The Fabulous Feedback Formula

Did you know the average UK office worker receives feedback on their day-to-day work or performance 17 times per month? That’s nearly every day for a full-time worker.

And those 17 interactions can be hugely influential on business outcomes. For better and for worse.

For example, our latest study of 2,000 UK office workers* - which unpicks how to give, take and apply feedback brilliantly - suggests that you will know someone who’s left a job due to feedback fatigue. More than one in 10 (11%) admit they’ve left a job due to consistent poorly delivered or unfair feedback from colleagues.

And more than three quarters (76%) of office workers believe their teams could deliver better outcomes if managers delivered feedback more effectively. 

The impact of feedback can’t be understated. Yet we’re a country divided between those office workers who have been trained in the art of giving feedback (53%) and those who haven’t (47%). That’s despite feedback’s intrinsic link to productivity: if feedback is delivered effectively, individuals are better placed to achieve valuable outcomes in an optimal timeframe.

Crucially, productive, happy teams run on a culture of feedback that’s empowering and motivating. That’s why we’ve brought you the Fabulous Feedback Formula. Your essential guide to giving, receiving and applying feedback brilliantly.

Giving feedback matters, be good at it

Almost all (90%) of office workers believe that delivering positive feedback regularly is key to improving productivity. How can you lift your colleagues with brilliant feedback?

 1) Be prescriptive

UK office workers say they receive vague feedback eight times a month on average, with a third (33%) failing to receive feedback that they believe to be constructive and actionable on a frequent basis.

Being more prescriptive of how you’d like your colleague to change their work or performance can help to avoid creating unnecessary frustration, while helping your colleague to get to the best outcomes more quickly.

Precision is key for positive feedback too. Colleagues will welcome praise in any shape or form. But it’s as important to let colleagues know how they did a good job, and not just when they did a good job.

2) Tail or your feedback to colleagues’ different working styles

Nearly a third (32%) of office workers say they give the same style of feedback to all colleagues, and that it’s the receiver’s responsibility to create a positive outcome from it.

However, 59% of office workers said they preferred to change their feedback approach to cater to colleagues’ different working styles - taking full responsibility to ensure the feedback delivers a positive outcome. This approach can often drive the best results.

For example, does Alison prefer you to cut to the chase? Can George respond better to hearing praise before any critiques? Will Adil prefer a quick chat over pointers on email

3) Take ownership of the outcome

The previous point is important. We can help our colleagues and our teams to meet their objectives more effectively if we take responsibility for, and reflect on, the outcome that our feedback creates.

Consider what you want to help your colleague to achieve and reflect on whether what you intend to say, or the channel that you’ll deliver it in, is the best way of making that happen. Make every word count.

4) Build people up, don’t knock them down

Nine in 10 (88%) say that poor feedback affects their organisation in some way, with staff becoming demotivated being the top concern (48%). And office workers say positive feedback from a manager leaves them motivated (44%), happy (38%), and inspired (25%).

Finding opportunities to give positive feedback can help to build solid working relationships, and makes it easier when tougher conversations need to be had, such as addressing where you feel colleagues could enhance their performance.

Stuck on a specific situation? Try out our feedback generator. 

Learn to love receiving feedback

For the most part, UK office workers like receiving feedback (66%). But the majority (60%) also believe that colleagues should be more resilient to receiving criticism when required. So, how can we beat the feedback blues?

5) Believe in your colleagues’ positive intentions.

For the most part, UK office workers are optimistic that feedback is usually delivered with positive intentions from their colleagues. But the average worker still suspects their colleagues of delivering feedback with negative intentions six times a month on average.

Feedback might not always be delivered in the way we like to receive it. But believing in the positive intentions behind our colleagues’ actions can help us to keep our heads held high and to avoid friction in working relationships.

6) Keep calm and stay professional

Respondents to our survey said that they receive emotionally-charged or disappointed feedback six times a month on average, and insulting feedback five times a month.

The cost of this on teams is shown by how 38% said that they have considered leaving a job due to consistently poor or unfair feedback.

Naturally, perceiving feedback to be emotionally-charged or insulting can be upsetting. But staying respectful to your colleague, even when you don’t feel respected yourself, will reduce the chance of creating friction in your working relationship – which could dampen morale and productivity further.

If emotionally-charged feedback is a regular occurrence, consider having an open and honest conversation with your colleague about how you feel, and the styles of feedback that you feel you respond best to. Or, seek advice, in confidence, from someone at work that you trust.

7) Treat feedback as a conversation, not an event

Sometimes it can be valuable to share your perspective on how you feel something performed, or why you approached something in a certain way, when receiving feedback from a colleague. You may even feel it would be beneficial to challenge the feedback you’re receiving.

More than half (56%) of UK office workers say they’ve challenged a senior colleague’s feedback. Of this number, 36% say that the colleague took their concerns on board, and 29% say it led to an improved working relationship.

But it’s important that this is done sensitively and appropriately, delivered with the best intentions for business outcomes. More than a quarter (28%) said that challenging feedback caused conflict in their working relationship, with 26% feeling their concerns were disregarded.

8) Ask for it!

Two in five (42%), say they’d like to have meetings with their manager or senior manager more often to discuss their performance in detail.

There could be many reasons behind why a senior colleague might not be sharing feedback. But asking for it can help to demonstrate your curiosity and sense of responsibility for your own personal development – which many managers would be happy to help you with.

Love feel-good factor feedback

The power of feedback in the workplace is undeniable. It shapes our daily interactions, influences our productivity, and ultimately determines the success of our teams. By embracing the principles of the Fabulous Feedback Formula, we can transform the way we communicate, ensuring that feedback is not just a routine task but a powerful tool for growth and motivation.

Effective feedback is specific, tailored, and constructive. It builds people up, fosters a positive work environment, and drives better outcomes. So, let’s commit to being brilliant at giving feedback to help our teams grow and our workplaces drive better outcomes.


*Survey of 2,003 UK office workers by Censuswide between 25th September – 27th September 2024.