Dress it up however you want, I maintain the view that feedback is NOT a gift…

My mum used to say that on my gravestone it should say “Here lies Helen. Everyone was entitled to HER opinion” And yes, I suppose I can be a bit opinionated at times (I can hear friends and family laughing from all corners of the globe...) but this is one that I am holding steadfast on…

Feedback is NOT a gift.

I have so many issues with this obsession with feedback. This is in the main part because of what I like to call ‘dot-to-dot management’. The dilution of complex social interactions to pithy acronyms that are supposed to magically lead to enlightenment and heightened performance. Managers being sent on course after course, being equipped with a whole package of tools, models and acronyms that are rarely implemented in the real world, and when they are most of the time pretty badly. I can hear the distant rumble of protestors as they march the way towards me with their objections – please, hear me out first.

I have written and spoken on this subject a lot over the years, but I feel that this perspective is critical in the future of work and leadership. Here is why:

People cannot be programmed

The word feedback originated in the 1920s in the context of electronics and was defined as:

The return of a fraction of an output signal to the input of an earlier stage

In 1955 it is recorded as being redefined as:

Information about the results of a process

These definitions describe the binary, objective input and output of machines. It was never intended for human interaction, which is subjective by nature and where information is biased and perspective based. Neuroscience research has shown that even mention of the word feedback elicits a stress response which can increase the heart rate by 50%. This is because our limbic system, which is responsible for the threat-reward system, prepares to respond to a threat. This is called amygdala hijack and it temporarily blocks the brains control system.

Humans cannot be programmed (unless you plan on introducing hypnotism to your leadership programmes which I am pretty sure wouldn’t be legal…) We are beautifully flawed by history, emotion and personality.

Compare to machines we are… well, a bit weird?

Human-centric leadership

The future of work and so-called Industry 5.0 requires a new approach to leadership. In a world where there is so much uncertainty, unknowns and constant flux, the belief that a leader is able to provide definitive feedback as information to improve performance is outdated. Where collaboration between man and machine is key, curiosity and continuous learning by all will be key and the individual contributors will take centre stage.

The leader’s role in this?

Let’s go back to the definition of feedback. The word ‘feed’ comes form the Old English word fedan "nourish, give food to, sustain, foster". Concentrating on this rather than feedback as a process will help you to facilitate the nurture the performance of diverse talent. Just one question will make a big difference:

“What do you need from me to be the best version of you?”