Mark O’Donnell on Structured Feedback: Why Withheld Insights Hinder Team Growth

In a recent LinkedIn post, Mark O’Donnell discusses the critical, yet often neglected, skill of providing effective feedback to team members. He argues that the absence of this skill is not just a personal failing for leaders, but a systemic issue that stunts employee development and undermines team performance.

O’Donnell highlights a common leadership blind spot: the lack of formal training in how to deliver feedback. “Nobody teaches leaders how to give feedback,” he states. “You’re handed a team, told to manage it, and expected to figure out the hard conversations on your own.” This vacuum, he contends, leads to leaders either avoiding feedback altogether or delivering it poorly, both of which exacerbate problems.

The Cost of Silence: Stunted Growth and Team Underperformance

Mark O’Donnell emphasizes that withholding feedback has direct, negative consequences. It “is costing someone their growth. And costing you a better team.” He points out that ineffective or absent feedback creates an environment where employees cannot improve, and leaders fail to cultivate a high-performing unit. This inaction, stemming from a lack of structure and confidence, is a significant impediment to organizational success.

“Most people either delay them or wing them. Both make things worse.”

O’Donnell shares his own past struggles, admitting that in his early leadership roles, he made these same mistakes. The turning point, he explains, was the adoption of a structured approach.

EOS Tools as a Framework for Effective Feedback and Accountability

To address this leadership gap, O’Donnell introduces seven specific tools derived from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) that provide a practical framework for delivering feedback and fostering accountability. These tools are designed to offer clarity and consistency in managing team dynamics.

Key EOS Tools for Leadership Development

Among the tools O’Donnell details is IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve), recommended for recurring issues. This process involves identifying the core problem, discussing all relevant factors, and then solving it with a clear owner and a permanent fix. He also discusses The People Analyzer, a method for assessing whether an employee’s struggles stem from a behavioral issue or a mismatch with their role, by evaluating their alignment with core values and their ‘Get it, Want it, Capacity’ for the role.

Furthermore, O’Donnell outlines LMA (Leadership, Management, Accountability), a tool for situations where expectations are clear but performance lags. This involves setting direction, staying connected through measurable progress, and allowing accountability to naturally follow. He also highlights The Quarterly Conversation as a proactive, informal check-in, distinct from formal performance reviews, designed to maintain open communication and address needs before issues escalate.

“You can’t hold people accountable to expectations you’ve never clearly set. Structure the conversation first. Everything else follows.”

Other tools mentioned include Delegate and Elevate, for optimizing role fit; The 5-5-5, a structured quarterly review focusing on core values, roles, and priorities; and Rewarding and Recognizing, which stresses the importance of timely, appropriate feedback—both positive and constructive—delivered privately for issues and publicly for praise.

The Foundation of Clear Expectations

Ultimately, Mark O’Donnell’s message circles back to the fundamental principle that effective leadership requires clear communication and consistent follow-through. As he powerfully states:

“You can’t hold people accountable to expectations you’ve never clearly set. Structure the conversation first. Everything else follows.”

His insights underscore the necessity for leaders to move beyond ad-hoc feedback and embrace systematic approaches to foster growth, improve team performance, and build a more accountable and effective organization.