In the corporate world, personal development is more popular than ever, whereas just a few years ago, it was hardly on the agenda. Fortunately, more and more companies are realizing its importance and are willing to invest in it. To gain more insight into this topic, we spoke with Jantien ‘t Hart.
Jantien has been a trainer and coach for over 10 years, focusing on leadership, (personal) development, and feedback in the corporate sector. She knows better than anyone how crucial performance management is for organizations. In this blog, you’ll learn more about the power of feedback and the supporting role of TruQu in this process.
How feedback contributes to better business results
Jantien works together with various companies – from accounting firms to IT businesses and government agencies. Regardless of the sector, she sees that there is still much room for improvement in the area of feedback and communication techniques. According to her, giving feedback regularly isn’t yet embedded in Dutch corporate culture, which is a missed opportunity. “Many companies talk about feedback, but little action is taken. Organizations often only start to take it seriously once they see tangible results, like faster and more efficient work, better collaboration between teams, and ultimately, increased profits.”
She notes a positive shift in the market, with more organizations realizing that performance management and a strong feedback culture are vital. “When employees feel good about themselves, know how to grow, communicate well, and give effective feedback, business performance improves automatically.” says Jantien.
“TruQu’s simple interface and templates make it easy for feedback to become a natural part of the workflow.”
Feedback vs. Feedforward
Giving and receiving feedback involves a variety of skills. When asked what the most important skill is, Jantien immediately replies: listening! Listening is just as important when giving feedback as it is when receiving it. It contributes to the way you formulate your message. She also adds that the “tone of voice” makes a significant difference.
“By giving feedback in a constructive way, you create an environment where employees want to learn and grow, without feeling criticized. For example, saying, ‘What could you do differently?’ is much better than, ‘You didn’t do this right.’ Both aim for the same outcome, but the approach is entirely different. This is why feedback is often referred to as feedforward nowadays. Feedback tends to focus on the past, but it’s more useful to look forward and discuss how things can be changed to achieve the desired result.”
But what if someone still perceives feedback as criticism, even after listening well? “Then it’s mainly the mindset of the person in question. I always advise people to look at feedback differently and to try to forget past experiences. Many people have been part of poorly conducted feedback conversations in the past, which gives them the impression that feedback is negative and unhelpful. By having a conversation with them and discussing this, it can become much clearer.” This is why she challenges participants in her training sessions to rethink feedback. She emphasizes that feedback is not about criticizing or tearing each other down. “Feedback is about wanting the best for someone, helping them develop and move forward. Shifting the perception from negative to positive is one of the best outcomes after training.”
Additionally, being direct is crucial when giving feedback. In this case, ‘direct’ has two meanings: give feedback right after a certain situation, not days later. And direct in the sense of, face-to-face, not via someone else or indirectly. “This way, you can sense each other’s emotions and clear up any misunderstandings. You can then record the conversation and its outcome in TruQu, so it’s easily accessible for future reference.”
The supporting role of TruQu
Besides providing trainings, Jantien also advises her clients to use a tool like TruQu. A performance management tool plays an important role in implementing a feedback culture within organizations. “TruQu’s simple interface and templates make it easy for feedback to become a natural part of the workflow. Plus, progress becomes clear and visible, as everything is recorded in one place. Normally, feedback is sent by email or saved in a document, but with TruQu, employees know exactly where to find it. I always teach participants to immediately enter their feedback into TruQu after a conversation. When this becomes a habit, and TruQu sends an occasional reminder, you start seeing significant improvements.”
“Nowadays feedback is often referred to as feedforward.”
Implementing TruQu and creating a feedback culture
Although TruQu can greatly contribute to a feedback culture, implementing it isn’t always easy. “There’s often resistance within organizations when a new system is introduced.” Jantien explains. “People see it as just another task or something they ‘have to do.’ But if there’s support from HR, the management team, and maybe even ambassadors within the company, the process becomes a lot easier.” She adds that companies must keep reinforcing the feedback process, as it can quickly fade from employees’ minds. A user-friendly system that takes care of most of the work for employees can also lead to faster adoption. “As they use it more, it becomes more interesting, and they’ll eventually see the benefits.”
Jantien concludes with an important tip: “Ensure that feedback becomes an ongoing process. With the right mindset, training, and support, feedback can transform not only individuals but also teams and entire organizations.”
Jantien is already more than 10 years an educational expert and in 2015 she found her company ‘t Hart Training & Ontwikkeling. Interested in learning more about her approach? Schedule a meeting or visit her website.
