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.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

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.

🕒 Timestamped Highlights:

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

💬 Memorable Quote:

“Surprising people is the quickest way to degrade trust—and it’s really hard to come back from that.” – Heather Cassar