Using Feedback to Improve Consulting Services

I stopped treating feedback like criticism and started treating it like free consulting. Because feedback isn’t about your worth. It’s about your blind spots. Most people waste feedback. They get defensive. They explain themselves. They ignore it. And then they wonder why nothing changes. ✅ How to treat feedback like free consulting (the real playbook): 1️⃣ Stop waiting for annual reviews. If you only hear feedback once a year, you’re already behind. Create your own feedback loop monthly, even weekly. 2️⃣ Ask sharper questions. Don’t ask “How am I doing?” Ask “What’s one thing I could do that would change the way you see me as a leader?” 3️⃣ Separate emotion from data. Feedback stings. That’s normal. But behind the sting is data. Extract it, use it, move forward. 4️⃣ Interrogate the source. Not all feedback is equal. Filter advice through one lens: Has this person achieved what I want to achieve? 5️⃣ Demand specifics. “Be more strategic” is useless. Push for examples. What did you say? What should you have said instead? Feedback without examples is noise. 6️⃣ Look for patterns, not one-offs. One person’s opinion is bias. Three people saying the same thing is truth. Patterns reveal where you need to act. 7️⃣ Stop explaining. The moment you start justifying, you close the door to honesty. Take it in, say thank you, move on. 8️⃣ Test it in real time. Don’t just collect notes. Try the new behaviour in your next meeting, pitch, or email. Feedback without testing is just theory. 9️⃣ Keep receipts. Document feedback and your response to it. When it’s time for promotion, you show the growth curve — not just claim it. 🔟 Flip the mirror. Give feedback as much as you take it. The best way to sharpen your own lens is to hold one up for someone else. We call it “feedback.” The unprepared call it “criticism.” The ambitious call it “an edge.” What’s the most valuable piece of feedback you ever received?

Getting the right feedback will transform your job as a PM. More scalability, better user engagement, and growth. But most PMs don’t know how to do it right. Here’s the Feedback Engine I’ve used to ship highly engaging products at unicorns & large organizations: — Right feedback can literally transform your product and company. At Apollo, we launched a contact enrichment feature. Feedback showed users loved its accuracy, but... They needed bulk processing. We shipped it and had a 40% increase in user engagement. Here’s how to get it right: — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟭: 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 Most PMs get this wrong. They collect feedback randomly with no system or strategy. But remember: your output is only as good as your input. And if your input is messy, it will only lead you astray. Here’s how to collect feedback strategically: → Diversify your sources: customer interviews, support tickets, sales calls, social media & community forums, etc. → Be systematic: track feedback across channels consistently. → Close the loop: confirm your understanding with users to avoid misinterpretation. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮: 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 Analyzing feedback is like building the foundation of a skyscraper. If it’s shaky, your decisions will crumble. So don’t rush through it. Dive deep to identify patterns that will guide your actions in the right direction. Here’s how: Aggregate feedback → pull data from all sources into one place. Spot themes → look for recurring pain points, feature requests, or frustrations. Quantify impact → how often does an issue occur? Map risks → classify issues by severity and potential business impact. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟯: 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 Now comes the exciting part: turning insights into action. Execution here can make or break everything. Do it right, and you’ll ship features users love. Mess it up, and you’ll waste time, effort, and resources. Here’s how to execute effectively: Prioritize ruthlessly → focus on high-impact, low-effort changes first. Assign ownership → make sure every action has a responsible owner. Set validation loops → build mechanisms to test and validate changes. Stay agile → be ready to pivot if feedback reveals new priorities. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟰: 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 What can’t be measured, can’t be improved. If your metrics don’t move, something went wrong. Either the feedback was flawed, or your solution didn’t land. Here’s how to measure: → Set KPIs for success, like user engagement, adoption rates, or risk reduction. → Track metrics post-launch to catch issues early. → Iterate quickly and keep on improving on feedback. — In a nutshell... It creates a cycle that drives growth and reduces risk: → Collect feedback strategically. → Analyze it deeply for actionable insights. → Act on it with precision. → Measure its impact and iterate. — P.S. How do you collect and implement feedback?

