How 'honest feedback' helps female leadership thrive

60% of employees would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis

How 'honest feedback' helps female leadership thrive

Diversity and inclusion is one of the most pressing areas of concern for leadership teams going into 2023. But when it comes to actually putting your money where your mouths are, are you delivering – or just paying lip service? For Nichole Viviani, chief people and marketing officer at Xplor Technologies, she believes that a culture of open feedback combined with inclusivity is a recipe for female success.

“Firstly, it’s about having an inclusive culture that really values different working styles and different learning styles,” she says. “Secondly, strong role models and leadership sponsors are super important.

“Finally, you need a culture of open feedback. I think in some companies there isn't enough feedback given on a real time basis. Feedback is really important to all of us, in how we learn and how we grow and how we adapt. Some people are scared of giving feedback because they're worried about how they might take it. However, feedback shouldn’t just be given when things aren't going right, but when they are. Giving people the credit and the praise when things are going really well, but also being able to give them corrections, is really important.”

This culture of open feedback is absolutely key, especially in remote work. A report from PwC found that 60% of employees would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis – with that number actually increasing to 72% for younger workers. But remember, feedback doesn’t always have to be a “reprimand”, it should be being used as a motivation tool. While giving honest feedback can be uncomfortable for HR, it’s only fair to give employees the chance to make amends and improve.

Back in 2019, the idea of continuous feedback captivated HR circles. The idea that management’s role is evolving beyond that of “boss and employee”, and that even the C-suite should be asking for feedback from their staff base, has only grown in popularity post-pandemic. And, for managers that think the annual review is still the way to go, it’s time to rethink those archaic practices.

“For managers who’re used to annual reviews, it can be difficult for them to make that leap,” says Laurie Beppel, global product marketing manager at Sage. “Having open conversations on a regular basis is a skill that takes practice to finesse. It’s essential that managers act on the feedback that they have received. It encourages ongoing collaboration and builds trust between managers and employees.”

What HRDTV’s full interview here.