Do You Actively Encourage Feedback?
According to Harvard Business Review, organizations that create an “ask-first” culture outperform those that use a traditional feedback system, such as performance reviews. An “ask first” culture is defined as one in which employees are encouraged to ask their supervisors how they are doing without penalty. The supervisors are expected to provide constructive feedback, including suggestions plus questions back to the employee about their perceptions of the work, their goals, and what suggestions they might have to make their position more productive/rewarding/fulfilling/etc. According to HBR, “The shift isn’t about bravery in giving feedback—it’s about creating safety in receiving it.” The primary points from this process are the following, per online sources:
Flip the feedback script: Asking first turns feedback into a co-created conversation and increases performance by improving relevance and timing. [Comment: this “goes against the ‘normal’ grain” and will require reinforcement to succeed.]
Start from the top: Leaders who openly ask for input model humility, signaling that growth outweighs perfection.
Reward curiosity: Recognize feedback-seeking as a performance strength—celebrate it in debriefs, reviews, and promotions.
Make it routine: Embed simple rituals, for example the “two-by-two check-in” (two strengths, two improvements) to normalize ongoing feedback loops.