IN CONTINUATION OF MY EARLIER POST: ### **Creating a Conducive Environment for Giving and Receiving Feedback** In today's dynamic work environment, feedback is not just a necessity but a cornerstone for personal and organizational growth. However, the real challenge lies in creating a space where feedback is both welcomed and effectively utilized. Here are key strategies to cultivate such an environment 1. **Foster a Culture of Trust and Respect** Trust is the foundation of any feedback culture. Encourage open communication by - **Leading by Example:** Demonstrate openness to feedback, regardless of your position - **Encouraging Transparency:** Promote honest and respectful dialogue. Ensure that feedback is given with the intent of helping, not harming 2. **Train on Effective Feedback Techniques** Not everyone intuitively knows how to give or receive feedback. Provide training on - **Constructive Feedback Models:** Use models like SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) to structure feedback constructively - **Active Listening:** Teach employees to listen actively and empathetically without defensiveness 3. **Create Regular Feedback Opportunities** Feedback should be an ongoing process, not a once-a-year event. Implement - **Regular Check-ins:** Schedule frequent one-on-one meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and feedback - **Feedback Loops:** Encourage continuous feedback through tools like 360-degree feedback systems or suggestion boxes. 4. **Normalize Feedback as Part of Work Culture** Feedback should be seen as a regular part of work life. Normalize it by: - **Integrating Feedback into Processes:** - **Celebrating Feedback:** 5. **Ensure Psychological Safety** Employees should feel safe to give and receive feedback without fear of negative repercussions. Ensure this by: - **Maintaining Confidentiality:** Assure that feedback is treated with confidentiality and respect - **Creating a Safe Space:** Encourage open dialogues in a non-judgmental and supportive environment 6. **Act on Feedback** Show that feedback is valued by taking visible actions based on it. This can be achieved by: - **Implementing Changes:** Where feasible, implement suggestions and improvements that arise from feedback - **Closing the Loop:** Inform the feedback givers about what actions have been taken as a result of their input 7. **Recognize and Reward Effective Feedback** Acknowledge those who contribute to the feedback culture. Recognize: - **Constructive Feedback Providers:** Highlight employees who provide insightful and helpful feedback - **Feedback Implementers:** Celebrate those who successfully act on feedback and demonstrate improvement ### Conclusion Creating a conducive environment for feedback is a continuous process that requires commitment from all levels of the organization. By fostering trust, providing training, encouraging regular feedback, and acting on the insights received, organizations can build a resilient and growth-oriented culture

Every company says they listen to customers. But most just hear them. There's a difference. After spending years building feedback loops, here's what I've learned: Feedback isn't about collecting data. It's about creating change. Most companies fail at feedback because: - They send random surveys - They collect scattered feedback - They store insights in silos - They never close the loop The result? Frustrated customers. Missed opportunities. Lost revenue. Here's how to build real feedback loops: 1. Gather feedback intelligently - NPS isn't enough - CSAT tells half the story - One channel never works Instead: - Run targeted post-interaction surveys - Conduct deep-dive customer interviews - Analyze product usage patterns - Monitor support conversations - Build customer advisory boards - Track social mentions 2. Create a single source of truth - Consolidate feedback from everywhere - Tag and categorize insights - Track trends over time - Make it accessible to everyone 3. Turn feedback into action - Prioritize based on impact - Align with business goals - Create clear ownership - Set implementation timelines But here's the most important part: Close the loop. When customers give feedback: - Acknowledge it immediately - Update them on progress - Show them implemented changes - Demonstrate their impact The biggest mistakes I see: Feedback Overload: - Collecting too much data - No clear action plan - Analysis paralysis Biased Collection: - Listening to the loudest voices - Ignoring silent majority - Over-indexing on complaints Slow Response: - Taking months to act - No progress updates - Lost customer trust Remember: Good feedback loops aren't about tools. They're about trust. Every piece of feedback is a customer saying: "I care enough to help you improve." Don't waste that trust. The best companies don't just collect feedback. They turn it into visible change. They show customers their voice matters. They build trust through action. Start small: 1. Pick one feedback channel 2. Create a clear process 3. Act quickly on insights 4. Show results 5. Scale what works Your customers are talking. Are you really listening? More importantly, are you acting? What's your approach to customer feedback? How do you close the loop? ------------------ ▶️ Want to see more content like this and also connect with other CS & SaaS enthusiasts? You should join Tidbits. We do short round-ups a few times a week to help you learn what it takes to be a top-notch customer success professional. Join 1999+ community members! 💥 [link in the comments section]

Most managers talk about performance wrong––and their teams suffer for it. That's because they treat all performance convos the same. There are actually two types. They require very different strategies. 1/ Ongoing, regular feedback. ↳ small corrections and discussions that happen every 1-2 weeks ↳ dedicate a few minutes in your 1:1 for these conversations ↳ write down examples and use SBI, keep it free flowing 2/ Difficult conversations. ↳ bigger discussions with opposing views and higher stakes ↳ plan an ad-hoc or regular 1:1 meeting around this conversation ↳ write down your talk track and reach out to your HRBP if you need help Let's use an example: ↳ Telling my teammate Phil that he talked over someone in a meeting would require a short and sweet feedback conversation. ↳ But telling Phil that he's steamrolling over teammates and hurting the team's ability to collaborate might require a difficult conversation. When you fail to differentiate the two, you either: ↳ enter a difficult conversation with zero preparation and BOMB it ↳ fail to give frequent enough feedback, so EVERY convo becomes difficult Pro Tip: If you know what conversation you're planning for, you can maximize your odds for success and minimize "fires". Want some more reading? Check out "Radical Candor" for everyday feedback, and "Crucial Conversations" for navigating difficult conversations! --- Did you like this? Share it with your LinkedIn audience and managers! We're always looking to spread great knowledge and information. ♻️ And follow me (Yen Tan) for more manager development and L&D tips! #management #leadership #hr #peopleops #learninganddevelopment

