AWS Cloud Enterprise Strategy Blog

The Feedback Fix: How to fuel a learning culture

Feedback

Let’s talk feedback. But not that traditional HR-approved, sandwich-method where criticism is buried in praise, that leaves you feeling like you ate a soggy, flavourless disappointment. And not the 2010s’ radical dissection of weaknesses that leaves you emotionally drained and demoralised either. Let’s talk about feedback that enables real learning and builds your organisation’s collective intelligence.

Even the word “feedback” can often make us want to brace ourselves. Many organisations treat feedback like an annual corporate colonoscopy. It’s awkward; everyone dreads it, and by the time it’s over, you’ve already forgotten what you ate for lunch, let alone what actually happened six months ago. Feedback often feels like a performance review history lesson rather than a living, breathing tool for learning—managers ticking boxes so they can rank people in the corporate pecking order. Employees zone out or get frustrated as they get to passively sit through the lecture, politely nodding in an illusion of harmony, silently counting down the minutes until it’s over. The majority of employees, managers, and HR executives end up not believing their performance review processes are useful for providing meaningful feedback.[1]

In our work with AWS customers, we see a raft of feedback fallacies:

The source of truth fallacy:2 The belief that others are more aware of and objective about your weaknesses when, in reality, humans are unreliable raters, restrained by our own biases and understanding. The idiosyncratic rater effect tells us that over half of a rating actually reflects the rater, not the ratee.

The theory of learning fallacy: The belief that learning means fixing “gaps” in knowledge or skills through feedback when, in reality, we learn best by reinforcing our strengths.

The theory of excellence fallacy: The belief that excellence is universal, definable, and transferable through feedback which helps individuals remedy their shortcomings to reach it. In reality, excellence is individual. Trying to fit individuals into a predefined model of excellence only leads to adequacy.

So let’s talk about feedback that enables real learning—feedback that drives breakthroughs, operational efficiencies, and customer value.

Feedback fixes

Focus on moments of excellence: When something works, call attention to it. Focusing on weaknesses triggers the recipient’s fight-or-flight response, nullifying the feedback. Instead, help your team member understand why they were successful by asking them what worked well.

Share your reactions: When giving feedback, focus on how something affected you rather than your perception of what the other person has done or failed to do. Shift from “You need to improve…” to “Here’s how that came across for me…” or “I felt… when you …”

Don’t compare one person to another: Compare their current performance to their past performance rather than the performance of others.1 “I see your confidence in presenting your ideas is growing.; You’re more willing to share your ideas, even if they differ, and that’s contributing new perspectives.”

Be kind by being direct. When there is challenging feedback to give—give it. Proportionality and accuracy are key. Don’t conflate the feedback with possible solutions (the “Here’s the answer”); that’s a separate discussion.

Give feedback in the moment: Integrate feedback into the daily workflow through frequent, short check-ins or shared learning logs. A simple Slack message right after a meeting goes a long way.

Give feedback like a coach: Use coaching questions to guide people towards their own solutions. Actively listen, seek different perspectives, and be open to revising your assessment. Keep questions open-ended. “Help me understand how… ?“ “What factors did you consider?”

Let feedback flow like water, in all directions and encourage feedback within and between teams. Seek dissenting voices and open challenges. “Before we finalize this decision, I’d love to hear from those who might see issues with this approach. Sarah, you’ve handled similar projects before—what concerns do you think we should consider?”

Make it actionable: Encourage double-loop learning3 by exploring the “whys” behind issues. Then focus on “Try this” as ideas for the individual to experiment with rather than vague statements like “You need to improve.”

Normalise vulnerability: Lead by sharing your own mistakes and acknowledge what you don’t know. This builds trust and encourages others to be more open during feedback.

The journey to better feedback starts with small steps at every level of the organisation. We’re not saying your feedback will suddenly become gourmet overnight. It might still be a bit microwaveable-dinner-y at first. But even microwaveable dinners are better than corporate colonoscopies. Progress, not perfection!

And, of course, we’d appreciate your feedback too!

Phil & Jana

[1] People don’t want to be compared with others in performance reviews. They want to be compared to themselves. Harvard Business Review 2018

[2] The Feedback Fallacy. Harvard Business Review 2019

[3] Double Loop Learning in Organizations, Harvard Business Review, 1977

Recommended Reading:  HBR the right way to process feedback https://hbr.org/2022/06/the-right-way-to-process-feedback

Phil Le-Brun

Phil Le-Brun

Phil Le-Brun is an Enterprise Strategist and Evangelist at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this role, Phil works with enterprise executives to share experiences and strategies for how the cloud can help them increase speed and agility while devoting more of their resources to their customers. Prior to joining AWS, Phil held multiple senior technology leadership roles at McDonald’s Corporation. Phil has a BEng in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, a Masters in Business Administration, and an MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice.

Jana Werner

Jana Werner

Jana leads AWS' Financial Services Practice in EMEA, consulting with executives on their transformation journeys. With a focus on culture and new ways of working, she leverages hands-on experience from leading digital transformations and heading the EMEA Enterprise Transformation Program team. Having observed change patterns across Fortune 200 companies and drawing from her start-up experience, Jana offers a unique perspective. A contributor to academic research at institutions like the Fraunhofer Institute, she holds a PhD in Management and MSc in Strategic Project Management, with her first book on organizational transformation forthcoming from Harvard in 2025.