Why the best teams treat feedback as a practice—not an event

It can be tough to give. It can be uncomfortable. But withholding honest feedback is a disservice—to employees, and to the company.

[Photo: Issarawat Tattong/Getty Images]

One of the great tales from basketball lore is how coach Phil Jackson led teams like the Bulls and the Lakers to dynasty status. Working with legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, he might have let the all-stars run the show. Instead, his success hinged on transparency. Jackson gave players clear, constructive feedback. For example, he urged Jordan to cut back on scoring and involve his teammates more, recognizing that team success required more than a scoring leader.

It’s a valuable lesson for business leaders today. Feedback can be tough to give. It can be uncomfortable. But withholding honest feedback is a disservice—to employees and to the company.

As CEO of Jotform, I encourage managers to treat feedback as an operating system embedded in daily work, rather than something delivered as an occasional event. Here’s why.

Feedback’s compounding impact

Feedback goes beyond merely improving how an employee completes an isolated task or project. You might be surprised to discover how the benefits endure, compounding over time.  

For starters, offering feedback boosts employee engagement. According to research from Gallup, 80% of employees who reported receiving meaningful feedback in the past week were fully engaged. In a world where professionals are anxious about the threat of AI, it’s understandable that getting a sense of how they’re performing is encouraging. If I’ve learned anything in two decades as a business owner, it’s that engaged employees are not only more motivated, they also tend to stick with the company. Even when feedback leans negative, it signals that the company is invested in employees and their growth.

As Harvard Business Review points out, feedback helps employees find meaning in their work. On a basic level, constructive feedback aids mastery. Put simply, mastering a skill feels good. If you’ve ever picked up a second language or perfected a new recipe, you understand that validating sensation. When given thoughtfully, feedback shows how an employee’s contribution fits into the bigger picture. It can make daily tasks, including inevitable busywork, feel more purposeful.

For leaders, the challenge remains: how to make feedback more effective and meaningful. Here’s how leading teams make it work.

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