Why this is on top
Most people crave feedback – they just rarely get it when it matters.
ClearCompany (2024) found 80% of employees say annual reviews come too late to be useful. The learning moment has passed, and the opportunity to grow has gone with it.
Feedback delayed is feedback denied.
Feedback through the LTO lens
In Leading Through Others, feedback is the bridge between Strategy & Outcomes and Environment & Innovation. It’s how you connect clarity (what matters) with growth (how we get better).
When feedback becomes a rhythm rather than an event, it transforms culture. It tells your people: You’re seen. You’re valued. Your development matters.
Making feedback work
Feedback fails when it’s vague, late, or delivered under stress.
Instead:
1️⃣ Be timely. Share within 24 hours – the closer to the moment, the stronger the link between action and impact.
2️⃣ Be specific. Use the Situation → Action → Impact model: “In yesterday’s client meeting, you clarified the scope, which saved us from rework.”
3️⃣ Be balanced. Recognise effort as well as outcome. Correct with curiosity, not criticism.
When feedback is frequent, it becomes normal. When it’s normal, it becomes safe. And when it’s safe, people seek it out rather than fear it.
A story from the field
During a leadership programme last year, a manager shared that she’d stopped giving feedback because “it never landed well.”
We reframed it around impact – not instruction. Within two weeks, her team reported that conversations felt “lighter and more useful.” She hadn’t changed the message – just the meaning.
Feedback is never about your comfort; it’s about their clarity.
Challenge for you
Before this week ends, deliver one specific, 60-second piece of feedback. It can be recognition or redirection – the key is immediacy and impact. Do that daily for a week and notice the shift in confidence and communication.
How I can help
Through my LEADERship Foundation Programme and Coaching for Leaders series, I help managers master the art of feedback that develops, not discourages. We cover:
- How to give feedback that builds capability.
- How to receive feedback with openness.
- How to create team feedback rituals that stick.
You can also download my free Coaching Template – a practical tool to keep feedback conversations focused and future-oriented.
Feedback isn’t a task; it’s leadership in action.
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