Creating a Feedback-Rich Workplace

Environment: Lessons Learned Over a 35 Year

Career in Human Resources
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

Gerald Knesek
University of Michigan Flint

This article is written for the working professional who is interested in creating a
workplace culture based on individual potential, continuous improvement, and
productivity improvement. It examines the nature of feedback as a natural instrument
for developing this workplace environment. Feedback when used appropriately
should be welcomed by employees and used on a regular daily basis. It offers a
training outline for those interested in developing a feedback-rich culture that
distinguishes between 3 types of feedback, establishes foundation principles for
giving feedback, and provides practical structured exercises for practicing giving
feedback. It offers a ready to use tool for working professionals.
Keywords: continuous improvement, feedback, human resources development, productivity
improvement, workplace culture

This article is written from the perspective of the author, who has practiced
in the field of Human Resources/Organizational Development for more than 35
years. There is no intent to claim originality of ideas or concepts or to plagiarize
the work of others. The article is written from my experience and the ideas and
concepts learned along the way. I have long since forgotten where I first
encountered many of these ideas or concepts. They have been developing in my
head for years and refined using the age-old practice of trial and error. The
purpose in writing this article is to share with others in hopes that they may find
them useful in their daily practices, and not have to repeat mistakes.

BACKGROUND

Feedback has been defined as specific information about the comparison

between observed performance and a standard (Saedon et al., 2012). It can be

This article was published Online First September 28, 2015.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Gerald Knesek, University
of Michigan Flint School of Management, 2200 Riverfront Center, 303 East Kearsley Street,
Flint, MI 48502. E-mail: Knesek@umflint.edu

109
The Psychologist-Manager Journal 2015 American Psychological Association
2015, Vol. 18, Nos. 3 4, 109 120 1088-7156/15/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/mgr0000032
 110 KNESEK

outcome or process oriented. Outcome feedback provides general success or

failure information, whereas process feedback provides more specific infor-
mation about how to adjust behavior to improve subsequent results. Individ-
uals tend to be more interested in process feedback because it provides more
information on how they can reach their goals (Medvedeff, Gregory, & Levy,
2008). In this sense, feedback is designed to reinforce a correct course of
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

action or correct something that is off course. It is information about an

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

individual given by someone attempting to improve the situation (Kinicki &

Fugate, 2012). Yet, in my experience most employees have a fear of receiv-
ing feedback. In many ways this stems from a fear of receiving negative
performance feedback. For years these performance discussions have focused
on largely on employee mistakes and what they needed to do to improve and
not enough on accentuating the positive (Feintzeig, 2015). Generally speak-
ing, people fear emotional hurt and rejection, and feedback that is not as
positive as expected can lead to negative reactions such as anger, frustration,
and discouragement (Nowack & Mashihi, 2012). Employees at all levels of
the workplace avoid feedback because they hate being criticized. They never
ask for feedback because they fear it will lead to heated arguments, impos-
sible demands, or threats of dismissal. These fears and assumptions about
feedback can lead to procrastination, denial, brooding, jealousy, and self-
sabotage (Jackman & Strober, 2003). Feedback is not effective when it is
excessively negative (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012). Effective feedback is correc-
tive, not negative, by nature and allows an individual to adjust or correct their
behavior to remedy the situation (Shulte, 2008). So creating a feedback-rich
environment necessitates reframing negative feedback into corrective feed-
back. Corrective feedback is positive by nature because it prevents you from
doing something in an incorrect way. Think about some of the new feedback
mechanisms in computers and automobiles that are designed to let you know
if you make a computing error or in the case of your car, drive in an unsafe
manner. Both of these feedback mechanisms are designed to improve your
performance. They are designed to improve the situation and make things
better. They prevent you from making a software error or in the case of
driving your car, getting into an accident. They support your performance and
improve the situation. Thus is the nature of feedback in a feedback-rich
environment. It is designed to support performance and improve the situation.
Once we begin to understand feedback in this manner, we all should have a
hearty appetite for feedback (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012). It is what allows us to
get better and better. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we need
feedback for growth and development, and without feedback, we become
stagnant and routine. Effective feedback shows an individual where they are
succeeding and where they need to improve (Shulte, 2008). This comparison
between the standard and the observed performance is the basis for improve-
ment moving forward. Employee coaching is a developmental activity be-
 CREATING A FEEDBACK-RICH WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT 111

