What happens if you are pouring your heart into every detail, only to receive little recognition or feedback? It’s disheartening, isn’t it? Many people experience this in the workplace, and studies show it’s a common issue. Insufficient recognition and feedback are often overlooked, yet they play a crucial role in how we feel about our work.
However, employees are not the only ones affected, making them feel unappreciated and eventually disengaged, causing a decline in productivity. Sadly, many leaders don’t realize how important this is, not knowing it can also impact their ability to meet customer demands. When they are not able to satisfy the customers, it is hard to remain competitive in the market.
So, why is feedback often underrated among leaders, and how can we change that?
Feedback is found to be underrated among leaders
McKinsey found the most striking finding from the two surveys highlighted gaps in one of the most fundamental aspects of culture: ensuring that good work is recognized and that all work receives feedback.
Even though giving feedback has been proven to give substantial benefits, especially productivity, leaders are still not making it a priority. A McKinsey survey found that fewer than 25% of organizations expect leaders to give growth-focused feedback. With this low expectation, only 11–13% of leaders consistently provide it.
Additionally, just 20% of companies systematically recognize employee achievements, indicating that feedback and recognition are not prioritized enough in leadership. Regular and meaningful feedback greatly benefits companies by boosting employee engagement, which leads to higher productivity and performance. Engaged employees are more likely to help the organization succeed.
However, despite the benefits of regular, growth-focused feedback, less than 25% of organizations expect leaders to give it. Only 11–13% of leaders provide ongoing feedback that supports employee development, highlighting a major gap in leadership practices. Additionally, only one-fifth of organizations consistently recognize employee or team achievements.
How can leaders provide feedback that motivates and lifts them up?
No company would want their employees to be top performers. People who receive effective performance feedback on how they can improve are more likely to become top performers. This highlights how important performance feedback really is.
Despite that, many leaders are facing challenges in providing feedback. This is often due to the fear that individuals may not handle criticism well. Additionally, poorly delivered feedback can lower motivation and confidence. Instead of improving, their performance might actually decline.
So, how can leaders give feedback the right way? Before providing performance reviews, they need the right skills, knowledge, and mindset. This will help support the team’s growth. Key qualities of a good supervisor or performance reviewer include being clear, honest, empathetic, emotionally intelligent, and open to feedback.
According to the survey, check-ins have been shown to improve a company’s operations, and even better, it happens continuously. However, only 21% of companies are able to check in with employees at least once a week.
Even if check-ins are important, they should not be superficial but go deep. For instance, asking questions like, “What challenges are you facing, and how can I support you?” can help address specific issues. A deeper check-in will help spot arising issues that need fixes before they become bigger problems.
Conclusions
The lack of feedback in the workplace is a major obstacle to productivity and staying competitive. Even though giving regular recognition can greatly benefit teams, many leaders overlook its importance. This leads to employees feeling unappreciated and less engaged, which hurts overall performance. To create a better work environment, leaders need to learn how to give helpful feedback effectively.
By having regular check-ins and really listening to their team members, organizations can tap into their full potential. Addressing this often-overlooked practice is essential for improving employee satisfaction, increasing productivity, and keeping up with the competition in today’s fast-paced market.
