How Reinforcing Good Behaviours (and Nipping Bad Ones) Fuels Growth

If there's one thing I'm always telling my clients, it's that if you really want your team's performance to grow — and I'm talking real, exponential growth, not just a slight improvement  — you need to get serious about feedback.

I’ve seen it happen so many times. When feedback is delayed, softened, or saved for a "better time," the moment passes. And with it, the chance to make a real impact.

If you want real, lasting improvement, you have to act quickly.

Feedback isn't something you should "get around to" in next week's 121 or save for the next quarterly review. It's something you do right there and then when the moment's fresh, clear, and packed with meaning.

When You See Good Behaviour, Reinforce It

If someone on your team leads a tough conversation, nails a client presentation, or shows the kind of attitude and ownership you want more of, don’t sit on it.

It’s not the kind of thing you can leave on "read" and come back to later.

When you recognise the right behaviours quickly, you’re doing way more than just giving someone a pat on the back. You’re sending a clear message, not just to that person, but to the whole team:

This is what good looks like.

This is what we value.

This is what we want more of.

The quicker you reinforce it, the more powerful your message becomes. Immediate recognition is key to making your feedback impactful.

Wait too long, and you lose the moment. The recognition starts to feel like an afterthought instead of something real and meaningful.

Don’t Let Small Problems Turn Into Big Ones

The same goes for the tough stuff. When someone misses the mark, whether it’s a drop in collaboration, slipping standards, or bad habits creeping in, you’ve got to step in early and deal with it.

I get it. This is way harder than giving positive feedback. A lot of the leaders I work with struggle with this too.

They tell themselves, "Maybe it’ll sort itself out," or "Maybe I’m overreacting." Sometimes they just don’t want to rock the boat.

But here’s what experience has taught me: The real danger isn’t the tough conversation. The real danger is letting things fester.

When you avoid giving tough feedback, you’re not protecting anyone’s feelings. You’re letting small issues turn into big, ugly problems.

One missed deadline turns into a habit.

One disrespectful comment starts to feel normal.

One slip in quality becomes the new standard.

If you care about your team’s culture, their growth, and your own credibility as a leader, you have to act early.

When you address things early, you’re not just helping one person get back on track. You’re protecting the standards and the momentum you’ve worked so hard to build.

Waiting doesn’t make the conversation easier. It just makes the consequences bigger.

Clear, Quick, Honest  — How Real Leaders Give Feedback

When it comes to giving feedback — especially the hard kind — I always keep three things front of mind:

• Be clear about what you saw.

• (No hints. No vague comments. Be specific.)

• Be clear about why it matters.

• (Connect it to the bigger picture — the team, the goal, the culture.)

• Be clear about what needs to happen next.

• (Give direction, not just correction.)

 No sugarcoating.

No hoping they'll "figure it out."

No saving it up for the next review cycle.

The quicker and more consistently you act, the faster people grow. And the stronger, healthier, and more resilient your team becomes.

Because real leadership isn’t about keeping everyone comfortable.

It’s about helping everyone get better.

Whenever you’re ready to take the next step, here’s how I can help:

Check out our Feedback Factor Program for Managers

→ It’s a straightforward, proven system that helps managers give clearer feedback, shift behaviours, and drive real performance growth. You can find out more here.

Prefer to talk it through? Drop me a message at [email protected] — I’d love to hear from you.