tween an employee and his or her direct manager designed to improve job
performance and enhance capabilities for future roles and challenges (Greg-
ory & Levy, 2010). The quality of the supervisor/subordinate relationship
serves as a basis for coaching effectiveness. Important elements in this
relationship include mutual respect, empathy, authenticity, genuine care and
interest, with an orientation toward help, improvement and learning. Level of
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

comfort working with the supervisor is a critical element in the employee

coaching relationship. Objective information, performance data, and feed-
back provide the basis for continuous improvement (Gregory & Levy, 2010).
Yet, given an overemphasis on negative feedback, workplaces in my
experience have been notorious for creating an environment where employ-
ees view feedback in a threatening way (Feintzeig, 2015). Many employees
appear to be afraid of feedback and do not want to hear it. Take the situation
of a supervisor saying to an employee, come with me, I want to talk to you.
These words strike fear into the heart of the employee, the employee instantly
becomes defensive, and anyone who overhears the supervisor talking to the
employee automatically assumes the employee has done something wrong.
This situation often happens when feedback is confused with annual em-
ployee appraisals (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012). In contrast to an annual ap-
praisal, feedback should be something that is given on a regular basis
involving the exchange of information about the status and quality of work
performance. It is two-way communication ensuring that supervisors and
employees are in sync and agree on the standards and expectations of work
performance. This type of exchange is used to motivate, support, correct,
direct, and regulate work behavior (Kinicki & Fugate, 2012). Increasingly,
coaching and development of subordinates is becoming an expected man-
agement behavior (Gregory & Levy, 2010). On the other hand, when feed-
back is occurring on a regular daily basis between supervisors and employees
in the spirit of correction and support, the annual performance appraisal will
never come as a surprise because daily feedback ensures that supervisors and
employees are in sync and always on the same page. The annual performance
appraisal becomes a summary of things that have been talked about through-
out the year.
If we begin to view feedback in the spirit for which it is intended, a
mechanism for growth and development, its potential for continuous im-
provement in the workplace is unlimited. A feedback-rich workplace envi-
ronment creates a culture focused on productivity improvement. It does not
have to be limited to exchanges between supervisors and employees. Think
about the potential of an environment where all employees naturally give
each other feedback on a daily basis in the spirit of helping each other to
improve and get better at what they are doing. Although this feedback-rich
culture may seem like a pipe dream to many individuals, in my experience it
 112 KNESEK

is not that difficult to implement if the organization is willing to take the time
to train the workforce on the true nature of feedback.
The following training outline (generic in nature) is based on more than
35 years of experience working in the field of Human Resources/
Organizational Development. It takes into consideration years of trial and
error, mistakes, lessons learned, and fine tuning until the need for feedback
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

and the basis for providing it became understood.

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

TRAINING PROGRAM OUTLINE

Step 1 Start With an Understanding of and Need for Feedback

We all want and need feedback. From the time we are born, our growth
and development as individuals is influenced by feedback. As infants, we
explore the world around us and receive feedback from the world we are
exploring (stimulating/boring), from our parents (positive/negative), and
from oneself (meets my needs/does not meet my needs). This feedback
continues through infancy, adolescence, adulthood, and even old age. We
want and need this feedback to grow as individuals, and to refine the skill sets
we develop along the way. Our parents, friends, teachers, peers, and even
sometimes strangers give us needed feedback so that we know how we are
doing relative to a standard or expected behavior. We accept this feedback
because we know that these individuals have our best interests at heart. Even
if the feedback at times is not what we want to hear, we know these
individuals have our best interests in mind and so we will adjust our
performance or behavior accordingly. A teacher tells you that your paper is
not A material and knows that you are capable of A work. You know this
teacher cares about your growth and development and so with their sugges-
tions you adjust your performance on your next paper. Your parents suggest
that you try something different and you do it. Your peers tell you that they
like the way you play the piano and you develop that talent. All of this is very
natural as we grow and develop as individuals.
So why is it any different in the workplace? It shouldnt be. We want and
need feedback in the workplace just as we need it in others areas of our life.
What is different is that we do not always feel that our supervisors and peers
have our best interests at heart. When a supervisor waits until a yearly
performance review to tell you all of the things that you are doing wrong and
that you are not getting the job done, it feels like he or she is out to get you.
Instead of adjusting your performance, you get defensive and argue with your
supervisor. Trust breaks down and you no longer welcome any kind of
feedback from your supervisor. Your behavior becomes defensive because
you feel attacked and future opportunities for feedback are lost.
 CREATING A FEEDBACK-RICH WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT 113

But it does not have to be this way. In a feedback-rich environment,

feedback is occurring naturally on a regular basis and it does not feel like an
attack. It feels like your supervisors and peers have your best interests at heart
and use feedback to guide your performance and development. Lets use
coaching as an example of how this would work. Think about World Class
sports programs such as the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Lakers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

In these programs, the coaches provide ongoing feedback to the athletes.

