how things could be done differently, you help everyone to learn and grow. And as everyone gets better at what they do, the whole team becomes better.
Many organisations will already be using a 360-degree feedback tool, where individuals are rated on their behaviour, skills, and competencies from those they work closely with, including their peers, managers, and leaders.
Alternative feedback tools like Truth Teller can also be used to create open and honest conversations. Similar to a typical 360-degree feedback tool, Truth Teller collects feedback from team members, but instead, feedback is shared non-anonymously. Truth Teller provides a safe, more focused way for individuals to have an open conversation with teammates about the feedback they receive from them. Using Truth Teller as part of annual reviews can help encourage more openness in the everyday working environment.
The benefits of peer feedback
People who feel appreciated at work tend to have a greater sense of emotional wellbeing, and feedback is essential to helping people feel appreciated. A government study recognised feedback as one of the key factors for improving wellbeing in the workplace. Other factors highlighted included clarity of what is expected of people, opportunities to develop their skills, positive interactions with managers and colleagues, and clear career prospects. All these things point toward a work environment where people give open and honest feedback.
Peer feedback also helps to improve communication within the team. The strongest teams communicate well and often; they share ideas, ask for feedback, and are happy to be challenged when appropriate. And this kind of communication is especially important for the modern workplace, where teams aren’t always sitting together in the same room.
If people commit to giving ongoing feedback, it means they can get little things that are bothering them out in the open before they become a problem. And if people know they are operating in an open work environment, they are less likely to be offended when they are given constructive feedback. People will understand each other better and there will be less conflict as a result.
Giving praise and recognition is just as important. Celebrating team success has a positive impact on the whole team, causing everyone to feel more motivated and engaged.
How to encourage teams to give feedback
It’s the leader’s job to encourage open feedback within the team. It shouldn’t be assumed that people know how important feedback it is - that message must come from the leader. Feedback is a skill, and one that many people are not naturally good at. And people may be hesitant at first as they don’t want to risk offending anyone or damaging their relationship with others in the team.
To help develop people’s capacity to give feedback, start by introducing structured meetings to review how things are going; what's going well and what could be done better.
As people get used to giving feedback, it becomes easier to focus on how team members are performing at an individual level. Everyone on the team should be encouraged to offer their views on things they appreciate about other members and what would be helpful for them to do differently. But make sure team members understand that the focus should be on problems, not people. The idea here is to help people understand how their behaviour is impacting others and the wider effect this has on the performance of the team.
Once feedback is regular and comfortable, think about introducing a tool like Truth Teller where you can continue to foster an open feedback culture that ensures individuals take responsibility for giving and receiving balanced feedback. Whilst also gaining the tangible data to transform behaviours and boost team performance.
Teams that feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback are far more capable and cohesive than others who shy away from being open and honest with each other. As a leader, you can tackle any concerns head-on by educating people on the benefits of giving and receiving open feedback within the team, and by helping them find opportunities to practice.
