Using Feedback Loops to Improve Processes

Klarna gets attention for efficiency gains—we shrank from ~5500 to ~3000 people in two years. But I have always highlighted AI is only part of that story. Here is how we got away from analysis/paralysis and into customer obsession and centricity: A year ago, ~500 out of 3500 Klarna employees did analytics—dashboards, conversion rates, KPIs. We used tons of tools: Amplitude, ClickSense, Google Dashboards, Datadog, FullStory, etc. It was a lot. And yet, too often, we could find obvious issues in our product... Inspired by Toyota's Gemba sessions, we gathered some 20 such teams to show us their daily jobs—real actual work, not polished reports. Quickly saw: too much repetition, too many dashboards, too few real insights. We just shipped some directional insight to someone else. Or even worse we ended up debating the format and way to measure. Or just passed the problem to someone to investigate that then would ask someone else to look at it and so forth... Many times sessions were tagged to produce dashboards but the tag was in the wrong place... We decided to radically simplify. We created one new "success team" Focused on two things only: FullStory for visual session replays (privacy-safe!) Directly calling customers—especially those with complaints, asking for feedback and solving their issues. More importantly we developed a new quality standard for a ticket. In order for it to be "delegated" within Klarna a ticket must meet our quality standards for being an "actionable insight" What makes an insight "Actionable" at Klarna? Clear visuals/screenshots, specific problem definition, suggested fix, simple financial impact estimation, effort needed, and clear ownership. The actionable insights coming out of this blew us away. Many were million dollar opportunities that required days of work. But had been overseen due to lack of clarity of ownership, "nobody thought of them" and so forth. Fix things on website, fix some copy etc Some were more complex and harder to fix. As we expanded our datamodel for actionable insight we started listing number of teams necessary to resolve tickets. And this has now started guiding us on organization structure and system structure. If a simple fix requires too many... teams OR requires sign off from too many places that is a bad sign in of itself. Some questioned; how do you know we are chasing the important issues? Maybe this customer's issue is rare, and the fix is not that important. Well that is easy, beyond the ranking of impact/effort we have another friend that helps us prioritize. It's called "probability" The likelihood of us talking to a customer about a rare thing, vs picking up a common thing is simply rare... by definition. Really 20 years in and NOW you realize. Sure you're right we should have done this 20 years ago. But now I start seeing true customer obsession within Klarna in a way I have never seen before. And if we have come this far with how we have done it so far..

At Radical Candor, I often hear the question, "How do I know if my feedback is landing?" The answer is simple but not always easy: Radical Candor is measured not at your mouth, but at the listener’s ear. It’s not about what you said, it’s about how the other person heard it and whether it led to meaningful dialogue and growth. Before you start giving feedback, remember the Radical Candor order of operations: get feedback before you give it. The best way to understand how another person thinks is to ask them directly and reward their candor. Next, give praise that is specific and sincere. This helps remind you what you appreciate about your colleagues, so when you do offer criticism, you can do it in the spirit of being helpful to someone you care about. When giving feedback, start in a neutral place. Don't begin at the outer edge of Challenge Directly, as this might come across as Obnoxious Aggression. Just make sure you're above the line on Care Personally and clear about what you're saying. Pay attention to how the other person responds - are they receptive, defensive, sad, or angry? Their reaction will guide your next steps. If someone becomes sad or angry, this is your cue to move up on the Care Personally dimension. Don't back off your challenge - that leads to Ruinous Empathy. Instead, acknowledge the emotion you're noticing: 'It seems like I've upset you.' Remember that emotions are natural and inevitable at work. Sometimes just giving voice to them helps both people cope better. If someone isn't hearing your feedback or brushing it off, you'll need to move further out on Challenge Directly. This can feel uncomfortable, but remember - clear is kind. You might say, 'I want to make sure I'm being as clear as possible' or 'I don't feel like I'm being clear.' Use 'I' statements and come prepared with specific examples. Most importantly, don't get discouraged if feedback conversations sometimes go sideways. We tend to remember the one time feedback went wrong and forget the nine times it helped someone improve and strengthened our relationship. Focus on optimizing for those nine successes rather than avoiding the one potential difficult conversation. Creating a culture of feedback takes time and practice. Each conversation is an opportunity to get better at both giving and receiving feedback. When you get it right, feedback becomes a powerful tool for building stronger relationships and achieving better results together. What’s one small adjustment you’ve made to give or receive better feedback? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Many leaders give feedback once-a-year. Most employees wish it was a weekly conversation. That gap is where frustration starts. And where performance quietly leaks. One conversation per year feels manageable. It isn't feedback. It's administration. In back-to-back steering environments, feedback gets postponed until it's overdue. By then, it costs more for everyone. Over 63% of employees want more regular input. Not more feedback events. More contact with reality. Timely and specific feedback builds trust. And trust reduces the threat response your brain generates before every difficult conversation after. Here's what actually shifts things: 1/ Build check-ins into the flow of work Short and frequent beats long and annual. Continuous feedback cultures show higher engagement and more sustainable performance. 2/ Be specific and behavior-based "When you did X, it had this impact. Here's what to try next." Not personality labels. Observable actions and clear next steps. 3/ Start with what's working People are more receptive to coaching when they feel seen first. Strengths before learning opportunities. 4/ Make it a two-way conversation "How did that go for you?" The more someone feels heard before feedback lands, the better they receive it. 5/ Close the loop Schedule a quick follow-up. When people see feedback leads to visible support, engagement rises. And so does trust. Your legacy isn't how many reviews you ran. It's how many people grew because of a conversation you had with them. 📌 You can't give feedback that lands when your own cognitive load is already full. The CORE assessment measures your performance capacity across 4 dimensions and gives you your score in minutes. https://lnkd.in/dTah6_z2 🖋️ Follow Maria Luisa Engels for more on high-performance leadership. 🖊️ Save this before your next high-pressure week. Sources: Forbes, Gallup/Workhuman, Unleash.ai, Zippia, Betterworks and others. Full list in comments.

