From our work with health and social service leaders, we see first hand the challenge in helping everyone see the value in collecting client feedback. We all know that feedback is important, but sometimes, the benefits can feel a little abstract. Without seeing the tangible impact, it’s easy to brush off collecting feedback as a “nice-to-have” or just another administrative task.
In this blog, we’re giving you a fun, hands-on activity called Feedback in Action that you can use to help your team experience the real power of feedback. This simple activity will help them understand how feedback can transform results, improve processes, and ultimately lead to better service delivery for clients.
Let’s dive into how you can run the activity, why feedback loops are so important, and how client feedback can directly improve your programs and services.
Why Feedback Loops Are So Important — And Why Some People Don’t See It
In health and social services, feedback is the secret ingredient for improving the way you serve your clients and support your team. Feedback helps you understand what’s working, where you need to pivot, and how you can better meet the needs of the people you serve.
But here’s the challenge: Not everyone sees the immediate value in feedback. It can be hard to connect the dots between having clients fill out a survey or answer a few questions and the types of improvements that can follow. Often, people view feedback as just another task or feel like they’re already doing their best work without needing external input.
That’s where the Feedback in Action activity comes in. It helps your team experience, in real time, how feedback can lead to faster, better results. Once they see it in action, they’ll start to understand why collecting feedback is an essential part of creating positive change — not just for your team, but for the clients you serve.
How to Run the ‘Feedback in Action’ Activity
Ready to show your team how powerful feedback loops can be? Here’s how to run Feedback in Action, an engaging 30-minute activity that will help your team see the immediate benefits of feedback and get excited about using it in their own work.
Materials Needed:
– A simple task (like building a small tower with blocks, drawing a simple picture, or arranging shapes into a pattern)
– Blindfolds (optional — because why not add a little challenge?)
– Timer
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Setup (5 minutes):
– Split your team into pairs or small groups.
– Assign one person as the **“worker”** (they’ll complete the task) and the rest of the group as the “clients” (they’ll provide feedback).
– You can use blindfolds for extra fun, but it’s not mandatory.
2.Round 1: Limited Feedback (5 minutes):
– In this round, the*“clients” can only give super limited feedback — think “yes” or “no” answers or maybe just one word at the start.
– The “worker”* completes the task with this minimal feedback.
– Time how long it takes to finish the task and observe the quality of the result.
3. Round 2: Open Feedback (5 minutes):
– For Round 2, the “clients” can give unlimited, open feedback. They can ask questions, offer suggestions, and provide feedback throughout the task.
– The “worker” can ask for feedback as needed.
– Time this round as well and see how things improve!
4. Debrief (15 minutes):
– After the rounds, gather everyone and talk through these questions:
– How did limited feedback impact the outcome and the experience of completing the task?
– How did the open feedback change the process and the final result?
– Why type of feedback was most useful to workers as they completed the task?
– What did you learn about the role of feedback in improving work?
5. Link It to the Workplace (10 minutes):
– Now let’s connect the dots to your work. How does this exercise reflect the feedback process with your clients?
– How might gathering client feedback help us improve services and meet client needs?
– How might we collect useful client feedback?
Why This Activity Is So Powerful
The Feedback in Action activity works because it gives your team a chance to feel the impact of feedback in a tangible way. They’ll see firsthand how limited feedback can slow things down and how open communication leads to faster, more successful results. This isn’t just an abstract concept. It’s about real-time, visible improvements. When your team sees how much smoother and better things go when there’s open, continuous feedback, they’ll begin to understand why it’s so important to make feedback a regular part of their workflow.
For health and social services organizations, feedback loops are critical. When feedback is actively collected and acted upon — whether it’s from clients or your team — you can make changes in real time. That means better services, better support for your team, and, most importantly, better outcomes for the people you serve.
So, how do you get your team excited about feedback? Start by showing them how powerful and fun feedback loops can be. When they experience the difference that feedback makes, they’ll start to see it as an essential tool for improving services, supporting clients, and driving success.
Ready to give it a try? It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s a fantastic way to build a feedback-driven culture that benefits your team, your clients, and your organization. We’d love to hear how Feedback in Action works with your team! Share your results with us or reach out if you’d like support integrating feedback loops into your programs.