Without clear direction, employees hesitate. They overthink. They check and recheck their work instead of moving forward with confidence. Photo: Universal Training.
In a world where technology can give us instant answers, Catherine Mattice says leaders and managers also should give the fast feedback their workers need to feel engaged and appreciated.
Whenever you search on Google or ask ChatGPT for something, you get an answer in a snap. An unintended result of this technology is that we expect immediate feedback from people, too.
If that feedback is not forthcoming, productivity suffers.
In 2008, technology scholar Nicholas Carr raised a provocative question in a cover story for The Atlantic magazine: Is Google Making Us Stupid?
He argued that the ease of online searching and the distractions of web browsing were possibly limiting our capacity to concentrate.
However, in 2010, the Pew Research Centre debunked this, showing that Google and, by extension, instant access to knowledge doesn’t make us stupid. Instead, it enhances our ability to solve problems quickly, reinforcing our expectation for timely information.
This is a roundabout way to point out that employees thrive on feedback.
They need it to grow, adjust, and feel engaged. They need it quickly so they can adjust course immediately. Silence, whether from managers or leadership, isn’t golden.
Here’s how a lack of feedback quietly sabotages your workplace and the bottom line.
Employees waste time second-guessing themselves: Gallup reports that only 26 per cent of employees strongly agree the feedback they receive helps them do better work.
Without clear direction, employees hesitate. They overthink. They check and recheck their work instead of moving forward with confidence. That hesitation slows everything down and your organisation pays the price.
Engagement plummets: Feedback isn’t just about performance. It’s about connection – 32 per cent of employees say they have to wait an average of three months to receive feedback on their work.
That’s three months of wondering, not knowing, and feeling their work exists in a vacuum. Imagine if your Google search took three months to return feedback – you’d have an anxiety attack.
When people feel disconnected, they disengage. That means quiet quitting, absenteeism, and eventually, staff turnover.
Mistakes snowball without course correction: Silence doesn’t just mean missed opportunities. It means repeated mistakes.
Without feedback, errors compound, inefficiencies grow, and client satisfaction plummets. Employees can’t fix what they don’t know is broken.
Real-time feedback isn’t micromanaging; it’s smart leadership when done with kindness and a focus on success.
Top performers walk away: High performers want to grow. A lack of feedback signals stagnation.
Research from LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report shows that 94 per cent of employees would stay at an organisation longer if it invested in their career development – and feedback is a crucial part of that.
If they’re not getting it, they’ll find somewhere that provides it.
Culture crumbles when people feel invisible: Feedback isn’t just about correcting mistakes. It’s also about recognising achievements.
Employees who don’t feel valued disengage, and their dissatisfaction spreads.
A culture of silence fosters resentment, and before you know it, your workplace is filled with people who feel ignored and undervalued.
If you’re in human resources or leadership, you’re often the first to witness the damage caused by a lack of feedback.
The disengaged employees, the spikes in turnover, the performance struggles, the culture problems.
While it’s frustrating to see, the good news is you have the power to change it.
Train your managers on effective feedback techniques. Many avoid it because they don’t know how to do it well or they’re under the impression giving feedback is hard or negative.
Once they learn to flip the script to one of coaching for success, they’re more likely to give ongoing feedback as they’re more comfortable with the positive spin.
Implement real-time feedback tools. Don’t wait for annual reviews. Use platforms that encourage continuing dialogue and tell managers to meet their people weekly.
Recognise wins frequently. Employees need to hear when they’re doing well, not just when they need to fix something.
Feedback isn’t just a productivity tool. It’s the foundation of a thriving, engaged workforce.
If silence has been the status quo in your workplace, it’s time to break it, because in the workplace, feedback is gold.
Catherine Mattice is the president of Civility Partners, which has been successfully providing programs on workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. This article first appeared on the Civility Partners website.