Performance conversations are more than evaluations—they're opportunities to inspire reflection, growth, and clarity. I've been reflecting on how we can approach these moments with greater purpose.   Too often, we dive into discussions focused solely on outcomes or metrics. But what if we paused to look deeper? What if we encouraged employees—and ourselves—to approach these moments from different vantage points: stepping back to observe like a fly on the wall, zooming out to the balcony for perspective, and then engaging with purpose on the dance floor?   This layered approach challenges us to ask meaningful questions: "What patterns am I noticing? How do my efforts align with broader goals? What could I do better?" It’s a mindset shift that transforms performance conversations into opportunities for growth, even when outcomes aren’t ideal. Here are a few practical ways to bring this perspective to life: 1. Start with Observation (Fly on the Wall): Before diving into feedback, encourage employees to reflect on their contributions objectively. Ask questions like " What moments felt like your strongest? What would you approach differently? help set a tone of self-awareness." 2. Zoom Out to the Bigger Picture (Balcony): Help employees see how their work connects to broader team and organizational goals. This shift in perspective ensures the conversation isn’t just about isolated outcomes but about long-term impact and alignment. 3. Engage with Purpose (Dance Floor): End every conversation with actionable steps and encouragement. Even when feedback is tough, leave employees with clarity and optimism. A simple affirmation like "I believe in your ability to grow from this", can turn a challenging moment into a catalyst for improvement. Performance conversations are a dance between reflection and action, but they’re also about perspective—knowing when to step back, when to zoom out, and when to engage fully. When we guide our teams to critique their own contributions—not to judge, but to grow—we unlock their potential and leave them inspired to improve. Would love to hear your perspective.

Getting the right feedback will transform your job as a PM. More scalability, better user engagement, and growth. But most PMs don’t know how to do it right. Here’s the Feedback Engine I’ve used to ship highly engaging products at unicorns & large organizations: — Right feedback can literally transform your product and company. At Apollo, we launched a contact enrichment feature. Feedback showed users loved its accuracy, but... They needed bulk processing. We shipped it and had a 40% increase in user engagement. Here’s how to get it right: — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟭: 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 Most PMs get this wrong. They collect feedback randomly with no system or strategy. But remember: your output is only as good as your input. And if your input is messy, it will only lead you astray. Here’s how to collect feedback strategically: → Diversify your sources: customer interviews, support tickets, sales calls, social media & community forums, etc. → Be systematic: track feedback across channels consistently. → Close the loop: confirm your understanding with users to avoid misinterpretation. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮: 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 Analyzing feedback is like building the foundation of a skyscraper. If it’s shaky, your decisions will crumble. So don’t rush through it. Dive deep to identify patterns that will guide your actions in the right direction. Here’s how: Aggregate feedback → pull data from all sources into one place. Spot themes → look for recurring pain points, feature requests, or frustrations. Quantify impact → how often does an issue occur? Map risks → classify issues by severity and potential business impact. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟯: 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 Now comes the exciting part: turning insights into action. Execution here can make or break everything. Do it right, and you’ll ship features users love. Mess it up, and you’ll waste time, effort, and resources. Here’s how to execute effectively: Prioritize ruthlessly → focus on high-impact, low-effort changes first. Assign ownership → make sure every action has a responsible owner. Set validation loops → build mechanisms to test and validate changes. Stay agile → be ready to pivot if feedback reveals new priorities. — 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟰: 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 What can’t be measured, can’t be improved. If your metrics don’t move, something went wrong. Either the feedback was flawed, or your solution didn’t land. Here’s how to measure: → Set KPIs for success, like user engagement, adoption rates, or risk reduction. → Track metrics post-launch to catch issues early. → Iterate quickly and keep on improving on feedback. — In a nutshell... It creates a cycle that drives growth and reduces risk: → Collect feedback strategically. → Analyze it deeply for actionable insights. → Act on it with precision. → Measure its impact and iterate. — P.S. How do you collect and implement feedback?

