How do you put feedback in place in your business?

At Morning, the company culture values the quality of exchanges between team members. The quality of these interactions is placed front and centre, because only close, constructive collaboration between the people working on the same project will make it possible to see it through. To improve these exchanges and develop everyone's autonomy, the exercise of peer-to-peer feedback is essential.

This practice makes it possible to highlight everyone's strengths and areas for improvement, and at any point in the project: before, during and after. Feedback aims to foster autonomy and the freedom to take initiative, for a more "horizontal" organisation. It is also about improving collectively, thanks to giving employees responsibility, in full transparency.

Here is some advice from the Morning HR team, to make feedback an effective tool for cohesion.

What do you say during successful feedback?
To experience a positive, and corrective, moment of sharing

Team members are called on to give and receive two types of feedback: "positive" feedback and "corrective" feedback. Complete feedback will of course encompass both at once.

📌 Positive feedback

Positive feedback highlights what worked well during the delivery of a project. It shines a light on the employee's strengths, their skills and their assets.
The aim is to encourage the person receiving it, to spur them on to keep doing well, to reproduce the quality of what they have delivered.

📌 Corrective feedback

Corrective feedback highlights what could be done differently, what didn't work well in the collaboration. The manager must also propose a realistic solution so that collaboration within the business can work better in future. Even negative feedback must be presented in a constructive way to encourage improvement. It is crucial that the next action be clear so that the team member knows how to progress.

Team members are free to choose the feedback format they consider most fitting. Various tools and moments are possible  :

☞ Through informal moments: coffee, lunch, drinks…
☞ Through classic interviews: first-impression reports, probation-period reviews, anniversary interviews…
☞ Through general tools: feedback form
☞ Through team tools: pre- or post-project meetings

How do you share feedback?
To ensure healthy, regular communication within teams.

Feedback must be formulated in a constructive, clear, objective and precise way. To give feedback as it should be given, the team member must respect 4 pillars, strongly recommended by the HR team: "the right moment", "positive intention", "preparation" and "follow-up".

✅ Choosing the right moment 

“Neither too hot, nor too cold. Giving feedback too soon in the heat of the moment leaves less room for objectivity and perspective than if it were done afterwards. Emotion could also take over; better to wait a little!”, the HR team point out, before adding: “On the other hand, reacting when things have gone too cold can lessen the impact of the feedback; it would be too far removed from the facts being raised. The ideal is to analyse the situation and work out the right moment to give your feedback accordingly, thereby respecting each team member's timing.”

✅ Sharing a positive intention

“You can say anything as long as what's said is constructive!” The aim is above all to offer the other person the chance to progress so that they don't feel powerless in the face of their areas for improvement. Feedback is, above all, a gift for everyone!

✅ Preparing your (constructive) ideas

Even though feedback is generally given verbally, the person giving it should formalise it beforehand, around 3 axes:

☞ The facts expressed are objective, precise and verifiable.
☞ The consequences can be expressed factually, or in the form of a feeling that belongs to the team member. For example, the giver must present the facts in an objective and precise way. A structured interview can often be the ideal setting for constructive feedback within the business. Choosing the appropriate method for feedback is crucial to ensuring its effectiveness.
☞ The proposed solution embodies goodwill and will help the team member to improve!

✅ Ensuring follow-up

Whatever the mode of communication used, it is important to keep a written record of it to measure how the collaboration develops.

How do you receive feedback?
To take remarks on board well and progress.

To receive feedback as it should be received, the team member must respect the following 3 pillars: "adopting an open stance", "rephrasing and committing (if needed)", "thanking the giver".

✅ Adopting an open stance

Receiving feedback is an art that calls for humility and a capacity for self-questioning. It is important that the employee receiving the feedback does not adopt a defensive stance. They must keep firmly in mind the positive intention of the person giving it. The exercise is far from simple for the latter!

✅ Rephrasing and committing (if needed)

For crystal-clear communication, the person receiving the feedback can ask to clarify any points that seem unclear to them by rephrasing what has been said. 
If the proposed solution doesn't suit them, the pair are free to talk it over and find a solution that suits everyone. It is then up to the receiver to commit to this compromise!

✅ Thanking the giver

Giving feedback is an exercise that is neither easy nor natural. It is important to thank the team member for having played along and taken their feeling into account. They did it above all to allow the receiver to progress on an individual level.

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Continuous feedback now holds no more secrets for you! It's over to you to put it into practice for the personal and professional development of the business's employees. The overall performance of the business can be improved thanks to an effective feedback system. Management plays a key role in putting this process in place and following it up. If you have any questions or ideas to enrich the subject, don't hesitate to leave us a comment in the field below!
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