I recall the first meeting I had with my new team in my role at Siemens Canada. I used our initial meeting to underscore the importance of feedback in building a strong, cohesive work culture. I told everyone, “Giving good feedback is a muscle — the more you practice, the stronger it gets.” That was pre-ChatGPT and pre-COVID era.
Feedback matters now more than ever. In 2025, an era with Generative AI, it’s essential to focus on what makes us uniquely human. Technology may open up new possibilities but cannot replicate genuine human connections. Giving and receiving feedback is a powerful way to nurture our ability to connect, communicate, and collaborate. It is critical for our individual development while strengthening our teams and organizations.
There are always challenges with giving feedback and it can be uncomfortable, but growth occurs when we step outside our comfort zones – just as we build physical strength by pushing our limits, we develop feedback skills by stepping out of our comfort zone. To ease the process, I recommend trying this simple framework that has helped me over the years: divide your feedback into three parts – observed behaviour, perceived effects, and suggestions.
For example, instead of saying, “You are always late to meetings,” try this:
- Observed behaviour: “I noticed you joined our last three team meetings 10 minutes after the start time.”
- Perceived effects: “This means we often have to recap discussions, which reduces our meeting efficiency.”
- Suggestions: “Could you set a reminder 5 minutes before our meetings? This would help us make the most of our time together.”
This structure helps make your feedback specific, actionable, and focused on growth rather than criticism.
Regarding receiving feedback, I’ve consistently used 360º Feedback tools to gather valuable feedback from colleagues, supervisors, and my team. I have found, however, that just sending a survey isn’t enough. I reach out to each individual and emphasize that their feedback is important to my growth. The stretch target here is to compare results over time, reflect on progress, and identify areas for further development.
As we look ahead, AI can help us analyze and optimize processes but cannot replace the profound impact of human-to-human feedback that shapes our growth and builds trust within our teams. As I reflect on that first team meeting years ago, I’m reminded that a feedback-rich culture is not a destination, but a journey. In this rapidly evolving age, our ability to connect, learn from each other, and grow together remains our greatest strength.