If you fix this one thing, many of your employees won’t leave One of the best things that can happen to any leader is having a team of talented, hardworking individuals who are full of potential. But the thing is: you know they could do even more, there’s so much untapped potential but something is holding them back. Maybe you’ve noticed their performance slipping, or they are repeating the same mistakes. You want to step in, but you hesitate. You think: • “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” • “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺?” • “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯.” So, you hold back. And over time, they start to feel stuck. Fast forward a few months, and suddenly they’re handing in their resignation. Here’s the reality: They most certainly didn’t leave because of money. They left because they didn’t feel like they were growing. McKinsey’s research shows that the #1 reason employees quit is the lack of career development and advancement. And the truth is, one of the best ways to support their growth is through honest, empathetic feedback. But feedback is tricky, isn’t it? You might feel like giving it will make you seem harsh. But let me tell you, avoiding feedback doesn’t present you as being kind, it rather shows you are careless. Caring is not the same as sugarcoating or dodging the truth but you saying what someone needs to hear, not what’s easy to say or what they want to hear. Feedback, when done right, is a gift. For example: → Instead of saying, “𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴,” 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺, “𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘶𝘵. 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱.” This approach shows respect, encourages growth, and positions feedback as a gift and not a punishment. When done right, feedback helps people see their blind spots, refine their skills, and feel supported in their growth. It’s one of the most powerful ways leaders can advance their teams. So, let me ask you: What’s your take on giving feedback? How do you balance firmness with empathy? And when was the last time you had a tough conversation that helped someone grow? Let’s talk in the comments. ——— ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost for your network. ➕ Follow Adewumi Adeyanju for insights on leadership, teamwork, and business growth.

Like a medical diagnosis, criticism in the workplace serves to pinpoint problems, inefficiencies, or shortcomings. It highlights areas that require attention, whether in individual performance, team dynamics, or organizational processes. However, criticism that stops at identification, without providing a roadmap for improvement, is incomplete. It can lead to frustration, demotivation, and a sense of aimlessness, akin to a patient knowing their ailment but having no means to cure it. The transition from merely diagnosing to offering a treatment plan in the business context involves providing actionable feedback. This step requires skill, empathy, and a deep understanding of the individual or the situation at hand. Actionable feedback is specific, achievable, and relevant. It not only points out the area of concern but also offers practical steps, resources, or guidance on how to rectify the issue. This approach transforms criticism from a potentially negative interaction into a constructive and empowering one. Incorporating actionable plans into criticism yields multiple benefits. For employees, it provides a clear path to improvement and facilitates growth. For teams, it encourages a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and open communication. And for organizations, it leads to improved results and a competitive edge. Implementing this approach is not without its challenges. It requires a culture that values open communication and continuous learning. Leaders and managers must be trained to provide balanced feedback that is both honest and constructive. Additionally, there must be an understanding that the 'treatment plan' might require adjustments and flexibility, as every professional scenario is unique. The takeaways ... [1] When offering criticism, accompany it with a specific, measurable action plan. For instance, if an employee's performance is lacking in a certain area, don't just highlight the problem; provide clear, achievable goals and a timeline for improvement. Offer resources, if needed. [2] Constructive criticism should not be a one-way street. Encourage employees to engage in the feedback process actively. This can be achieved by asking them for their input on potential solutions or improvements. Such an approach not only empowers the employees but also builds a culture of mutual respect and collaborative problem-solving. [3] Criticism and action plans are not a 'set it and forget it' scenario. Regular follow-ups are crucial to ensure that the action plan is being implemented and to assess its effectiveness. [4] Recognizing and acknowledging progress is equally important, as it reinforces positive behavior and outcomes, leading to sustained improvement and development. ✅ Share this to your network ✅ Follow me on LinkedIn for expert insights ★ DM me for a conversation to learn how we can help you grow & succeed #business #people #leadership #management #growth #success #feedback #communication

