‘People often drop vague hints, hoping the other person will magically figure out what you mean’ – MAKA CEO

“Feedback is always appreciated”, they say. But what if the way business leaders ask for it is actually pushing people away?

That’s the tough question raised by Sean Aquilina on LinkedIn, CEO at MAKA, an agency dedicated to producing video adverts.

“Using a suggestion box to give and take feedback is just a sh*tty excuse to avoid hard conversations. It should always be a real, direct conversation,” he said.

I resonated with this.

To me personally, the traditional suggestion box feels passive, whether it’s a literal box on a wall or an anonymous Google Form, and often creates a false sense of dialogue.

A suggestion box offers no transparency and more often than not, no action. A suggestion box often gives the impression that “hey, we are technically listening, but don’t expect much.”

Leaders think they’re inviting ideas yet employees feel like they’re shouting into a void – the whole point is missed.

Acknowledging that “giving feedback” and “open communication” are phrases frequently mentioned, Mr Aquilina points out how in reality, people sometimes fear the difficult talks.

Instead, as Mr Aquilina points out, people often “drop vague hints, hoping the other person will ‘do the math’ and magically figure out what you mean. And if they don’t figure it out, you just label them in your head as a*holes because you believe you said what needed to be said.”

That line also hit home.

I’ve always appreciated direct, even ruthless feedback, both the good and the bad. But reading this made me realise how often we all fall into that trap. I’ve definitely been guilty of this in personal relationships (which, let’s be honest, also run on feedback).

What I hadn’t considered is how leaders can be just as guilty, avoiding clarity, softening the message, and assuming others will fill in the blanks.

In hindsight, I’ve seen this happen in past workplaces too. Teams walking on eggshells and managers hinting at expectations instead of voicing them.

It doesn’t work. It breeds confusion, frustration, and worst of all silence, as Mr Aquilna went on to highlight.

“The silence in between keeps causing more frustration, more missteps, and more resentment,” noted Mr Aquilina, adding that when feedback comes from a genuine place it doesn’t sound mean or rude.

Emphasising how essential feedback is, Mr Aquilina noted how “when we avoid it, we’re doing everyone a disservice. We’re letting small issues fester into big problems.”

What CEOs are doing differently

Take Amazon, for example. Instead of a vague suggestion box, CEO Andy Jassy introduced a “bureaucracy busting” mailbox, aimed at identifying and removing internal inefficiencies.

Other companies are adopting Kaizen-style feedback systems – visible boards or digital platforms where teams can post, track, and act on ideas in real time, a system that thrives on ownership and transparency.

If You’re a CEO in Malta, here’s a better way

Here’s how you can ditch the suggestion box and actually listen:

• Start with intent: What kind of feedback are you looking for? Cultural? Operational? Customer-facing?
• Make it visible: Use tools (digital or physical) that everyone can see and access. Transparency creates trust.
• Close the loop: If someone gives feedback, show them what happened with it. Even if the answer is “not now,” employees want to know they were heard.
• Be specific: Targeted prompts like “what’s one thing slowing you down this week?,” leads to sharper insight.
• Act fast on small wins: Build momentum by tackling low-hanging fruit. It shows you’re serious.

Feedback isn’t an inbox, but a conversation

As Mr Aquilina pointed out, true feedback doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It needs context, trust, and action.

“Your job is to deliver the message. And be open-minded that their job is to decide what to do with it,” he said, concluding that “most times they take it on, but you can’t skip the first step.”

Sean Aquilina, LinkedIn