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

When a player is doing something incorrect in practice, the player is imme-

diately given feedback to correct the situation. This is also true when a player
is performing in a desired manner. The coaches tell the player that the
performance is exactly what they want and keep up the good work. The
players look for and need this feedback to continue to improve their team
performance. Even world class individual athletes such as Tiger Woods hires
a variety of coaches to provide him feedback on what he is doing well, what
can be corrected, and opportunities for improvement. He wants and needs this
feedback to maintain his competitive game. Without it, he becomes stagnant
or worse yet he deteriorates. This same dynamic holds true in a healthy,
productive workplace. Every employee needs ongoing feedback from super-
visors and peers to continue desired performance, to correct misdirected
performance, and to look for opportunities for improvement. In a feedback-
rich environment this feedback is accepted because it is in the best interest of
the individual (viewed as positive), is timely, and is specific.

Step 2 Define the Types of Feedback Needed

In the early 2000s while I was working for the General Motors
Corporation, a training program for supervisors on providing performance
feedback was developed by General Motors University, an internal train-
ing organization within the corporation. This program defined three
categories of feedback; corrective, reinforcing, and developmental. In my
experience over the years through trial and error I began to realize that
these three categories taken together provided the basis for a positive
environment focused on continual growth and development. The first
category is Corrective Feedback. Corrective Feedback focuses on specific
actions or behaviors that should be taken to correct a given situation or
performance issue. It clarifies or provides a better understanding of a
given situation or performance issue. It is usually prescriptive in nature
focusing on a better way of doing something, yet is given in a way that
preserves a persons dignity. This type of feedback occurs naturally when
people are interested in helping each other. Many years ago when I started
working in the automotive industry I remember a time when I was putting
 114 KNESEK

bumpers on cars on an assembly line. I remember specifically when a few

older employees approached me and said let me show you an easier way to
get the job done with fewer problems. They showed me and I was grateful.
In turn I went out of my way in return to offer assistance whenever I had the
opportunity. This type of corrective feedback created an environment of
helpfulness, and in my experience people enjoy helping each other. In my
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

current role as a college instructor, my younger students many times will

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

offer the say type of feedback that I heard years ago as they see me struggle
with information technology issues. They say do you want me to show you
an easier way to do that? I am grateful for the help and try to provide the
same type of helpful feedback when I see them struggling with academic
issues in my classroom. I can think of hundreds of examples throughout my
career when I received or provided feedback in a corrective or helpful
manner. It was always done in a positive productive manner that promoted
mutual respect, trust, and learning.
The second category of ongoing natural feedback is Reinforcing Feed-
back. Reinforcing Feedback focuses on sustaining positive behaviors and
exceptional results. It looks for opportunities to recognize what a person is
doing right. Everyone regardless of age enjoys hearing good job. Whether
its little kids or a senior citizen, everyone likes recognition for situations or
behaviors that they performed well. Reinforcing Feedback in a feedback-rich
environment is finding reasons and taking opportunities on a daily basis to
recognize and reinforce positive behaviors and excellent performance. It
includes noteworthy effort, rigorous thinking, creativity, and intermediate
results. I remember a time after a difficult meeting in an automotive plant
closing situation when I received feedback from a manufacturing manager
thanking me for a difficult meeting and telling me that he thought I did the
best I could have done given a difficult situation. The feedback meant a lot
to me because plant closing meetings were difficult to conduct. Reinforcing
feedback is what we all need to let us know that we are on the right path and
should keep up the good work. In many ways, reinforcing feedback is the
easiest to give, yet we do not give enough of it. It is not that we do not have
time to give it, it is more a question of changing our daily behavior to make
sure that we give it. Anyone who has been in a relationship for a long period
of time knows that that you should never begin to take things for granted. The
little thank you, cards, and anniversary dinners make all the difference in the
world. Reinforcing feedback not only reinforces current behavior, but also
encourages people to want to do better and achieve even better results. Just
think about the power of the words good job to a little child and how it
motivates them to work harder. The same is true with adults. Positive
feedback motivates us to work harder. In strong healthy relationships we do
not want to disappoint each other. I remember a time in a snow storm when
most of the roads were closed and a colleague showed up at work. With a
 CREATING A FEEDBACK-RICH WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT 115

