The true cost of giving poor feedback (and how to fix it)

Feedback is not always a gift. Particularly when it is poorly planned and badly delivered. 

Feedback conversations often crash and burn because they happen on the fly, are unplanned, unstructured, and rarely followed up on. The result is feedback that is delayed, lacks context, and gives the individual no clear direction for how to improve. 

Here’s how that conversation often sounds: 

Manager: “Hey Jack, now that you’re here…  that presentation you gave last week was not good enough. It was really disappointing.” 

Jack: “Err, really? It was that bad?” 

Manager: “Yes. I don’t want to talk about this again. Do better next time.” 

Jack: “Ok… I will…” 

The manager might feel like they’ve got something off their chest, but the result is a confused and demotivated team member, a damaged relationship, and no change or improvement whatsoever. 

It is a wasted opportunity, and it costs the business on more than one front. 

Employees who are not clear on how to improve and succeed are far more likely to leave. A study tracking the performance reviews of 13,000 people over two years found that those who received low-quality feedback were 63% more likely to leave their organisations than their peers. When it comes to lost productivity, another report estimates that up to 20 hours of effective work can be lost in the wake of a poorly handled feedback conversation. In my experience, the loss is often much higher than that.   

Vague, unactionable, or inconsistently delivered feedback is costing businesses significant amounts of time, money and productivity. Yet people are still crying out for clearer direction from their leaders. If “Improve Communication” appears regularly in your engagement survey results, poor feedback culture is very likely part of the story. 

In short: if your organisation has a poor feedback culture, everyone suffers. Getting this right matters. 

The BLINK Method: a framework for feedback that actually works 

As with many aspects of leadership, much of the heavy lifting for giving feedback can be done with a clear framework and a little planning beforehand. Here is what I recommend. Try BLINKing. 

The BLINK Method makes feedback simple and effective. It allows you to plan conversations quickly, and to deliver feedback in a way that keeps people motivated, growing and productive. 

B – Behaviour 

Describe the specific behaviour you have observed, the one you would like to see change. Not opinions, not hearsay. Stick to the facts and have at least one concrete example ready. 

L – Listen 

Feedback is a conversation. Give them space to respond. There may be context or circumstances you were not aware of, and understanding those before you continue will make your feedback more relevant and more useful. 

I – Impact 

Describe the impact of the behaviour. Do not skip this step. If the person cannot grasp the significance of how their behaviour is affecting others or the wider situation, the feedback will not land. This is often what transforms feedback from a passing comment into something that genuinely prompts change. 

N – Next action 

What do you want them to do differently? Be specific and make sure it is actionable. Better still, ask them what they think the next step should be. It is a development conversation, so invite them to be part of the solution. 

K – Keep it alive 

This is where the real difference is made. Feedback with no follow-up is dramatically less likely to stick. Check back in to see how the person is progressing. And when you notice them putting your feedback into practice, even in small ways, acknowledge it. Catching people doing the right thing cements change far more effectively than repeating the original conversation. 

Giving great feedback is both an art and a science. But once you have a clear method to follow, you can focus on refining your approach through practice. 

Making quality feedback the standard, not the exception 

Whether you are working with someone who is demotivated, someone trying their best but needing guidance, someone whose performance needs addressing, or someone doing excellent work who deserves to know it, everyone needs feedback. And everyone deserves it to be good. 

Poor feedback culture is not inevitable. It is a leadership choice, and it is one that organisations can change. When leaders start giving clearer, more consistent feedback, the effects compound: individuals grow faster, relationships become more trusted, and performance improves without the need for difficult conversations further down the line. 

Try using the BLINK Method the next time you need to give feedback, and notice what shifts.  == Are you interested in improving the quality of feedback in your organisation? Start a conversation with us today, and we'll help you get started.