Building a Culture of Feedback: How Leaders Create Teams That Grow Together
If you’re looking to build a high-performing team, there’s one ingredient you can’t afford to ignore: feedback.
At Verve, we believe feedback is not a “nice-to-have.” It’s a leadership essential. When delivered with intention and authenticity, feedback unlocks growth, deepens trust, and creates a culture where continuous improvement becomes second nature.
Here’s how today’s most impactful leaders create a culture of feedback and how you can, too.
Why Feedback Culture Matters
We’ve all worked in environments where feedback was rare, unclear, or worse—used as a weapon. But when feedback is woven into the fabric of your team culture, something powerful happens.
The Benefits of a Feedback-Positive Culture:
Faster growth: Team members gain clarity on what’s working and what’s not—so they can adjust quickly.
Higher engagement: Employees who receive regular, meaningful feedback feel seen and supported.
Better performance: Feedback helps align individual efforts with team and organizational goals.
Increased trust: Open, two-way communication builds stronger relationships at every level.
In short? Feedback fuels performance.
Frameworks That Make Feedback Easier
One reason leaders avoid feedback? They’re not sure how to deliver it effectively. Enter: feedback frameworks.
Here are two Verve-approved tools to help you give and receive feedback with confidence:
1. SBI Model (Situation – Behavior – Impact)
This simple structure keeps feedback clear and objective.
Example:
Situation: “In yesterday’s client meeting…”
Behavior: “…you interrupted the client several times.”
Impact: “…this made it harder for them to share their concerns, which could impact the project timeline.”
Why it works: It separates facts from feelings and focuses on behavior—not the person.
Start-Stop-Continue
Perfect for regular team check-ins or peer reviews.
Start: “What should I start doing that would help our collaboration?”
Stop: “What’s something I should stop doing that may be getting in the way?”
Continue: “What’s working that I should keep doing?”
Why it works: It encourages balanced, forward-looking conversations and normalizes feedback as a growth tool.
How to Create a Feedback-Positive Environment
Building a culture of feedback isn’t just about what you say—it’s about the environment you create.
Set the Tone: Model what you want to see. Be open to feedback yourself. When leaders ask for and act on feedback, it sends a clear message: this is a safe space to grow.
Normalize Feedback: Make feedback part of regular rhythms, for example team meetings, 1:1s, project reviews. Avoid saving it for annual reviews or crisis moments.
Equip Your Team: Teach your team how to give feedback effectively. Offer frameworks, hold practice sessions, and encourage peer-to-peer feedback, not just top-down.
Praise in Public, Coach in Private: Celebrate wins openly. When offering constructive feedback, choose a private, thoughtful setting to support trust and care.
Focus on Growth, Not Perfection: Remind your team: feedback isn’t about being flawless. It’s about getting better together.
Let’s Build a Stronger Team, Together
Creating a culture of feedback doesn’t happen overnight. But when leaders lead with authenticity, structure, and intention, feedback becomes less scary—and more powerful.
At Verve, we help leaders cultivate the skills and systems needed to lead with impact. If you're ready to elevate your team through meaningful feedback, we’d love to help.
Let’s grow together.