The most powerful feedback conversations take under 60 seconds. Most managers spend months avoiding them. We tell ourselves we're too busy. Too rushed between meetings, too focused on the next decision, too worried about upsetting someone. So we say nothing. And instead of changing bad traits, they fester. Small performance issues become deeply ingrained habits. Good people leave feeling unseen. Here's what I've learned after 40 years in business: feedback doesn't need to be a grand, scheduled, HR-approved conversation. It needs to be honest, specific, timely, and it needs to become part of how you lead every single day. The one-minute rule:  Praise or reprimand, do it immediately after the moment, not weeks later or a half-year review. The closer to the act, the more it lands. Never mix praise with criticism in the same conversation:  If you do, people will only remember the negative. The praise disappears. Keep them entirely separate. The emotional bank account:  Think of your relationship with every colleague like a bank balance. Positive feedback, recognition, and genuine interest build deposits over time. Critical feedback makes a withdrawal. The mistake most leaders make isn't giving too much feedback:  It's making it a monologue. Real feedback is a two-way dialogue. Ask "How do you think that meeting went?" or "What could have been done differently?" instead of issuing a verdict. Be specific. Be direct. Drop the softeners:  If you open with "maybe" or "you might want to consider," the advice rarely gets followed. Candour isn't cruelty, it's respect. The more people trust you, the faster mistakes get corrected. There's also a strong business case here beyond culture. Research backed by JP Morgan data shows that companies placing a genuine premium on employee satisfaction - built in large part through strong feedback cultures - consistently outperform those focused purely on financial metrics. And critically, don't just give feedback. Ask for it yourself, regularly. The willingness to hear hard truths about your own leadership is what separates good managers from great ones. Start there. The relationships, the trust, and the performance will follow. What's the best piece of feedback you've ever received? Did it change the way you work? Every week, I share what works in business and leadership - lessons learned from 40 years of building. If that sounds useful, subscribe to my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ergDQtiK

➝ Is your feedback culture suffocating talent? Time to break free from toxic reviews. All of us have experienced increasing stress levels when appraisals are announced. While performance reviews are important to check for alignment with current and future goals, and to develop employee growth strategies, an annual or 'calendar' event hardly serves the purpose. A feedback review is not a forum for passing judgement just because you as a leader are seemingly in a position to do it. This brings us to the question - how do we fix it? why is regular feedback important? Simple - it drives growth and improves performance. Yet many companies still rely on outdated annual reviews that cause stress and fail to make a real impact. How can we fix this? By making feedback a normal, regular occurrence. This means: 1. Training managers to give specific, actionable feedback regularly 2. Encouraging employees to seek feedback proactively 3. Creating a safe space for open, honest conversations What's expected from both sides? Reviewers should: - Focus on behaviors, not personality - Offer constructive suggestions - Listen actively Reviewees should: - Be open to criticism - Ask clarifying questions - Commit to actionable steps Real-world example: At Pixar, they use "plussing" - a technique where team members build on each other's ideas without using negative language. This has created a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Remember, feedback isn't about judgment. It's about helping each other grow. Start small - perhaps with weekly check-ins. Over time, you'll see a shift from dreading feedback to acting upon it. Are you ready to transform your feedback culture? ♻️ Find this valuable? Repost to share with others. ➝ Follow Amer Nizamuddin for more insights #leadership #feedbackculture #wisdomquant

