Feedback Theater: Going Through the Motions Without Meaning It
Mark Graban
Helping leaders and organizations build high-performing cultures through Lean thinking, learning from mistakes, and psychological safety | 3× Shingo Award-Winning Author | Speaker | Consultant
I recently had an annual wellness exam through a hospital system's primary care group. Everything went well and I had a good experience. Even though I can't help thinking about opportunities for improvement, I wasn't itching to provide any feedback.
On the way out, I noticed a sign on a large metal box that invited feedback.
The cheerful sign says “Tell Us!” and that “Your feedback is always welcome”:
OK, place your comment card in this box. I see the slot.
What I don't see is… comment cards. The holders for those cards were empty on both sides of the comment box.
If I had been looking to give feedback, I would have been very frustrated.
Even though the sign SAYS that feedback is welcome, the organization is sending a stronger message that they don't really care. Or that they don't care enough to ensure that comment cards are always available.
Or, they have converted to asking for feedback electronically. And, if that's the case, maybe this box should just be removed.
At least they've provided a pen…
This reminds me of far too many employee suggestion boxes that I've seen in my travels.
As a hospital employee once said to me, pointing at the employee suggestion box:
“That box is where good ideas go to die!”
Even if cards are available, people stop using a suggestion box system when the “futility factor” is high. If we take the effort to fill out a card, and nothing happens, why would we do that again?
If we say we welcome feedback, we need to make it easy for people to share it–and just as importantly, we need to show that we're listening and responding. An empty comment card holder might seem like a small oversight, but it sends a big message.
Whether it's patients or employees, people quickly learn whether their input truly matters. And when they sense that it doesn't, they stop trying. That's how the “futility factor” creeps in–and once it does, it's hard to reverse.
If your organization still has suggestion boxes (literal or metaphorical), take a moment to ask: Are we making it easy to speak up? Are we responding in a timely, meaningful way? Or are we unintentionally signaling that feedback goes nowhere?
Because a dusty box with no cards isn't just bad optics. It's a missed opportunity to learn, improve, and build trust.
Certified Toyota Management System professional (Japan), Management consultant and journalist (Philippines) and the first and only Filipino Prize Winner, Asian Economic Journalism Award (Spain)
1moGood point! Another concern is - why the box has to be in a metal casing. How would the administrator know if there are submitted forms? That means they have to open it (hope it's not under lock and key). What a waste of time. A better idea is to have a transparent plastic box, so you don't have to open it. From a distance, you'll readily find out if there's a submitted form or not.
Lean Strategist, Writer @The Art of Positive Change, Travel Photographer, Optimist 😀
1moGreat post Mark 😀 This is the Irish heath service! They have suggestion boxes in every hospital telling us how much they care about feedback and improvement yet there is no note or pen holder, you have to find your own - we are getting the same message you did! If you do take the time to send feedback it either gets ignored or gets responded to with empty promises. What doesn't happen is effective improvement! I've been complaining to my local hospital for 2 years about their dangerous prescription process and they are doing a stellar job at ignoring me! Our health service's feedback system is a tick the box exercise with zero substance! 🚑
Strategic HR Leader focused on Talent, Performance, Leadership, Succession, OD, and Culture
2moMark I'm with you. Why I will rarely will now complete satisfaction surveys from some companies (like airlines). When I do take the time and effort to share experiences (I must confess usually negative), nothing happens. There are many companies simply 'going through the motions' or using these tools to 'prove' a corporate KPI, not to address or improve the customer experience.
Neuropsychiatrist | Engineer | 4x Health Tech Founder | Cancer Graduate | Frontier Psychiatry & MedFlow Co-Founder - Follow to share what I've learned along the way.
2moSuch a sharp, honest reflection, Mark. The “futility factor” is so real—especially in healthcare, where both patients and staff already feel like cogs in a machine. If we say feedback is welcome, we have to mean it in both design and response. Otherwise, it erodes the very psychological safety we claim to champion. A comment box with no cards is more than an oversight—it’s a silent message: “We’ve stopped listening.”
Using lean thinking to help organizations achieve visions & improve performance in safety, quality, delivery, and cost
2moGreat points, Mark. It reminds me of the “please stay on the line for a short survey about the service you received” message. Besides being a waste of time, I feel it’s only meant to punish the phone rep who is powerless to give me better service than they’re allowed to given the system in which they work.