case study

Developing a Feedback Culture at VEGA Americas

Peer-to-peer feedback is one of the most powerful behaviors that lead teams and organizations to high performance. It aligns with the fourth level of Patrick Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team framework, which is the Avoidance of Accountability. The five dysfunctions are:

Absence of Trust
Fear of Conflict
Lack of Commitment
Avoidance of Accountability
Inattention to Results

This case study explores the journey of implementing a feedback culture at VEGA Americas INC, a global leader in the radar and pressure technology industry.

The Challenge

The initial challenge was to shift the mindset within the organization regarding feedback. Many people mistakenly believe that feedback is a one-time intervention rather than an ongoing process. VEGA needed to foster a comprehensive system where feedback was a consistent and integrated part of the organizational culture.

Why VEGA Chose Credo Growth

VEGA Americas chose Credo Growth because of our expertise in cultural transformation and our proven methodology in creating high-performing teams. Our initial engagement began with a half-day management retreat where we introduced the principles of high performance and the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team framework. This retreat included a session where each manager gave and received feedback from their peers, which highlighted the power and process of effective feedback.

How Credo Growth Ensured Impact

High-Impact Training Sessions: We conducted short, high-impact, cross-functional training sessions to shift attitudes toward feedback, demonstrate its benefits, and equip employees with the skills to give and receive feedback effectively.

Practice Opportunities: We provided spaces for team members to practice giving and receiving feedback on real, current topics.

Management Check-Ins: We facilitated several management check-in sessions to discuss challenges and share ideas for driving the feedback culture internally.

360-Degree Feedback Rounds: We set up management 360-degree open feedback rounds to model the desired attitude toward feedback, demonstrating that it is acceptable, welcomed, and necessary.

Intact Team Development Sessions: We worked with specific intact teams such as Marketing, Purchasing, Quality and Manufacturing to deepen the level of trust and provide opportunity for them to design their own team charter – a commitment on how to give each other feedback based on their team culture and set up.

Further Leadership and Management Team Development: We worked specifically with these two leadership levels to drive the feedback message across the business by them ‘walking the talk’, so that other team members could see and experience the behavior from leadership as well.

The Result

The culture development shift is still ongoing, as changing deep-seated behaviors takes time. However, significant progress has been made. Employees across VEGA Americas have started to embrace the feedback culture, leading to more direct communication, reduced politicking, and stronger, more trustworthy relationships.

Measurable Results

Since the beginning of this journey, the following measurable results have been achieved:

Organization-wide, 55% of employees are now more comfortable holding peers accountable, while 43% report an increase in personal responsibility.

In the manufacturing department, 40% of employees feel more comfortable expressing different opinions.

In the external sales team, 82% of employees are now comfortable showing vulnerability by admitting mistakes, apologizing, or asking for help.

71% of the inside sales team actively hold each other accountable.

Conclusion

Developing a feedback culture had a significant impact on VEGA Americas INC, increasing efficiency, reducing politicking, and fostering a high-functioning, high-performing culture. Credo Growth continues to support VEGA in building this incredible culture, and we can do the same for you.

Ron Foltz, Director of Manufacturing at VEGA Americas, shares his experience: "This initiative saved a lot of time on the floor and increased efficiency. People started focusing on their jobs instead of spending energy on politics. They began addressing issues directly with each other rather than flagging them to managers, preventing small problems from becoming nagging issues."

Resources

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Harvard Business Review, teams that understand each other’s personalities and working styles are more productive and make better decisions. The study found that such teams have a 6% increase in productivity and a 19% decrease in turnover rates.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team model has been used by numerous companies to improve their team performance. According to a survey conducted by Patrick Lencioni, the author of the model, companies that use the model report a 40% improvement in team effectiveness.