By: Jordan Spector
Edited By: Max Edelstein
The essay series “Professional Horizons: Reflections and Insights,” explores concepts in leadership, team dynamics, and personal growth. The series aims to share professional insights and experience to inspire contemplation and open dialogue that supports the professional development needed to thrive, adapt, and lead effectively in an ever-evolving workplace.
Effective feedback is one of a professional’s most consequential tools. Feedback accelerates personal development, builds stronger relationships, fosters more effective communication, and reduces cognitive bias and blind spots. While there are substantial organizational benefits, the focus of this essay is on what good feedback does for you and why it is equally valuable regardless of your role—leader, subordinate, or peer. Your organization should seek to foster it, but ceteris paribus the pursuit of feedback is an individual imperative. For this series, I’ve separated professional feedback into two distinct essays. This essay covers professional feedback as it applies in one-on-one situations, while Part 2 will focus on feedback in group settings.
In both essays, the common critical attribute is that feedback must be actively and continuously sought out. This can be challenging. Feedback can be awkward to present and difficult to receive. Both presentation and receipt require discernment and vulnerability; such skills are seldom nurtured interpersonally, academically, societally, or professionally. However, with intentionality, the process of seeking and incorporating feedback can become a manageable and highly rewarding practice.
Annual reviews are a common method organizations use to provide formal feedback to employees. However, these sessions often feel uncomfortable for both parties. The long gaps between feedback opportunities make the content unpredictable, leading to natural apprehension, even among top performers. When commendations are given, they can feel overdue or ungenuine, while criticisms may prompt employees to question the validity or relevance of the feedback. They may wonder if the reviewer has enough context to make a fair assessment or why the issue wasn’t addressed sooner. Moreover, any corrective actions the employee has taken might go unacknowledged until the next review cycle. This disconnect can create unnecessary stress on both sides.
Tension, defensiveness, and confusion—these are common sentiments during formal performance reviews and do little to encourage healthy feedback in either direction. Yet, they can be easily overcome through more frequent, less formal engagements. Simply said, regular conversations where constructive feedback is provided in both directions normalizes the feedback process and fosters openness. While leaders play a central role in establishing a feedback-friendly culture, both leaders and team members share the responsibility to foster it.
Leaders, in particular, should seize feedback opportunities in every review, not only for the team’s performance but also for their own. A simple yet powerful approach is to ask questions like “hhow am I doing? What feedback do you have for me? Is there anything we can do better as a team?” These questions reveal blind spots and signal to team members that their input is valued, fostering a deeper sense of connection. Coupled with genuine follow-up, this creates a cohesive, motivated team.
It is worth noting that all feedback received is not always actionable, practical, or immediately aligned with an organization’s direction. Discernment is vital in evaluating which aspects of feedback to integrate. Even if an idea isn’t fully applicable, showing that feedback is heard and respected is essential to sustaining open communication. Parts of an idea may be worth incorporating or revisiting, or perhaps the perspective simply enriches ongoing dialogue. Genuine acknowledgement is the key.
An effective way to foster informal feedback is through a genuine open-door policy. Leaders should not only invite team members to share their thoughts but also proactively reach out. An open door must be more than a symbol; it should be a true opportunity for candid dialogue.
Another tool is creating a small, trusted group of individuals explicitly asked to provide regular feedback. This setup encourages frank exchanges that cut through hierarchy and provides valuable insights from peers, mentors, or even junior colleagues. Such a group makes feedback routine rather than intimidating, reinforcing humility and grounding leaders as they advance.
Understanding your response to feedback, whether positive or negative, is also critical. To create a culture of feedback, you must demonstrate receptiveness. Managing emotional reactions is essential for benefiting from feedback and signaling to others that it’s valued. If difficult feedback is challenging, reflect on the reasons and seek ways to shift your mindset toward growth. Clear communication of how you prefer feedback delivered can also create a constructive environment. Some may thrive on direct feedback, while others need a more measured approach. These nuances are better addressed proactively, especially with trusted advisors.
When practiced thoughtfully, one-on-one feedback can yield significant cultural benefits for the larger organization. Teams grow stronger, more adaptable, and resilient. Leaders develop with greater depth. Together, a feedback-responsive team and leader can more readily address issues, capitalize on opportunities, and adapt to change. It requires effort and consistency, but the investment pays off. Establishing a healthy foundation for feedback in one-on-one settings also makes group feedback feel natural, a topic to be explored in Part 2.
Author Bio:
Jordan Spector is an officer in the United States Navy and a Politico-Military Fellow in the Master of International Public Policy program. His focus is on strategic policy and the underlying economic, legal, social, cultural, and psychological influences that guide global behavior. Jordan also has a special interest in leadership and is the author of the ongoing essay series, Professional Horizons, which aims to share insights and experiences into personal and organizational dynamics. Jordan will return to the Navy upon graduation in 2025.