Why Feedback Systems Transform Teams
Most leaders I work with say they want a feedback culture.
But what they often want is something deeper: clarity, shared ownership, and a team that moves forward with a growth mindset.
That kind of alignment doesn’t come from sporadic performance reviews or standalone workshops. It comes from building a feedback system, a set of shared expectations and consistent behaviors modeled from the top.
Building a Feedback-Driven Environment
In many organizations, feedback is still treated like a corrective tool. It shows up only when something goes wrong, wrapped in nervous language or vague praise.
But when feedback is used as a corrective tool, it is episodic. Your team learns to tense up. They associate it with problems, not progress.
A feedback system functions differently. It’s embedded in how the team communicates, reflects, and aligns daily. It’s not about delivering feedback perfectly. It’s about making it part of how work gets done.
In feedback-rich cultures:
Leaders don’t just give feedback, they solicit it often and specifically.
Teams engage in real-time reflection, not just annual reviews.
Recognition is intentional and anchored in observable behaviors.
Feedback becomes a shared language for progress and alignment.
You Can’t Delegate Culture
This is where most feedback initiatives fail.
Leaders invest in training for their teams but don’t always participate themselves. They endorse the concept of feedback without modeling the vulnerability or consistency required to make it real.
But culture isn’t built through endorsement. It’s built through behavior.
If you’re not actively engaging in feedback, soliciting it, responding to it, working with it, no one else will either.
Leadership modeling is what transforms feedback from an abstract concept into a lived practice.
Even imperfect participation builds trust. What matters most is that you’re visibly in the work.
Where to Begin
You don’t need a new system to start building a feedback culture. But you do need to act with intention.
Start here:
Invite feedback regularly and be specific in your ask.
(“What’s one thing I could do differently to support your work?”)Normalize recognition that’s timely and tied to impact.
Show how you process feedback. Say thank you. Reflect aloud. Follow up.
Don’t wait for permission or policy, model the behavior now.
When feedback becomes part of your leadership practice, your team doesn’t brace for it. They grow from it. Together.
If building a stronger feedback system is on your mind, I’m happy to explore that with you.
Liv Olson is an executive coach and facilitator specializing in team effectiveness. She partners with financial services leaders and their teams to strengthen clarity, confidence, and collaboration.