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In the pharmaceutical industry, where precision, rigor, and adaptability are the cornerstones of field performance, feedback stands out as an essential lever for skills development.  
And yet, it is still often misunderstood, misused, or even feared.

Feedback means “nourishing the other”

Derived from the English term feed back – to feed in return – feedback is information given following an observation, with the purpose of helping someone grow.  
It is neither criticism nor evaluation.  
It’s a developmental act, a relational gift aimed at revealing potential or correcting an interference in performance.  
At Phosphore Santé, we see feedback as a key pedagogical tool, especially for trainers of medical representatives or managers responsible for field coaching, because it fosters engagement and skills development.

The performance equation is key to understanding feedback  

Performance = Potential – Interferences

•  Potential is what we achieve when we are at our best.  
• An interference is a blocker — often unconscious — that prevents this potential from fully expressing itself: limiting beliefs, ineffective habits, excess stress or doubt…

We can't act on every interference.  
But we can identify those within our scope of influence — and reduce them intentionally, through well-crafted feedback.

Two types of feedback… and a balanced mindset  

“Positive feedback helps amplify strengths, corrective feedback helps reduce areas of effort.”

 Stéphane Moriou, Le Feedback, Le pouvoir des conversations*

• Positive feedback focuses on making someone aware of their potential. It builds confidence, reinforces good practices, and encourages repetition of effective behaviors.  
• Corrective feedback aims to reduce the negative impact of an interference. It guides toward concrete improvements, without judgment.  
  Be careful with negative feedback (a form of corrective feedback focused on “what was done wrong”): the brain tends to resist negative commands. Tell someone *not* to do something, and they’ll often do it anyway!

Practical tip

Give:  

• Either pure positive feedback, focused only on what went well,  
• Or balanced feedback, combining positive and corrective feedback on the same topic. 
• Never give corrective feedback alone. Always start with positive feedback.

Feedback: a key skill for trainers

In training programs for medical reps or sales teams in the pharmaceutical industry, every feedback moment is a pedagogical opportunity.

Well-crafted feedback:

• Avoids judgment  
• Is based on observable facts (situation + action + result)  
• Balances kindness with high standards  
• Respects the learning cycle (from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence)

Good feedback creates reciprocity, clarity, and trust.  
It brings out talent, smooths relationships, and supports professional growth.

What if you adopted a feedback routine?

When integrated into field coaching rituals or training sessions, feedback becomes a true accelerator of progress.

A must-read

This article is freely inspired by the brilliant book by Stéphane Moriou:  
Le Feedback – Le pouvoir des conversations. L’art de donner et de recevoir du feedback
Inspiring, accessible, and deeply human, this book restores feedback to its full dignity.  
It belongs on the shelf of every trainer, manager, or coach who cares about helping their teams grow with fairness and high standards.