look of surprise on my face I looked at him and said what are you doing
here? He responded, I told you I would be here. I said, that is what I like
about you, I can always count on you. The feedback made him smile from
ear to ear. He was willing to drive through a snow storm not to disappoint me.
And I would have done the same for him.
The third category of natural ongoing feedback is Developmental Feed-
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

back. Developmental Feedback is more collaborative by nature and focuses

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

on exploring opportunities that will help an individual realize their potential.

It allows an individual to explore opportunities and develop new skills and
competencies. It involves a conversation between a person who sees potential
in a person and that persons willingness to explore a developmental oppor-
tunity. Take for instance the following examples: a supervisor who talks with
his or her best employee about becoming a supervisor, a coach who has a
conversation with a player about trying a different position, a teacher who
informs a student that they are ready for the next level of a subject area, or
a work team that has a conversation about rotating positions. All of these
situations involve a conversation about developmental opportunities de-
signed to help an individual achieve their potential. These conversations are
collaborative and focus on the best interests of the individuals involved. The
feedback is viewed as an opportunity, instead of a threat, and the decision is
left up to the individual receiving it. It encourages continuous improvement,
learning, and individual growth. This type of developmental feedback starts
in childhood and continues into later life. It is not uncommon in the later
years of an individuals career for that person to start thinking about what is
next. The what is next conversation is a developmental opportunity to
explore their potential. The urge to use our potential is a need that motivates
all of us as individuals.
Taken together, these three categories of feedback used together provide
the basic ingredients for a feedback-rich environment.

Step 3 Practice Giving These 3 Types of Feedback

Practicing giving feedback starts with understanding a few foundation

principles for providing feedback. The first of these foundation principles is
trust. Trust is a quality of relationship issue. It reflects on your character as
a person. Do you have my best interests at heart? Do you care about me? Can
you balance my needs and the needs of the business? Will you protect my
confidences? Do you respect differences of opinion? All of these things affect
the candidness of a conversation and the ability to listen to feedback. If you
do not trust someone, if you do not feel that a person has your best interests
at heart, then you will not be able to listen to that person without becoming
 116 KNESEK

defensive. Defensiveness or guardedness prevents honest candid feedback

and interferes with the ability to listen.
Listening is the second foundation principle. Listening requires an open-
ness to hear the feedback that is being given. Without trust you have no
listening or discriminatory listening. With discriminatory listening, we only
hear what confirms our previously developed views or opinions of the
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

individual. Real listening requires us to clear our mind of other thoughts,

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

filters, and distractions and attempt to understand what is being said. You can
only do this when you trust the person giving you the feedback.
The third foundation principle is speaking with greater candor. When
trust is present in the relationship and there is a real openness to understand
what is being said, the ability to speak with greater candor exists. Instead of
being afraid of saying something or beating around the bush trying to find a
way to deliver the message, speaking with greater candor allows the feedback
to accurately describe the situation, the problem, and the consequences of
behaviors. These three foundation principles work in conjunction with each
other and cannot be separated in providing effective feedback. Developing
competency in these three areas can be worked on separately. Ask yourself,
am I a trustworthy person? If not, what do I have to change in my behavior
to be viewed as a trustworthy person? Do I have good listening skills? If
not, practice listening to understand and not listening to respond. Can I
speak with candor or do I beat around the bush trying to say something?
Practice speaking with greater candor with someone you trust and ask for
feedback. Practicing these foundation principles is like any other kind of
practice in that improvement is noted over time.
The following practice scenarios require role-playing by the participants.
Participants are divided into groups of three: a feedback giver, a feedback
receiver, and an observer. This triad will rotate so that each person has the
opportunity to role-play giving feedback in each scenario.

