How to Create a Feedback-Rich Culture (Not Just a Feedback Process)

I recently worked with a tech company on the West Coast. Smart, well-intentioned people who genuinely cared about relationships and wanted to create a positive work environment.

But underneath the surface, there was a problem: No one knew how to give real feedback.

People were polite. They were “nice.” But that niceness had a cost. When feedback did happen, it felt jarring because it was rare. Employees got defensive. Conversations got derailed. Leaders pulled back, thinking, “It’s not worth the fallout.”

And over time, the organization developed something that looked like harmony but functioned more like avoidance. Underperformance was tolerated. Frustrations built quietly. Passive-aggressive behavior crept in. The culture had become nice... but not honest. And certainly not high-performing.

It wasn’t a feedback problem - it was a safety problem. Because feedback wasn’t part of the culture. It was an event.

That experience reminded me:

You don’t fix feedback by changing the process. You fix it by changing the culture.

Most organizations have a feedback process.

Formal reviews. Performance systems. Maybe even a 360. But having a process doesn’t mean you have a culture.

In a feedback-rich culture, feedback isn’t a once-a-year event; it’s a daily habit. It’s informal, embedded in relationships, and welcomed rather than feared.

And when done right, feedback doesn’t just improve performance, it strengthens trust, deepens engagement, and accelerates development across the board.

Most Feedback Systems Aren’t Working

Gallup research shows that only 26% of employees strongly agree that the feedback they receive helps them do better work.

The issue?

• Feedback is often infrequent, surfacing only during formal reviews.

• It’s one-directional, coming from the top down.

• And it’s often tied to evaluation, not development, which puts people on the defensive.

Even well-intentioned managers can struggle, defaulting to praise or correction without meaningful dialogue. The result: Employees tune it out or brace for it.

Culture Is What Happens Between the Meetings

One thing I say often in coaching and training is: "Culture isn’t what’s written down. It’s what happens in the everyday moments."

You can have a beautifully designed feedback framework, but if managers hesitate to give feedback, if peers don’t know how to speak up, or if teams don’t feel safe naming tensions, then feedback becomes a technical exercise, not a cultural strength.

To build a truly feedback-rich culture, you have to shift both behaviors and beliefs.

What a Feedback-Rich Culture Looks Like

In healthy feedback cultures, you’ll see things like:

• Feedback flows up, down, and across

• People ask for feedback, not just receive it

• Leaders model openness by receiving feedback in public

• Teams talk about what’s working and what’s not, early and often

• Feedback is specific, timely, and tied to growth, not judgment

• Psychological safety is the norm, not the exception

These aren’t “nice to haves," they’re the conditions that fuel strong teams.

How to Build It: 5 Shifts That Make a Difference

Creating a feedback-rich culture doesn’t happen overnight. But it can be built; deliberately and over time. Here are five shifts I often work on with organizations:

1. Start at the Top

If senior leaders aren’t modeling feedback (both giving and receiving) it won’t stick. Make it visible. Let your team hear you say, “That’s helpful, thank you for the feedback.”

2. Make Feedback Safe

Psychological safety is a prerequisite. Feedback isn’t risky when trust is high. Celebrate when people speak up. Thank the person who challenges you. Normalize disagreement.

3. Coach, Don’t Critique

Managers should learn to give feedback in a coaching style: asking questions, offering observations, and focusing on growth. Not: “Here’s what you did wrong.” But: “Here’s what I noticed. Can we talk about what might work better next time?”

4. Normalize Micro-Feedback

Don’t wait for the quarterly review. Feedback should be a regular part of one-on-ones, project wrap-ups, hallway chats, and stand-ups. Small, frequent doses beat big, dramatic ones.

5. Build Shared Language

Equip your team with a common framework for giving feedback. Whether it’s SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact), Start-Stop-Continue, or something custom, shared tools make feedback easier, less emotional, and more actionable.

A Culture That Grows Together

Feedback shouldn’t be something people brace for. It should be something they expect. Welcome. Even ask for.

When feedback is part of your culture, not just your process, you don’t just get better results. You get stronger relationships. Faster growth. And teams that actually want to work together.

Because when people feel safe to speak the truth, and hear it, they grow. And when people grow, your organization does too.