The higher you rise, the less feedback you get! Dangerous! Great leaders actively seek out the truth: Gathering open and honest feedback as a senior leader is no walk in the park. It’s crucial for leadership improvement and organizational success. Real, unfiltered feedback can be transformational. But how do you get it when you’re at the top? Here are six ways, that can make a difference: 1/ Anonymous Surveys: Allow team members to provide feedback without the fear of repercussions. Use tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms. 2/ 360 Degree Feedback: Get insights from all directions. Peers, subordinates, and even your own superiors. A comprehensive view can reveal blind spots and areas for growth. 3/ Regular One-on-Ones: Create a safe space for open dialogue. Ask specific questions about your leadership and be prepared to listen actively. 4/ External Coaches and Mentors: Sometimes, people are more comfortable sharing with a neutral third party. Coaches can gather feedback and share it with you constructively. 5/ Feedback Panels: Assemble a group of trusted employees to provide regular, structured feedback. Rotate members to get diverse perspectives. 6/ OpenDoor Policy: Make sure your team knows they can approach you with feedback anytime. Encourage a culture where constructive criticism is not just accepted but valued. Once you’ve gathered feedback, it’s essential to take these steps to ensure it leads to real improvement: → Acknowledge and Thank: Always thank those who provide feedback. Acknowledge their courage and honesty. → Reflect and Assess: Take time to reflect on the feedback. Assess what changes are necessary and prioritize them. → Action Plan: Develop a clear, actionable plan based on the feedback. Share this plan with your team to show you’re serious about improvement. → Follow-Up: Regularly check in with those who provided feedback. Ask them if they’ve noticed improvements or if there are new areas to address. → Be Transparent: Share your journey of improvement with your team. Transparency builds trust and shows you’re committed to your growth. → Close the Loop: Ensure that feedback leads to action, and action leads to further feedback. This continuous loop fosters a culture of ongoing improvement. The best leaders are those who are willing to learn and grow. Feedback is your ally in this journey. How do you gather feedback in your leadership role? --- ♻️ Reshare to help other leaders grow. Follow Mike Leber for more like this. #Leadership #Feedback #PersonalGrowth

MAKE YOUR HARD TALKS COUNT   Nobody dreams of delivering tough feedback. It's about as comfortable as hot yoga in a parka. But you're not being "nice" by avoiding these conversations. That's like letting someone walk around with spinach in their teeth all day. Not exactly the kindness flex you think it is.   Let's break down how to turn feedback from fearsome to transformative. (It entails a bit more than the clichéd “compliment sandwich.”)   The Setup: Mindset Matters 🧠 Stop seeing feedback as criticism and start seeing it as investment. You're not pointing out flaws – you're acknowledging someone's growth potential. And remember that the edge of your comfort is where your own growth takes root. If your palms aren't a little sweaty, maybe you’re not saying what needs to be said.   The Delivery: Make It Count 🎯 Get specific: "Your presentation could be better" is about as helpful as a broken compass. Share exactly what needs work. Stay current: Feedback has an expiration date. Serve it fresh, not a week past its "best by" date. Make it actionable: Share a clear path forward, not just a problem to solve. The Key Elements: Radical Candor With Heart ❤️ Lead with genuine care and curiosity (feedback isn’t a hall pass to be a jerk) Be detailed but digestible Focus your intent for maximum impact  Create space for dialogue, not monologue The Framework: Make It Systematic 📋 Build feedback into the rhythm of your 1:1s — it shouldn't be the surprise guest star at a meeting Thread feedback through performance plans and OKRs so it's expected, not exceptional Create accountability at every level — feedback flows up, down, and sideways Remember: when feedback becomes routine, it loses its sting but keeps its strength The Follow-Through: Keep The Door Open 🚪 Schedule a check-in Celebrate progress Stay invested in their growth Be available for questions and clarification   Always frame feedback as a collaboration, not a confrontation. You're not delivering stark assessments – you're a partner in their professional evolution.   So, leaders, I'm curious: What's your strategy for making feedback conversations more constructive and comfortable? 

I've seen too many enterprise software companies get caught with customers in the 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽: • Promise too much = lose focus • Listen too little = lose trust I was super lucky to have two incredibly product-minded co-founders in Ted and Joshua. Of the many things I learned from them, one that has really stuck with me is that while customers understand their pain points better than anyone, they're not best positioned to solve that pain - they're too close to it and just don't have as many data points across variants of that pain, resulting in a failure of imagination as to the optimal solution. Customer feedback is absolute gold, but that doesn't mean every nugget should get directly translated into the product roadmap. The topic came up during the AMA after our Logicbroker All Hands last week - here's what I shared with my team:  1. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 - Make sure the customer is heard and build a 3D model of their pain in your head by probing into the granular details of what they're dealing with 2. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 - Thank them for the feedback and communicate how this will inform related product research as we work towards an optimal solution 3. 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Have we already solved this pain point, but in a counterintuitive way? Educate the customer on how other clients are successfully handling this today. Encourage them to try it out and share back additional feedback to round out our understanding 4. 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 - Advocate for clients by employing methodologies like RICE (Reach x Impact x Confidence / Effort) to map feedback to prospective projects in a structured way that will automatically reprioritize initiatives as incremental data points are collected over time  5. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 - In subsequent client QBRs, share new learnings around initiatives their feedback has matured. Be transparent about where they fall in the company's priorities and update on new related releases that may partially address their original pain point  Valuing customer feedback and protecting the product roadmap are not mutually exclusive. These two goals are inherently intertwined and mutually reinforcing. Building every client request will degrade the product, but ignoring client feedback will also degrade the product - it's a fine balance. Customers don't need a 'yes' - they need to be able to trust that you're listening and leading with purpose.