From Critique to Catalyst: Feedback’s Role in Transforming Workplaces

Feedback is essential to continuous improvement and professional growth. In the dynamic world of work, it serves as a crucial bridge between current performance and future success. Constructive feedback fosters understanding, nurtures skill development, and strengthens collaboration. It ultimately leads to a more engaged and productive workforce. Feedback has the potential to create a culture of trust and learning, empowering employees to grow and thrive in their roles. It holds the power to transform teams and organizations alike, and if you’ve been on a team that cultivates a culture of feedback, you know this to be true!  

Because we value feedback tremendously, both in the workshops we facilitate for clients and in our client relationships, we want to invite you to a conversation we recently had with Melissa Owens, Executive Director of Licking County Aging Partners (LCAP), about the role feedback plays in her work and in our relationship with her organization. You’ll also get to hear a piece of feedback Melissa received that was particularly helpful to her.  

Question: Hello, Melissa! Please tell us about your organization and the work you do!  

Melissa Owens: Our organization provides in-home services and community support to individuals 60 and older to help them remain independent and healthy. Our mission is to help people age in the way they choose – and with over 43,000 people over the age of 60 already in the community – it is a mission we are passionate about and know is important! 

Question: What role does feedback play in your everyday work? 

Melissa Owens: In an organization that employs 100+ individuals and serves nearly 5,000 community members, there are always problems to solve, challenges to overcome, and relationships to maintain. It is meaningful, messy work! Taking the time to provide and receive feedback on what is going well, what could have gone better, and what we envision for the future is vital. I have learned and continue to learn to provide time and space for that feedback to be offered – even when it isn’t fun – and demonstrate its importance to staff and leadership alike. 

Question: What role does feedback play in the work you do with Kane Learning?  

Melissa Owens: Kane Learning provides resources to LCAP’s leadership team that demonstrate how to hold space for feedback. Their team reminds us that anything worth doing is worth doing well, which means practicing routines time and time again, so that they are absorbed and become part of the LCAP culture. Their empathetic, listening ears and ongoing support encourages me and my team to set examples for our staff and the community on the importance of feedback.  

Question: What was a piece of feedback you received that was a game-changer for you?  

Melissa Owens: Oof. Are you asking me to be vulnerable?! Let’s see – “You’re not managing you, Melissa. Stop acting as if your staff should react or act the way you do. You aren’t managing you!” I am grateful for a staff that has diverse skills and thinking, but without meaning to, I start to assume they are seeing an issue the way I am. They aren’t, and I need to stop.    

Thanks, Melissa, for sharing the important role feedback plays in your work and the work you do with Kane Learning!  

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And now it’s your turn!  

To bring the power of feedback to life, start by actively seeking it. One practical way to make feedback a priority is to incorporate it into regular check-ins to understand perspectives and improve your work. Instead of asking, “What feedback do you have for me?” In their book Thanks for the Feedback, authors Doug Stone and Sheila Heen suggest asking, “What’s one thing I could do differently next time?” 

This allows the feedback to be specific and productive! 

Once you receive feedback, focus on acting upon it thoughtfully—view it not as criticism but as an opportunity to grow. (Getting distracted by negative feedback is normal - negativity bias is real! To read more about that, check out our blog post here.)  

Remember, feedback isn’t just a tool—it fosters innovation, collaboration, and growth in the workplace. By committing to a culture of feedback, you'll unlock new possibilities for success—for you and your team! 

To learn more about our feedback workshop, click here.   

To learn about creating a culture of feedback as part of our Leadership Essentials program, click here.