In this episode of The Talent Tango, Amir Bormand is joined by Heather Cassar to unpack the nuances of giving and receiving feedback in the workplace. From real-time feedback practices to performance reviews, Heather shares practical tips on how to build trust, motivate teams, and make feedback a natural part of company culture—without making it awkward. Whether you're in HR, a people leader, or a manager navigating hybrid teams, this episode offers a human-centered approach to feedback that boosts both trust and performance.
Feedback must be real-time, detailed, and actionable. Don’t wait until a performance review to deliver insights—timing builds trust.
Trust is the foundation. One-on-ones that include personal check-ins foster stronger feedback relationships.
Avoid the “big reveal.” Holding feedback until review season erodes trust and reduces opportunities for course correction.
Feedback culture isn’t top-down only. Tailor feedback strategies by department and encourage peer-to-peer feedback to scale trust.
It’s only as weird as you make it. Normalize feedback by using everyday tools like Slack and keeping the tone conversational.
00:23 – Introduction to Heather Cassar and the topic of feedback
01:17 – Heather’s 3 principles of effective feedback: timing, balance, and actionability
05:10 – How personal connection in 1:1s builds trust for better feedback reception
06:59 – Checking perspective first: “Did you think the presentation went well?”
09:25 – “It’s only as weird as you make it”—changing the perception of feedback
12:32 – Aligning feedback with individual motivators for better outcomes
14:30 – The problem with waiting for performance reviews to deliver feedback
19:07 – Imprinting feedback into company culture across different functions
21:46 – Feedback tied to business outcomes and inter-team trust
24:22 – The “carrot vs stick” approach to feedback adoption
27:23 – How to connect with Heather
“Surprising people is the quickest way to degrade trust—and it’s really hard to come back from that.” – Heather Cassar
