Imagine feedback as a speaker’s volume knob. If it’s too loud, harsh, unexpected, or delivered without care, it’s overwhelming and stressful. If it’s too quiet, unclear, inconsistent, or avoided altogether, employees are left guessing where they stand. Apple’s culture of Fearless Feedback ensures the volume is always just right: constructive, transparent, and psychologically safe.
Here’s how they do it.
What is Fearless Feedback?
At Apple, feedback isn’t something to fear, it’s part of the company’s DNA. Whether you’re on your first day or your tenth year, you’re encouraged to give and receive feedback across all levels of the company. What makes it fearless? It’s built on three core principles:
- Assuming Positive Intent: Feedback can be both positive and constructive, and every piece of feedback is given with the belief that the other person has good intentions. Instead of seeing feedback as an attack, Apple employees treat it as an opportunity for growth.
- Asking for Permission: Before giving feedback, employees first ask, “Can I give you some feedback?” This simple step ensures that the recipient is mentally ready to receive it, reducing the risk of emotional reactions and workplace tension.
- No one is above feedback: Feedback can be given and received from anyone and to everyone. A person who started two days ago can give constructive feedback to a 10 year director and it is welcomed and listen to.
By embedding these principles into their culture, Apple transforms feedback from something dreaded into something welcomed, like adjusting the volume to the perfect level for a productive conversation.
Turning the Volume Down on Anxiety
One of the biggest contributors to workplace anxiety is uncertainty. What does my boss really think of me? Are my coworkers talking behind my back? Am I meeting expectations? Am I going to lose my job? Without a clear and open feedback culture, employees are left in the dark, constantly second-guessing themselves.
Fearless Feedback removes that uncertainty by making communication honest and frequent. Because feedback is given regularly and positively, employees no longer see it as a rare, nerve-wracking event. Instead, it becomes part of everyday conversations, keeping the workplace psychologically safe.
“When I worked at Apple, I never had to worry about receiving random feedback from my team members or managers, nor did we have to schedule in special time to give feedback. People would just come up to me and say, ‘Hey, can I give you some feedback?’ At first, it felt unusual to be asked that question, but over time, I realized it was really good for me. Positive feedback was given just as much as constructive feedback, and employees could even give feedback to managers. It created a level playing field where feedback felt safe and valuable.” Michael, former Apple employee
The Business Impact of a Balanced Volume
Fearless Feedback doesn’t just improve well-being, it also makes businesses stronger. Whilst fearless feedback is very much an apple thing, there is always a strong case for businesses, clearly defining how as an organisation they give feedback and embedding this into the culture and in particular they're on boarding. Businesses can expect to see some really good results by putting this time in early on with their team members. Here’s how:
- Early Issue Detection: A transparent feedback culture means that problems are addressed sooner rather than later, preventing major crises.
- Reduced Workplace Conflict: Issues don’t have time to fester because people feel comfortable discussing them early and openly. This means that managers and HR managers have less interpersonal escalations to deal with. Reducing stress and money for the business.
- Stronger Manager-Employee Relationships: Feedback isn’t just top-down; employees also give feedback to managers, creating mutual respect. this creates fantastic culture of opening, discussing problems and challenging ideas meaning that issues get addressed a lot sooner and problems get solved for the business quicker.
- Lower Employee Turnover: Employees who feel heard and supported are more likely to stay, reducing costly turnover rates.
The Contrast: When the Volume is Off
In workplaces without a fearless feedback culture, the volume is either deafening or nonexistent:
- Too Loud: Feedback is delivered harshly, without warning, or in a way that feels like a personal attack. It's often very one-sided as well, meaning that it tends to come directly from management rather than it being a two-way conversation. Any situations it's often the case that the feedback is regularly negative and seldom and positive. This creates a really unsafe work environment where the employee can often feel like they need to avoid their managers and are unable to speak to them about their concerns, increasing the likelihood of workplace anxiety.
- Too Quiet: Employees receive little to no feedback, leaving them anxious about where they stand. The misconception is that if people are not taught something they will not think about it. This is almost always not the case. If a gap is left in someone's mind, they will automatically fill it with something that is often worse. By giving regular feedback, employees don't have to second-guess and come up with their own conclusion about how they are doing at work and what people are thinking of them, reducing anxiety and making the workplace feel a lot safer to be in.
Neither of these extremes creates a healthy work environment.
Final Thoughts
Apple’s Fearless Feedback culture is like keeping the volume at the perfect level. loud enough to be heard but never overwhelming. By assuming positive intent, asking for permission, and fostering open communication, they create an environment where employees feel valued, not anxious.
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If you’re a business owner, manager, or HR leader, your role in fostering a mentally healthy workplace is more important than it ever gets credit for. Share this with someone who you feel would really benefit from reading it.
