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When Diversity Meets Feedback
It's an Art and a Science
Ama Agyapong
June 19, 2025
Hey Ya’ll,
June has been phenomenal!
From vacations, to conferences, to family time in Florida, and speaking engagements, it’s been nourishing and necessary! But now I am back recharged and on the grateful grind!
So, ya’ll know I am obsessed with all things feedback!! Giving it, receiving it, decoding it. Therefore I want to share one of the most profound and impactful articles I’ve read on this topic … in my humblest opinion, of course!
RESOURCE:
When Diversity Meets Feedback
REVELATION:
Feedback is power—and interpretation is filtered through identity: Recognize that feedback doesn’t land neutrally—tone, timing, and context are magnifying glasses.
Intention alone isn’t enough: Feedback must be helpful, precise, and requested—otherwise it risks alienating those it's meant to grow.
Empower feedback literacy: Make norms explicit. Say, “Here’s how we give feedback here,” then PRACTICE it. Train on tone, word-choice, timing.
Design for inclusion: Build regular, multi-directional feedback into workflows with clarity on whose voice matters—and when.
Adapt, adapt, adapt: Culturally competent feedback is not a checkbox—it’s an ongoing practice. Tailor your approach to individual and collective identities in real time.
Here’s the truth - blunt honesty only works if the listener and the context are ready. If not, it backfires. So yes, be candid, but adapt: soften the delivery, affirm the intention, make it actionable, and ensure it’s solicited. Build norms, embed feedback in your culture, and only then will diversity and candid communication reinforce each other—rather than collide.
REFLECTION:
Am I giving feedback in a way that respects both the identity and the lived experience of the person receiving it—or am I unconsciously centering my own comfort and communication norms?
What are the unspoken feedback norms in my workplace—and who thrives under them, and who is quietly shutting down because of them?
Last thing …
Don’t forget to do two things - Register for my upcoming lunch-n-learn workshop happening on Wednesday, 6/25 from 12p-1p EST. AND invite everyone you know! I often talk about giving feedback, but this time we’re talking about receiving it! Click the link below:
