The Feedback Loop
How to Build a Culture of Continuous Growth
Most leaders think feedback is something they give. But great leaders know feedback is something they create.
It’s not a one-way street or a once-a-year conversation. It’s a living, breathing loop that underpins growth, trust, and performance. When feedback becomes a natural part of daily interactions, your team stops seeing it as criticism and starts seeing it as normal, even an opportunity (really!).
Welcome to the Feedback Loop. A system where feedback isn’t reactive, but continuous. And when you master it, everything about your leadership changes.
WHY MOST FEEDBACK FAILS
Most feedback fails because it happens too late, too infrequently, or only when something’s gone really wrong.
You might recognise this pattern: a big project ends, and only then does feedback flow. Or an annual review rolls around, and you’re expected to summarise 12 months of performance in one conversation.
That’s not feedback, that’s post-mortem. The truth is, feedback isn’t supposed to be an event - it’s supposed to be a process. When you leave it until the end, you rob your team of the opportunity to learn in real time and demonstrate growth.
Adopt the mindset that feedback is the way that you show your team members that they matter - therefore not giving feedback when it’s needed is actually sidelining the employee or ignoring their real potential. You’re also setting yourself and other team members up for ongoing work-arounds and frustration. When you genuinely take on that approach, you’ll realise how powerful feedback really is.
If you’ve ever caught yourself holding off on feedback until “later,” this is your moment to shift. Start small, start today. Feedback in the moment creates momentum that lasts.
THE LOOP SYSTEM FOR REAL-TIME GROWTH
At Incredible People, we teach leaders to build continuous feedback cultures using the LOOP System. It’s simple, repeatable, and effective - whether you’re leading one person or one hundred.
Here’s how it works.
L - Lead by example
It’s important that leaders openly model both giving and receiving feedback. You can share when you receive feedback from others or reflect out loud on improvements you’re working on. Also use Fast Feedback and Deep Feedback visibly and consistently.
O – Open up regular opportunities
The best leaders build feedback into existing rhythms, for example, weekly team meetings (“what’s something we can improve next time?”), one-on-ones (“what’s one thing that’s going well, and one thing we could tweak?”) and project wrap-ups (“what worked / what didn’t / what’s next time?”). It’s about asking, not always telling.
O – Observe and nudge
Pay attention to how your team gives and responds to feedback and provide support as needed. Recognise when feedback is handled well and call it out positively. Also, offer gentle prompts, such as “can we give each other one quick piece of feedback before we wrap up?”
P – Prioritise and protect
To demonstrate commitment to growth, you need to deliberately make time for feedback. Book it into your calendar. Don’t let it slide when things get busy.
Also, protect the tone - feedback must always be respectful and growth oriented, so celebrate progress and persistence, not just perfection.
Want to master the LOOP System and make feedback second nature in how your team operates? Coaching Week 2025 will unpack how to apply this model in real time with your team.
TURNING FEEDBACK INTO A HABIT
The goal of a feedback loop isn’t perfection, it’s progress.
When you apply the LOOP System consistently, feedback becomes normalised. It’s no longer something your team braces for; it’s something they expect. You start to see shifts in mindset: curiosity replaces defensiveness, and learning replaces fear.
Over time, this creates a culture of continuous growth, where feedback happens naturally and often, mistakes are reframed as learning opportunities, and everyone feels responsible for the team’s success.
Imagine walking into meetings where feedback flows easily, performance issues are addressed early, and your people feel safe to actively seek your input when they’re unsure. That’s what happens when feedback becomes part of the rhythm of your team.
THE PAYOFF OF A FEEDBACK CULTURE
Leaders who embed the LOOP System see measurable shifts: higher performance, stronger trust, and faster growth. Clear direction and regular reflection drive improvement. Feedback becomes a demonstration of care, not criticism. And teams adjust and improve in real time, not just during reviews.
When feedback is part of your team’s DNA, growth isn’t occasional, it’s inevitable.
If you’re ready to make that shift, Coaching Week 2025 will walk you through the systems, language, and mindset that make feedback effortless and effective.
READY TO BUILD YOUR FEEDBACK LOOP?
Join us for Coaching Week 2025: Become a Master of Feedback.
In one hour a day across four powerful days, LIVE and ONLINE, you’ll learn how to give fast, effective feedback in under 60 seconds, how to structure deeper conversations that lead to real change, and how to embed feedback into your team’s daily rhythm using the LOOP System.
No more hesitation. No more discomfort. Just confident, clear leadership and a team that thrives on feedback.
Coaching Week runs from 24–28 November, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM WST (2:00–3:00 PM EDST). Early bird price $250 + GST. Replays are available if you can’t make the live sessions.