Smart leaders get that 5-to-1 is about quality, not just quantity
In our work with major health systems over the past 20+ years, the “golden” 5-to-1 ratio has been one of the most enduring recommendations we make to leaders who want to better engage and support team members is to provide balanced feedback. This research-based strategy reveals the power of five positive comments for every one criticism in high-performing organizations. This practice and the underlying research were cited in a 2013 Harvard Business Review article by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, “The Ideal Praise-to-Criticism Ratio.” By design, this leadership principle focuses on quantity. But sometimes we see a limiting flaw in the way people think about the 5-to-1 ratio. Insightful leaders understand that the practice works best when they develop a mindset and bias toward