How To Unlock The Abilities Of Feedback Culture

World-Class cultures have optimized the feedback loop

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

How do we give good feedback? What are the guidelines? What type of feedback is appropriate in my organization?

We tend to look elsewhere to understand feedback. We look for structure.

When people operate in closed systems like when playing chess or basketball, there is instant feedback. The structure of feedback is defined in the rules. How many points did you score? How many pieces did you capture?

Did you win?

This is a finite game as defined by James P. Carse. A game defined with the purpose of winning. Unfortunately, in creative and innovative work, good and bad can be subjective. This means giving feedback in an infinite world can be a dangerous and politically difficult situation.

So how do you unlock the abilities of feedback culture and avoid dangerous and politically difficult situations?

You Need A Culture Of Candor

I already broke down how Netflix’s culture has positioned them to be elite innovators. They use a combination of candor, eliminating rules, and building talent density.