Practice Giving Corrective Feedback

Participants are given 10 minutes to think about a real workplace

situation where a person needs corrective feedback and think about how
they would hold a corrective feedback session with that person. The more
specific the corrective feedback the better. This is not about generalities,
this is about giving a real person corrective feedback. Determine who
wants to be the first feedback giver, feedback receiver and observer. To
begin the role play, the feedback giver explains the nature of the correc-
tive feedback situation to the feedback receiver so they can role play and
the observer agrees to take notes on the role play and give feedback to the
 CREATING A FEEDBACK-RICH WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT 117

feedback giver. Participants are given 10 minutes to role play the correc-
tive feedback situation. After that the observer gives the feedback pro-
vider 5 minutes of feedback on how well they did providing feedback.
The emphasis is on what they did well and what they could improve on.
For the next 30 minutes rotate the roles of feedback giver, feedback
receiver, and observer until each participant has had the opportunity to
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

role play and receive feedback on their corrective feedback situation.

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

Practice Giving Reinforcing Feedback

Participants are given 10 minutes to think about a real workplace

situation where a person needs reinforcing feedback and think about how
they would hold a reinforcing feedback session with that person. The more
specific the reinforcing feedback the better. This is not about generalities, but
about giving a real person reinforcing feedback. Determine who wants to be
the first feedback giver, feedback receiver, and observer. To begin the role
play, the feedback giver explains the nature of the reinforcing feedback
situation to the feedback receiver so they can role play and the observer
agrees to take notes on the role play and give feedback to the feedback giver.
Participants are given 10 minutes to role play the corrective feedback
situation. After that the observer gives the feedback provider 5 minutes of
feedback on how well they did providing feedback. The emphasis is on what
they did well and what they could improve on. For the next 30 minutes rotate
the roles of feedback giver, feedback receiver, and observer until each
participant has had the opportunity to role play and receive feedback on their
reinforcing feedback situation.

Practice Giving Developmental Feedback

Participants are given 10 minutes to think about a real workplace

situation where a person needs developmental feedback and think about how
they would hold a developmental feedback session with that person. The
more specific the developmental feedback the better. This is not about
generalities, but instead is about giving a real person developmental feed-
back. Determine who wants to be the first feedback giver, feedback receiver,
and observer. To begin the role play, the feedback giver explains the nature
of the corrective feedback situation to the feedback receiver so they can role
play and the observer agrees to take notes on the role play and give feedback
to the feedback giver. Participants are given 10 minutes to role play the
developmental feedback situation. After that the observer gives the feedback
 118 KNESEK

provider 5 minutes of feedback on how well they did providing feedback.

The emphasis is on what they did well and what they could improve on. For
the next 30 minutes rotate the roles of feedback giver, feedback receiver, and
observer until each participant has had the opportunity to role play and
receive feedback on their developmental feedback situation.
At the end of these three feedback practice sessions, pull the entire group
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

back together and hold a general discussion about what the participants
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

learned about giving feedback. Open ended questions (such as What did you
learn? What worked well? What didnt work well? Was it easier or harder
than you expected?) are excellent ways to concretize participant learnings.
End this session by reinforcing the power of feedback and the importance of
developing and maintaining a feedback-rich workplace. One where employ-
ees receive corrective, reinforcing, and developmental feedback on a regular
basis as part of productive workplace culture.

LESSONS LEARNED WHILE DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A

FEEDBACK-RICH WORKPLACE

1. This approach will not work if it is a piecemeal approach. It has to be

a total systems approach. A paradigm switch with everyone in the
workplace understanding and accepting that feedback is a naturally
occurring daily practice. Feedback must be accepted as in the best
interest of everyone. It provides the basis for continued growth and
development both individually and collectively. This is a continuous
improvement mindset.
2. It starts with top management. Top management must accept, endorse,
and practice this paradigm shift. All levels of the organization need to
see top management walk the talk. Middle managers and employees
will watch top management to see whether this is real or just another
program of the month.
3. Skepticism is natural at first as you roll out this paradigm shift. Resis-
tance to change is normal, and it will take 6 months or longer for
skepticism to diminish and acceptance to begin to set in. Caution is the
norm as employees fear that feedback will be used against them.
4. It is important to distinguish between an environment rich with daily
feedback and an annual performance appraisal. An annual employee
appraisal will still occur, but it becomes a summary of things that are
discussed on a daily basis throughout the year. The surprise factor in
the annual appraisal is gone and employees do not need to worry
about the gotcha factor that creates fear of the annual appraisal.
5. Training is important for everyone in the workplace so that everyone
understands this paradigm shift. If you only train part of the orga-
 CREATING A FEEDBACK-RICH WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT 119

