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Feedback at Folio

Sharing and receiving feedback openly is really important to us at Folio. Part of creating a highly autonomous culture where people feel empowered is maintaining the most transparent and open flow of information that we can.

This includes giving feedback to each other, so we know we are working on the right things, in the right way. While giving feedback to a team member can feel awkward, especially if it is not positive or if you are talking to someone with more experience than you, we believe that it is an important part of not letting others fail.

'Open and honest' doesn't mean 'being an asshole' – we expect feedback to be direct, but shared with good intentions and in the spirit of genuinely helping that person and Folio as a whole to improve. Please make sure your feedback is constructive and based on observations, not emotions. If possible, share examples to help the feedback receiver understand the context of the feedback.

How to give good feedback​

We know that giving feedback can sometimes be difficult, so here are a few tips on how to give good feedback:

  • If something went wrong, focus on what has actually happened, not on whose fault it is. Assigning blame is not productive.
  • Be as specific as you can with your feedback. An example can be helpful to give the recipient context.
  • Sometimes a question can be more useful if you feel you lack the full context. For example 'I've noticed that you sometimes do X. Can you explain to me what your thought process is when you are doing that?'
  • If your feedback is about behavior, focus on the behavior itself and its impact on you, rather than attacking the person's character. For example 'When you do X, it makes me feel Y. Would you be willing to do Z instead?'
  • Remember that positive feedback is really important – we should reinforce and affirm the things we want that person to keep doing!

We expect everyone to support each other by giving lots of feedback – it's not ok to stay quiet if you have something constructive to share.

How to receive feedback well​

If someone is making the effort to give you feedback, you should reciprocate by receiving that feedback well. Being a good feedback receiver means that people will be more inclined to give you feedback in the future, which will help you to grow!

Here are a few tips to help you do this:

  • Assume positive intent on the part of the feedback giver.
  • Try not to hear attack - listen for what is behind the words.
  • It can be useful to paraphrase the feedback to ensure you have understood it correctly, or ask questions to clarify.
  • You do not have to accept all feedback! However, it's probably worth taking time to reflect on it, rather than reacting in the moment. There is a difference between acknowledging feedback and disagreeing with it.