• New research from Vlerick Business School finds that the seniority of a colleague increases the effectiveness of the feedback they give
• The more senior the “feedback giver” is, the more likely the receiver is to take their advice on board – which can improve idea generation
• Constructive feedback in intrapreneurship projects is vital to improving innovation

You’ve just came up with a new idea for a business product, and you need someone to bounce it off, someonw who can give you some constructive feedback before you pursue it any further. How do you choose who to do that with?

In our personal lives, when seeking an honest opinion or a sense of direction, it’s typical to ask a trusted friend, a family member or a partner. But what about in the work setting?

You could turn to a colleague; someone you look up to, or often have lunch with, to gain a somewhat friendly ear to share your proposal with. They might give you some constructive feedback, but they also might placate you. And, if they criticise, are you actually going to their advice or perspectives on board?

Or, you could bounce the idea off your boss. However, this might be a daunting prospect. They might shut you down before you begin, tear your idea to shreds or perhaps even then judge your competency based on your proposal. Or, they might just offer you some insights on how to take your idea forward.

There are positives and negatives to both approaches, but what is the best approach for securing a great end result – namely, your idea coming to successful fruition?

Are you more likely to take on the advice of your respected colleague, someone with a more senior title than you, or your boss?

Who knows best?

Research conducted by experts at Vlerick Business School shows that the more senior someone is in an organisation the more likely others are to listen to, and implement, their constructive advice.

In most instances this response improved idea generation quality.

In fact, taking on board constructive feedback was show to help in refining initial concepts, validating their potential with others, and inspiring creative improvements.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of the feedback given was found to increase the more senior the “feedback giver” in an organisation is.

Led by Mathias Boënne, a PhD participant at Vlerick Business School and now Professor at Utrecht University, alongside Walter Van Dyck, Professor at Vlerick Business School, and Bart Leten, Professor at KU Leuven, the study explored how the hierarchical rank of a feedback giver influenced the quality of idea innovation in in-company idea generation projects – otherwise known as intrapreneurship.

They hypothesised that the higher the evaluator’s role in the company, the more likely their constructive feedback would be taken on board, therefore improving the quality of idea generation.

To do so, the researchers studied an internal firm idea contest. Staff were first invited to submit new, innovative ideas to a digital platform, then all employees, no matter their rank, were given the opportunity to provide constructive feedback on each to the idea’s creators’.

In total, 395 ideas were submitted to the contest and assessed.

The researchers found that, not only does constructive feedback have a positive impact on idea quality, but also the quality of an idea improves depending on who is giving the feedback.

When feedback is given by a senior member of staff, the research showed that it is more likely to be taken on board, and also more likely to help improve the quality of the idea.

Strength in numbers

The researchers also found that feedback was more likely to be used if a number of people came to similar conclusions, regardless of rank, as opposed to varied or diverse feedback points.

The finding shows that being brave enough to share an idea and open enough to seek feedback, can only be a good thing.

“To stay ahead in today’s competitive business environment, firms seek to create a constant in-flow of high-quality ideas to fuel their innovation process, and more and more they are seeking intrapreneurship as the approach to do so”, says Professor Walter Van Dyck.

Creating the right culture to encourage staff at all levels to not just generate ideas but to feel comfortable and confident in sharing them beyond their immediate coleagues to seek the opinions of those in different departments and those who hold senior roles to them is key for helping intrapreneurship projects to flourish.

“Our research shows that idea generators may be more likely to listen to the feedback of those are more senior than them, as opposed to their peers, when it comes to taking innovation advice,” Professor Van Dyck continues.

Construction over criticism

The type of feedback given matters too. Whilst it can be easy to dismiss new, unusual or incomplete ideas when first presented, the researchers say that their findings clearly show that constructive feedback, rather than just feedback, is the way to boost positive results. Constructive feedback has a positive effect on the quality of the idea, therefore when organisations are conducting intrapreneurship projects, they should place a heavy importance on ensuring that feedback is given at all stages of idea generation, and that it is given considerately. 

However, the researchers do have a word of warning. Though listening to senior staff’s feedback does have a positive effect on the idea quality, they caution it is important to not discount other colleagues’ feedback purely based on their rank.

Good ideas, after all, can come from anywhere. Equally, good advice is not only found in those who occupy the top spots. Dismissing valuable input from colleagues of similar or lower status could come at a detriment to the company.

So when you come up with your next big idea, be bold in seeking advice from those at the top, but remember your colleagues’ perspectives might also hold the spark that turns a good idea into a great one.

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