The next time you are in a meeting, pause and take a look around you.
Maybe a presentation is just ending or a heated discussion has reached that point when it’s about to boil over with opinions and point-of-views.
In all this, there will be someone who may be paying close attention and scribbling madly in the margin of his notebook, but he won’t be saying anything.
Make no mistake. He wants to speak. He knows he should speak. But the voice in his head, the one shaped by years of respecting hierarchy, avoiding embarrassment, and keeping harmony, is whispering, “Not your place.”
So he smiles, nods, and says nothing.
Later, over a late lunch with a colleague he trusts, he finally shares his thoughts. And his colleague says what so many of us have said before: “You should’ve told them. They needed to hear it.”
If you’ve ever led a team in a highly hierarchical setup, especially in a multicultural region like the UAE, you’ve probably experienced this moment umpteen times, and wondered if there was a solution.
And there is, but before you can try, you need to truly understand how feedback works in these setups.
Because you can’t build a feedback culture without understanding the invisible rules that your employees are operating under.
Why Feedback Feels Harder in Highly Hierarchical Cultures
In flatter cultures, speaking up is seen as a contribution, but in highly hierarchical cultures, speaking up can feel like disruption.
People stay quiet for reasons that are deeply human:
- Respect for authority
- Fear of embarrassment
- Desire to maintain harmony
- Concern about job security
- Cultural norms around “face” and deference
Their silence is self-protection but there’s a problem with that. Silence can be misinterpreted as agreement leading to decisions that the entire team isn’t in alignment with.
The Hidden Cost of a Weak Feedback Culture
A lack of honest feedback doesn’t just create awkward meetings. It quietly erodes the organisation from the inside.
- Accuracy drops: Leaders make decisions without the insights of the people closest to the work.
- Talent disengages: High performers leave when they feel their voice doesn’t matter.
- Innovation stalls: Ideas go unchallenged, and weak strategies move forward.
- Trust weakens: Teams perform a version of work instead of the real thing.
So How Do You Build a Feedback Culture in a Highly Hierarchical Workplace?
Since the roots run deep here, you cannot force change. You cannot make people do something that makes them uncomfortable on an intrinsic level.
So you build it by designing for the culture you actually have, not the one you wish you had.
Here’s how.
- Build Psychological Safety Slowly & Consistently
In highly hierarchical environments, people watch leaders closely. They’re not listening to what you say about feedback. They’re watching how you react to it.
Leaders must:
- Thank people for raising concerns
- Treat mistakes as information, not incompetence
- Engage with respectful disagreement
- Avoid defensiveness, even when the feedback stings
One negative reaction can undo months of trust‑building.
- Separate Feedback From Courage
If your feedback system relies on people being brave, you don’t have a system.
Design structures that make honesty easier:
- Anonymous surveys
- Structured retrospectives
- Pre‑meeting written input
- Clear upward feedback channels
These aren’t shortcuts. They’re architecture.
They reduce the emotional cost of speaking up, which is essential in high‑hierarchy cultures.
- Train Managers to Ask Better Questions
Most managers ask for feedback in ways that guarantee silence.
“Any concerns?” “Everyone aligned?” “Looks good?”
These are not questions, they’re conclusions. These phrases brook no argument or interference, even if it’s a valid one.
Instead, the questions should be:
- Specific
- Low‑stakes
- Curious
- Non‑threatening
Examples:
- “What’s one thing we could improve next time?”
- “What might I be missing here?”
- “If you were advising me privately, what would you flag?”
Small questions open big doors.
- Make Upward Feedback a Skill, Not a Personality Trait
Giving straightforward feedback may go against years of conditioning, so don’t expect people to “just do it.”
Teach them how.
Train teams on:
- How to frame upward feedback respectfully
- How to raise concerns without sounding confrontational
- How to disagree in a way that strengthens the relationship
- How to use language that feels culturally appropriate
When people have structure and language, they use it.
- Model Vulnerability From the Top
Nothing accelerates a feedback culture like a leader who asks for feedback on themselves, sincerely, specifically, and without ego.
Not “I’m open to feedback.” But:
- “I’ve been told I can be hard to read. Have you experienced that?”
- “I’m unsure about a decision I made last quarter. What’s your honest take?”
When leaders show humanity, teams show honesty. It’s that simple.
- Celebrate Feedback Publicly
Whatever you celebrate becomes culture.
When someone’s input improves a decision, say it. When someone flags a risk early, acknowledge it. When someone challenges respectfully, highlight it as a strength.
This reinforces two powerful beliefs:
- “My voice matters.”
- “Speaking up leads to good outcomes.”
Over time, these moments become the organisation’s story.
The Long Game: Patience, Not Pressure
Building a feedback culture in a highly hierarchical workplace is not something you can cover in 3 hours or even 6 weeks. It’s a long‑term, trust‑building exercise.
There will be quiet meetings. There will be overly polite survey responses. There will be moments where it feels like nothing is changing.
Keep going.
Because what you’re really building isn’t a feedback mechanism. You’re building psychological permission, the belief that honesty is safe, valued, and respected.
A Question to Take Into Your Week
When was the last time someone told you something you didn’t want to hear, and how did you respond?
Your reaction in that moment shapes your entire culture.
Make it count.
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