nization such as supervisors, employees who do not go through

training will not understand what is happening, thus creating fear
and trust issues. Everyone needs to hear from top management about
this culture change. If they hear it from their supervisor, they will
fear that upper management does not endorse the change.
6. During training, everyone needs to practice giving all 3 types of
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

feedback to each other. This includes supervisor to employee feed-

This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

back, employee to supervisor feedback, and peer to peer feedback. In

my experience this is the hardest part of the implementation process.
People are not used to giving each other feedback, including positive
feedback. It is awkward at first, but you begin to see with practice
that everyone becomes more comfortable giving each other feed-
back. There is a universal feeling that this is not as hard as I thought
it would be. Processing these practice sessions is very important so
that everyone can hear/learn from each others struggles as they
become more comfortable giving feedback. There is tremendous
power in the feeling that I am not alone as I struggle with this.
7. No matter where they are at in the workplace, people enjoy helping
each other. You feel good when you are involved in the growth and
development of others. I have seen the light bulb go on for a person
when they practice giving feedback and the receiver of the feedback
agrees with their observations and says thank you.
8. Receiving feedback is not that bad when the giver of the feedback is
concerned about your growth and development. The fear factor in
receiving feedback is greatly diminished when the receiver trusts
that the giver has their best interests at heart. In the practice
feedback sessions, I have seen feedback receivers progress from
fear to looking forward to feedback.
9. Practice, practice, and more practice. There is no substitute for
practice in giving and receiving feedback. Individuals in all parts of
the organization need a lot of practice in giving and receiving
feedback. It is a mistake in the training program to spend a lot of
time talking about feedback. Once the new paradigm is outlined, the
majority of the time in training should be focused on practice.
10. Implementation of the new paradigm starts immediately after train-
ing ends. If training sessions are conducted by departments, areas, or
sections of the workplace, then implementation can begin immedi-
ately after training ends. Capitalize on the momentum gained during
training to start implementation immediately.
11. This is a cultural change initiative and will take a lot of time to fully
integrate into an existing workplace culture. Patience and persis-
tence is required to change a culture. The tendency to want to go
back to the old way of doing things is normal, but must be resisted.
 120 KNESEK

12. Everyone is a giver and receiver of feedback. The psychologist

manager initiates and maintains this environment.

In summary, this article provides background information on the intent

and use of feedback, distinguishes between three types of feedback, estab-
lishes foundation principles for giving feedback, and provides structured
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

exercises for practicing giving feedback. All of this is written to help Human
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.

Resources professionals establish a feedback-rich workplace.

REFERENCES

Feintzeig, R. (2015, February 11). Youre awesome! Firms scrap negative feedback. Wall Street
Journal, Section B, 15.
Gregory, J. B., & Levy, P. E. (2010). Employee coaching relationships: Enhancing construct
clarity and measurement. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and
Practice, 3, 109 123.
Jackman, J. M., & Strober, M. H. (2003, April). Fear of feedback. Harvard Business Review.
Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2012). Improving performance with feedback, rewards, and positive
reinforcement. In A. Kinicki & M. Fugate (Eds.), Organizational behavior: Key concepts,
skills, & best practices (pp. 196 221). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Medvedeff, M., Gregory, J. B., & Levy, P. E. (2008). How attributes of the feedback message
affect subsequent feedback seeking: The interactive effects of feedback sign and type.
Psychologica Belgica. 482&, 3, 109 125.
Nowack, K. M., & Mashihi, S. (2012). Evidenced-based answers to 15 questions about
leveraging 360-degree feedback. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research,
64, 157182. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0030011
Saedon, H., Salleh, S., Balakrishnan, A., Imray, C., & Saedon, M. (2012). The role of feedback
in improving the effectiveness of workplace-based assessments: A systematic review.
BMC Medical Education, 12, 25.
Shulte, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. American Educational Research Associa-
tion, 78, 153189.

E-Mail Notification of Your Latest Issue Online!

Would you like to know when the next issue of your favorite APA journal
will be available online? This service is now available to you. Sign up at
http://notify.apa.org/ and you will be notified by e-mail when issues of interest
to you become available!