Honesty and directness are two of the most valuable traits in any workplace, yet I feel we are losing them...or losing the skill behind them. While many people are avoiding directness for fear of causing discomfort, others dive into “telling it like it is” without the tact and empathy that make honest feedback constructive. Somewhere along the line, these important qualities got tangled up with conflict or insensitivity, making many people shy away from direct feedback or honest opinions. It's important to recognize that: 💡 People often seek reassurance or pity, but what they often need most is honesty and directness. ⚠️ And if we don't recognize this and we lose honesty and directness, we lose the foundation for trust and growth. ⚡ Empathy and kindness are crucial at work, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of clarity and truth. We need to show people we value them by delivering the truth with empathy and respect. When we do this, we also impact efficiency. Instead of tiptoeing around issues, we can address them, find solutions, and move forward. Problems that might have lingered for months can be addressed in a single, honest conversation. There is no need to choose between being direct and being empathetic! It’s about combining the two thoughtfully. ✔️ Take a moment to notice your own emotion and consider how your words and tone will be received ✔️ Be conscious of tact, timing and empathy ✔️ Be specific and constructive..."I've noticed (specific issue) and I'd like to chat about what we can do about it" ✔️ Focus on the issue not the person ✔️ Encourage people to give YOU constructive feedback...and highlight that it goes both ways ✔️ Stick to facts, not opinions. And be clear on the impact before seeking solutions. Change starts with LEADERS! Research from Edelman’s Trust Barometer shows that transparency and honesty are top drivers of trust in leadership, with 84% of respondents saying that open and honest communication from leaders builds trust. We are all leaders in some respect so we can all ask ourselves...am I being direct and honest enough with the people around me? The people I care about? ❓ What are your thoughts on the topic ❓ How can leaders strike the right balance between honesty and empathy to build a culture of trust ❓ What’s one approach that’s worked well for you ❓ Leave your comments below 🙏 #trust #respect #openness #honesty #leadership #teamwork

A customer asked me the other day: “What’s the RCA from this survey?” I paused for a second. “Can you clarify what you mean by RCA?” I understand root cause analysis but typically people don't use this term for surveys, used mostly on issues. Then they explained: There’s a survey running at a particular touchpoint. A few recurring issues have shown up, we would like to know the root cause of those issues. Here’s what we did: -Ran text analysis -Pulled out the top 5 problems -Filtered only the negative sentiment responses -Looked at what detractors were saying -Found 80–90 customers this quarter talking about these problems -Took that list to the product team and asked: “Did these issues actually happen with these customers?” -Called some of the customers to confirm -And just like that, we had the top 3 root causes/actionables. Simple. Clear. Actionable. The surprising part? Many teams are still doing this manually in Excel, spending weeks getting insights instead of fixing the problems. Sometimes the barrier to action isn’t complexity : it’s the way we’re working. Do you ever use RCA as a term or how do you fix processes using surveys? #customerexperience #nps #csat

The most powerful feedback conversations take under 60 seconds. Most managers spend months avoiding them. We tell ourselves we're too busy. Too rushed between meetings, too focused on the next decision, too worried about upsetting someone. So we say nothing. And instead of changing bad traits, they fester. Small performance issues become deeply ingrained habits. Good people leave feeling unseen. Here's what I've learned after 40 years in business: feedback doesn't need to be a grand, scheduled, HR-approved conversation. It needs to be honest, specific, timely, and it needs to become part of how you lead every single day. The one-minute rule:  Praise or reprimand, do it immediately after the moment, not weeks later or a half-year review. The closer to the act, the more it lands. Never mix praise with criticism in the same conversation:  If you do, people will only remember the negative. The praise disappears. Keep them entirely separate. The emotional bank account:  Think of your relationship with every colleague like a bank balance. Positive feedback, recognition, and genuine interest build deposits over time. Critical feedback makes a withdrawal. The mistake most leaders make isn't giving too much feedback:  It's making it a monologue. Real feedback is a two-way dialogue. Ask "How do you think that meeting went?" or "What could have been done differently?" instead of issuing a verdict. Be specific. Be direct. Drop the softeners:  If you open with "maybe" or "you might want to consider," the advice rarely gets followed. Candour isn't cruelty, it's respect. The more people trust you, the faster mistakes get corrected. There's also a strong business case here beyond culture. Research backed by JP Morgan data shows that companies placing a genuine premium on employee satisfaction - built in large part through strong feedback cultures - consistently outperform those focused purely on financial metrics. And critically, don't just give feedback. Ask for it yourself, regularly. The willingness to hear hard truths about your own leadership is what separates good managers from great ones. Start there. The relationships, the trust, and the performance will follow. What's the best piece of feedback you've ever received? Did it change the way you work? Every week, I share what works in business and leadership - lessons learned from 40 years of building. If that sounds useful, subscribe to my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ergDQtiK