Encouraging Open Feedback Loops in the Workplace

An open door means nothing if people don't feel safe walking through it. Most leaders struggle with team communication. Not because they're bad leaders— But because they mistake silence for everything being fine. Silence hides your biggest risks. If you see even one of these signals, pay attention: 1. The sudden drop in questions → When "any questions?" gets zero response That's fear, not clarity 2. The quick "yes" to every proposal → When pushback disappears overnight You've lost the real conversations 3. The "everything's fine" updates → When status reports are too perfect Problems are hiding in plain sight 4. The private back-channels → When feedback comes through others Direct trust is broken 5. The missing disagreements → When was the last time someone challenged you? Harmony isn't always healthy Here's what actually works: 1. Ask Better Questions → Not: "How's everything going?" → But: "What obstacle should I know about?" → And: "What would you do differently?" 2. Create Multiple Channels → Schedule skip-level meetings → Set up anonymous feedback loops → Use async channels for timely inputs 3. Go Where They Are → Walk the floor (or virtual rooms) → Join project channels → Show up in their space, not yours → Engage with those whom you haven't heard from Most importantly: Act on what you hear—even if you disagree. Nothing kills trust faster than ignored input. When people see their input matters, they'll give you more of it. Leadership is active, not passive. Stop waiting. Start seeking. 💬 Leaders: What other listening mechanisms work for you? ---- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts

🤐 "Dead Air" on Zoom? It’s Not Disengagement — It’s Cultural. 🌏 Your global team is brilliant, but meetings are met with silence. You ask for input, and… nothing. It’s not that they don’t care. It’s cultural. In many cultures, challenging a leader publicly can feel disrespectful. Speaking up might risk "losing face." So, instead of collaboration, you get cautious nods, and critical ideas die quietly. 💥 The cost? Missed feedback, hidden conflicts, derailed timelines, and talent feeling unseen and unheard. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 🚀 Here’s how to encourage real participation and build trust across cultures — starting today. 1️⃣ Invite opinions privately first. Many cultures value privacy and may hesitate to disagree publicly. Before the meeting, send out an agenda and ask for input by email or private chat. This gives team members time to reflect and feel safer sharing. 2️⃣ Create "round robin" sharing moments. During the call, explicitly invite each person to share, one by one. Use phrases like: "I’d love to hear a quick insight from everyone, no wrong answers." This reduces the fear of interrupting or "stepping out of line." 3️⃣ Model vulnerability as a leader. Share your own uncertainties or challenges first. For example: "I’m not sure this is the best approach — I’d really value your perspective." When you show it’s safe to be open, your team will follow. 4️⃣ Acknowledge and validate contributions publicly. After someone shares, affirm them clearly. For example: "Thank you for that perspective — it really helps us see this from a new angle." This builds psychological safety and encourages future participation. 5️⃣ Use cultural "mirroring" techniques. Mirror verbal and non-verbal cues appropriate to different cultures (e.g., nodding, using supportive phrases). Show respect for varying communication styles instead of forcing a "one-size-fits-all" dynamic. ✨Imagine meetings where every voice is heard and your team’s full potential is unlocked. Ready to stop the silence and turn diversity into your superpower? #CulturalCompetence #GlobalLeadership #InclusiveTeams #PsychologicalSafety #CrossCulturalCommunication 

Want to build trust & transparency in your team? Start with 360-degree feedback: At work, nothing matters more than trust & honesty. 360-degree feedback is a (fantastic) way to do this. I’ve seen it: -Boost performance -Increase collaboration -Improve team dynamics -Create a happy work culture 360-degree feedback lets everyone share their thoughts. It makes employees feel important & brings teams closer together. Here’s a step-by-step blueprint to start using 360-degree feedback: 1. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 What do you want to achieve? Better Communication? -360-degree feedback helps employees talk about hard topics. -This increases happiness & reduces the chances of exit. Find Skill Gaps? -When you locate skill gaps you can help employees improve at their jobs. -Getting feedback helps you locate missing skills. Boost Morale? -Employees are happier & more engaged when they see changes from THEIR feedback. 2. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 Pick a feedback tool that’s easy to use! Choose tools that are simple & match your needs. Options include: - Interviews - Focus groups - Online surveys Make sure the tools cover what you want to assess & are reliable. 3. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 Teach your team how to give (& receive) feedback. -This includes learning how to give & receive feedback the right way. -You should stress honesty & respect via feedback to build trust. -Training helps ensure feedback is useful. 4. 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘆 Make the process anonymous to get honest feedback. - Find what works best for your team. - Anonymity fosters (honest) feedback without fear of trouble. - Anonymity encourages honesty, but being open can build trust. 5. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 & 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 Get feedback from different sources & look for patterns. -Gather feedback from coworkers, team members, & bosses for a complete picture. Looking at feedback helps find patterns & areas to improve. 6. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 Share feedback in a way that helps. -Highlight both strengths & areas to improve so employees understand their performance completely. -Give feedback that helps people grow, don't point out mistakes. -Encourage improvement. 7. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗨𝗽 Have a plan to follow up on the feedback. -Regular follow-ups show your company cares about feedback (this builds trust & engagement). -Create & track plans based on feedback to ensure it leads to (real) improvements. 𝗧𝗟𝗗𝗥 360-degree feedback builds trust & honesty. Follow these steps: 1. Set clear goals 2. Choose the right tools 3. Train your team 4. Ensure anonymity 5. Collect & analyze feedback 6. Provide helpful feedback 7. Follow up Are you ready to use 360-degree feedback to build trust & honesty?

I regularly work with leadership teams to help them be more effective with their team dynamics and/or culture. One topic that comes up frequently? Nearly every team I work with wants to be great at giving and receiving feedback. Here’s what I notice about teams that have great feedback cultures: When something goes wrong, they don’t have side conversations. Many times, we get in the habit of venting to one of our peers about something challenging going on within the team. Why is this harmful to team dynamics? When we don’t openly talk about challenges with the whole team, it creates invisible barriers for others on the team. If we don’t tell someone we’re frustrated about something, we don’t give them the opportunity to make a needed change. We vent to a peer, feel slightly better, then let it go. We don’t share it, so nothing changes. Inevitably, the pattern returns and we get frustrated again. We go back to venting. We seemingly let it go. But it builds our frustrations and deteriorates trust. Rinse and repeat this vicious cycle. Now that trust is low, we have a hard time opening any feedback. We build walls and the team starts to operate with less efficiency, transparency, and information. So how do we break this cycle? The healthiest and most effective teams have built-in places for open feedback. They regularly talk about challenges. They know that talking about challenges, even when it’s hard, builds trust in the long run instead of breaking it. Instead of going to people within the team to vent, they openly talk about the challenges with the whole team. They hold each other accountable to not having side conversations or meetings-after-the-meeting. Here are three ways to build in regular, safe spaces for feedback into your team operations: 1️⃣ Build in questions to your 1-on-1s to ask things like: “What is one thing I could be doing differently to support you right now?” 2️⃣ Put retro conversations into your team meetings. Regularly ask the team - “What should we be starting, stopping, or continuing right now?” (Google retroactive meeting templates to get more ideas on questions you can ask!) 3️⃣ Instead of focusing on how to GIVE feedback to people as a leader, focus on how you RECEIVE feedback. Do a leadership skill gap analysis. Write down: When someone shares something challenging with you, how do you currently react to feedback? Then write down: How do you want to react when someone gives you feedback? Where’s the gap and what’s one step you could take toward closing that gap? What do you think? What do you think the best teams do to create great feedback cultures?