Colonel's Culture Compilation Volume 11 (October 2025)
COL. (R) Tony McConnell’s roundup of local and national stories about how companies focus on culture to increase employee engagement, retention and productivity.
An Irresistible Workplace isn’t built through random acts of goodwill—it’s shaped through a cohesive culture. At the Irresistible Workplace Initiative, we focus on Six Key Components that bring this culture to life: Leadership, Feedback, Growth, Balance, Compensation, and Recognition. Each plays a vital role, and together, they create a place where people want to stay and thrive.
This month, we’re shining a light on Feedback—the connective tissue that links every other component. Feedback isn’t a once-a-year performance review; it’s a way of life. When shared with clarity, care, and consistency, feedback strengthens trust, fuels growth, and keeps everyone moving in the same direction.
Great feedback gives employees a clear sense of purpose and shows how their work moves the mission forward. It helps people stretch their strengths, address growth areas, and experience real progress—one of the strongest predictors of engagement and retention. Thoughtful feedback also builds strong relationships, creating psychological safety and a culture where people feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
Just as important, leaders must be willing to receive feedback too. When leaders invite honest input, they model humility, openness, and courage. This act builds deep trust, encourages authentic communication, and inspires teams to bring their best. A leader who listens creates a ripple effect—turning feedback from a task into a shared journey of growth.
Organizations that embrace a feedback culture don’t stand still—they learn, adapt, and thrive. Feedback isn’t just “nice to have”; it’s the heartbeat of a workplace people would be crazy to leave.
Here are a few articles that highlight the importance of Feedback in shaping workplace culture:
The Power Of Feedback: A Catalyst For Growth In Leadership And Employee Development This article highlights how actively seeking and responding to feedback cultivates trust, transparency, and belonging — and how that, in turn, boosts team performance.
Good Leaders Can Take Hard Feedback — Great Leaders Learn From It The article emphasizes that while good leaders can tolerate tough feedback, great leaders use it as a catalyst for growth by staying open and reflective rather than defensive. It encourages leaders to engage their analytical mind, explore the truth in criticism, and use feedback to deepen authenticity and connection.
How Leaders Can Get the Feedback They Need to Grow In times of uncertainty, leaders must actively seek honest, actionable feedback to adapt and support their teams effectively. By embracing discomfort, asking targeted questions, and following up on input, they foster a culture of trust and continuous improvement.
How Effective Feedback Fuels Performance Gallup discusses how fast, frequent feedback meaningfully strengthens performance: employees are 3.6× more likely to strongly agree they are motivated to do outstanding work when feedback is timely.
Why Psychological Safety Is Essential to Healthy Communication and a Flourishing Culture Psychological safety is essential for fostering open communication, trust, and innovation in the workplace. Leaders who cultivate humility, invite feedback, and build clear processes for two-way dialogue create cultures where employees feel safe to speak up and contribute meaningfully.
Measuring the Impact of Pulse Surveys: How Top Companies Translate Feedback into Business Results | Great Place To Work® A practical piece showing how pulse surveys correlate with business outcomes (engagement, retention, productivity) — and how proactive action plans make survey feedback meaningful.
Why employee surveys are important for companies in 2025? This article tracks how surveys remain essential, especially with hybrid/remote work, helping leaders stay informed about employee sentiment across dispersed environments.
How to Develop Resilience in a Remote Workforce To build resilience in a remote workforce, leaders must foster connection, adaptability, and emotional support through meaningful communication and thoughtful training. By embracing new engagement strategies and modeling care, organizations can help teams not only bounce back from crises but grow stronger through them.