Heard. Now What?
One of our clients has a long-standing commitment to gathering input from their stakeholders. They have standing committees focused on key issues, regularly send surveys, run focus groups, and even do one-on-one outreach to those most directly impacted. And here’s the thing—they do make changes. Significant ones, even. They’ve shifted policies, adjusted programs, and reworked internal practices based on what they’ve heard.
But in a recent session with a large group of stakeholders, when we asked for feedback, someone said flat out: “Why would I give feedback when they NEVER make any of the changes I suggest?”
That disconnect is striking—but not uncommon. And it points to a core challenge: if the feedback loop isn’t tight enough, it may as well not exist. When people don’t hear or see how their input led to action—and quickly—they reasonably assume it didn’t matter. The change might happen, but if the loop back to them is slow or unclear, the perception becomes that nothing changed at all.
Research backs this up: shorter feedback loops build trust, increase motivation, and reinforce the idea that input drives impact. If we want stakeholders to stay engaged, we have to close the loop faster—and make that loop visible. Otherwise, even the most thoughtful changes risk going unnoticed.
So how do we tighten the loop and make it visible? Here are a few strategies we’ve seen work:
Name the feedback right away. As soon as a meeting or survey closes, let people know what you heard. Even if full decisions aren’t made yet, a quick summary like “Here’s what you told us” signals that their voices were registered.
Share what’s changing because of their input. When updates happen, be explicit about the connection: “Based on your feedback, we’re shifting X to Y.” That clarity goes a long way.
Acknowledge what isn’t changing—and why. Sometimes people feel ignored when really the issue was considered, but other constraints got in the way. A transparent “we heard you, and here’s why we can’t move forward with that right now” builds more trust than silence.
Use multiple channels. People don’t always read the full email or attend the next meeting. Reinforce the message in meetings, newsletters, 1:1s—wherever they’re likely to see it.
Close the loop faster. Even if it’s a temporary update while decisions are pending, communicating progress early helps people feel connected to the process. Don’t wait until everything is final to say something.
At the end of the day, people don’t just want to be heard—they want to see that they were heard. A fast, visible feedback loop is how we make that happen.
Interested in learning more about our approach? Schedule a call today!