The main social platforms dedicated to the world of work and numerous blogs in the HR sector clearly show an increasing focus on the importance of feedback in the workplace.
Certainly, talking about feedback today in organizational contexts becomes essential, as it is a key mechanism for the improvement and growth of both individuals and the organization.
However, a crucial question arises: are we really addressing this issue adequately and constructively? Are we using modern and functional tools, or are we clinging to outdated methods?
What makes feedback most valuable is the definition of a clear framework in which to operate. Without an effective internal communication framework, feedback risks getting lost, despite its undeniable qualities. Its effectiveness is fully expressed when it is embedded in a holocratic approach within the organization, challenging established hierarchies and valuing the diversity of individual skills and perspectives.
What characterizes feedback is its multidimensional nature. We can simplistically imagine feedback as a vector comprising several key components:
Intensity: The intensity of feedback represents its strength or relevance. It can vary from very positive and motivating feedback to more critical and corrective feedback.
Direction: The direction of feedback refers to the direction of the message. It can be vertical, horizontal or transverse, reflecting the relationship between the provider and the receiver
Orientation: The point towards which the feedback is oriented; thus, it can be in a vertical direction but from bottom to top.
Point of application: The point of application of feedback refers to the time and place at which it is provided.
From these characteristics, informal feedback emerges as a versatile and functional element. This type of feedback, often exchanged between colleagues or teams in a spontaneous and unstructured manner, nurtures an active and dynamic organizational culture. Its immediate and sincere nature fosters continuous improvement, allowing each individual to actively contribute to the evolution of the organization, blurring hierarchies and enhancing diversity of perspectives.
In this context, informal and natural feedback becomes the glue that allows people to actively contribute to the creation of a more open and participative organizational culture.
This approach emphasizes the importance of internal communication and people-based dynamics, pushing towards a vision of the organization in which rigid hierarchies are blurred and in which each individual becomes an influential voice in the decision-making process.
This way of handling feedback not only fosters individual growth, but also contributes significantly to the transformation of the company dynamics, creating a more flexible, inclusive and future-oriented environment.
Today, Social Organization platforms are a tool that allows companies to lose their rigid structural vision and implement more functional internal communication strategies.
HRCOFFEE’s Social Organization platform/app starts from the idea that communication within the organization should be transparent, fast and participative, and that feedback should flow freely between employees at all hierarchical levels.
Inside, there are features that make it easier to share feedback and interact between colleagues. They can include posts, chats, polls, podcasts, Faqs, Wikis, peer-to-peer video courses, competency assessment systems and many other digital resources. They also enable employees to monitor the company’s progress and developments in real time, creating a sense of involvement and active participation.
It is important today to create an organizational culture that values diversity of opinion and encourages constructive confrontation. This means using feedback in a constant, informal and purposeful manner. This collective mindset promotes individual growth as well as the progress of the organization as a whole.
*This article is an original work of Rocco Giuliano