Creating a Culture of Open Feedback

“We have a feedback culture.”   That’s what the slide says in your onboarding deck.  But here’s what the team actually feels: → “If I speak up, I’ll be labeled ‘difficult.’” → “If I share the real issue, I’ll lose trust.” → “If I name what’s broken, I’ll be the problem.” That’s not feedback. That’s fear. And fear doesn’t build trust. It builds silence. Here’s how to start changing that 👇 1️⃣ Ask questions they’re scared to answer. Try: “What’s one thing we’re not talking about that we should be?” 2️⃣ Respond to feedback like it’s a gift especially when it stings. If you defend, they won’t bring it again. 3️⃣ Give feedback in real time, not once a year. Waiting for performance reviews = waiting too long. 4️⃣ Model emotional regulation. Your tone and energy determine if the room opens up or shuts down. 5️⃣ Normalize disagreement. If your team always agrees with you, they probably don’t feel safe enough to be honest. 6️⃣ Show them how to speak up then protect them when they do. Psychological safety isn’t just permission. It’s protection. 7️⃣ Do your own work. Your self-awareness sets the ceiling for theirs. No inner work = no outer trust. You don’t earn trust through words. You earn it through nervous systems. Because if people can’t breathe around you, they won’t be honest with you. Want to lead a team where truth feels safe? Start with how you listen. - ♻️ Repost to help leaders prioritize psychological safety 🔔 Follow me Julia Laszlo for radically honest leadership talk

Most leaders avoid feedback conversations because they fear what might break. But what if the real risk is what you'll never build? According to Gallup, 80% of employees who receive meaningful feedback on a weekly basis are fully engaged (2019). Yet 37% of leaders admit they're uncomfortable giving feedback to their teams. That silence isn't kindness. It's career sabotage. I discovered this while coaching a brilliant VP who avoided giving feedback for 6 months. His reasoning? "I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings." Meanwhile, his team was stuck in a loop of repeated mistakes, missed growth, and mounting frustration. The quiet cost of silence was crushing their potential. The truth? Feedback delayed is development denied. Here's the T.R.U.S.T.™ Feedback Framework I teach my executive clients: 1/ Time it right → 60% of employees want feedback weekly → But 39% wait over three months to hear anything → Create a rhythm, not just reactions to problems 2/ Real, not rehearsed → "In yesterday's client call, I noticed..." → Specific moments create specific growth → Vague praise and vague criticism both waste time 3/ Understand the person → Different team members need different approaches → Some need direct words, others need gentle questions → Personalize delivery, not just content 4/ Safe to receive → Ask "What support do you need with this?" → Make feedback a conversation, not a verdict → This transforms defensiveness into development 5/ Two-way street → End with "What feedback do you have for me?" → Your willingness to receive transforms your right to give → This builds feedback culture, not just compliance The most powerful leaders build teams where truth flows freely in all directions. Because when feedback feels like genuine care, not criticism, performance soars. What feedback conversation have you been avoiding that could unlock someone's potential? 📌 Save this framework for your next growth conversation ➕ Follow Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC for human leadership

Psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the foundation of every high-performing team. But let’s be honest: Most teams don’t feel safe. Here’s what that looks like: — People stay silent in meetings — Mistakes are hidden, not discussed — New ideas are shared in DMs, not out loud — Feedback is rare — or sugar-coated That’s not a sign of weak people. It’s a sign of weak leadership. Here’s how to build real psychological safety: 1. Listen to understand, not respond — Focus fully on what’s said without interrupting — Pause thoughtfully before replying 2. Welcome different opinions — Ask: “How do you see this differently?” — Encourage curiosity, not dismissal 3. Normalize healthy disagreement — Say: “Disagreement helps us grow — let’s explore it” — Stay calm and curious, not defensive 4. Respond to mistakes with learning, not blame — Ask: “What’s the lesson here for all of us?” — Celebrate courage to try, even when it leads to mistakes 5. Be vulnerable first — Share your doubts openly — Say: “Here’s where I’m stuck — any ideas?” 6. Create emotional safety — Make it clear: “All feelings are valid here” — Notice and address emotional undercurrents early 7. Encourage open feedback — both ways — Ask: “What can I do differently to help you succeed?” — Show gratitude for honest feedback 8. Build and maintain trust — Be consistent, honest, and transparent — Say: “Here’s what I’m working on — let’s keep each other informed” 9. Praise publicly, correct privately — Recognize achievements openly — Use the “feedback sandwich” for tough conversations 10. Support autonomy and growth — Say: “Feel free to experiment and learn — I’m here to support you” — Trust your team to build confidence and growth You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be intentional. Because when people feel safe, they stop holding back — and start showing up. 🔁 Find this helpful? Repost for your network. 📌 Follow Natan Mohart for practical leadership insights.

Most leaders say they want honest feedback. Netflix actually built systems for it. Angela Morgenstern spent years at Netflix during their massive shift to original content, scaling from 20 shows to 1,000+ annually. What she learned about "farming for dissent" (and more) could transform how you approach decision making. The problem: Most organizations accidentally punish honest disagreement. People learn to stay quiet or tell leaders what they want to hear. Netflix built specific mechanisms that made dissent safe and expected: 🔸 Memo-driven culture with transparent commenting: no fancy presentations, just clear rationale with open document-driven discussions. 🔸 Product Strat meetings where farming for dissent was the point: senior forums designed for debate before decisions. 🔸 Informed Captain model: the person closest to the problem gathers different perspectives, then decides. The result? As Angela put it: "If you really hold truthfulness as a North Star...then you really have to work on forums where people feel like they can be direct and honest with the right set of consequences." Three things you can try today: 1️⃣ Switch one weekly presentation to a shared doc. Ask your team to comment with questions and disagreements before you meet. 2️⃣ Explicitly ask for dissent. Before your next decision, say "I need someone to argue the opposite view" -- and be grateful when they do it! 3️⃣ Separate debate from decision-making. Give teams time to gather input, then make it clear when the discussion shifts to decision mode. Netflix's global expansion from Silicon Valley to creating hits in Spain and Korea wasn't just about content strategy. It was about building a culture that could learn, adapt, and scale through honest conversation -- and adapt globally, another story in this week's column! 👉 Read on: https://lnkd.in/ge4Ej8VH What's one forum where your team could benefit from more honest disagreement? #culture #decisionmaking #feedback