How to shift your start-up to a continuous feedback culture.

The benefits of implementing a continuous feedback culture:

In a start-up environment, where teams are often small and the pace is relentless, continuous feedback can have a significant impact on the success of the business. Here are just some of the benefits of implementing a continuous feedback culture:

1. Increased productivity and performance
2. Improved communication and relationships among team members. 
3. Reduced employee turnover
4. Continuous learning and development

Increased productivity and performance 

With continuous feedback, versus quarterly or bi-annual feedback you get information and guidance in real time. No waiting around for quarterly or bi-annual check-ins. This means you can address issues promptly, make necessary adjustments, and keep performance on track. It's like having a personal coach on speed dial, giving you tips and tricks in real time. You get to spot areas for improvement right away and make quick adjustments.

Improved communication

When employees receive regular feedback, it creates an open line of communication between them and their manager. This communication can help to identify potential problems before they become major issues and helps to build stronger relationships among team members.

Reduced employee turnover

Continuous feedback contributes to higher employee satisfaction and engagement, which can lead to reduced turnover rates. According to research, companies with regular feedback processes have 15% lower turnover rates than companies without such practices.

Continuous learning and development

A feedback-rich culture promotes a learning mindset and encourages employees to seek growth opportunities. By providing ongoing feedback, employees can continuously learn and improve their skills, knowledge, and performance and set clearer goals around this as a result.In a start-up environment, innovation and adaptation are critical for success. Continuous feedback can help teams quickly identify and address challenges, as well as develop new ideas and solutions. By providing regular feedback, employees can stay aligned with the company's goals and adjust their work accordingly.

How to implement a continuous feedback culture

The challenge for many start-ups, and well-established companies frankly, is actually activating the continuous feedback process and ensuring the business is in a position to scale this approach from within.

So, how can you make this cultural change where feedback is frequently and effectively exchanged? 

1. Empower your managers to lead by example: As a founder or leader, demonstrate the behaviour you want to see. Be open to feedback yourself and actively seek it from others. By showing that you value feedback and act on it, you create an environment where others feel comfortable doing the same.
2. Provide regular feedback channels: Establish various channels for feedback, such as one-on-one meetings, team retrospectives, anonymous surveys, or dedicated feedback tools. Make sure these channels are easily accessible and encourage employees to use them regularly.
3. Encourage timely feedback: Encourage employees to provide feedback in a timely manner, rather than waiting for scheduled feedback sessions. This allows for more immediate improvements and prevents issues from escalating. Foster a culture where constructive feedback is seen as valuable and appreciated.
4. Foster a safe and constructive environment: Create a safe space where employees feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback. Encourage respectful and constructive communication by emphasising the importance of focusing on behaviours, not personalities. Provide guidelines on how to give feedback effectively, emphasising the use of specific examples and offering suggestions for improvement. This handout describes three steps to getting started in initiating a safe space for continuous feedback to thrive, including deepening the relationship with your team.  
5. Train employees on feedback skills: Conduct training sessions or workshops on giving and receiving feedback. Teach employees how to deliver feedback in a constructive manner, emphasising active listening, empathy, and clarity. Provide guidance on receiving feedback gracefully and using it as a catalyst for growth.
6. Act on feedback: It's crucial to demonstrate that feedback is taken seriously and acted upon. Encourage managers and leaders to follow up on feedback, address concerns, and implement appropriate changes whenever possible. When employees see that their feedback leads to tangible improvements, they will be more motivated to continue providing input.
7. Iterate and improve: Continuously evaluate and refine your feedback processes. Seek feedback from employees on the effectiveness of the feedback culture itself and make adjustments accordingly. Experiment with different methods and tools to find what works best for your startup.

It takes time to implement any culture shift, but training your company leaders to demonstrate the behaviour their want to see from their teams,  is a great place to start.

In Summary

Growth is continuous, it doesn’t just occur at the time of performance reviews, so it makes sense that feedback should be continuous. 

Creating a continuous feedback culture makes up the foundations of a positive workplace culture for your start-up - it encourages openness, honesty and transparency. It also empowers your employees to own the culture and values you’re creating. 

At Forward Partners, one of our key behaviours is ‘honest opinions, shared constructively’. It’s a characteristic we screen for in our interview process and talk about regularly at off-site and All Hands meetings to empower our people to live and breathe it. We also use a tool called Bonusly, which encourages positive reinforcement of feedback and recognition for each other. 

What steps can you take to encourage a continuous feedback loop?

Find out how you can activate a continuous feedback culture with our three steps guide here.