Our Feedback Culture

At Ventura TRAVEL, feedback isn’t a ritual or a performance review checkbox. It’s the engine behind our personal and professional growth.

And here’s the twist: feedback doesn’t just go top-down. It flows up, down, and sideways, and that’s by design.

1. Upward feedback is encouraged, and expected

We don’t believe that being a founder or director makes you infallible. Some of the most valuable insights come from team members on the ground, those closest to the action. A junior vMember once pointed out that a leadership strategy lacked clarity. Instead of being silenced, they were thanked. Why? Because we know that great ideas and clear perspectives aren’t limited by titles.

2. Downward feedback is done with purpose, not power

Managers at Ventura don’t give feedback to control or micromanage. Their goal is to coach, not command. When something goes wrong, the question isn’t 'Who messed up?' but 'What can we learn from this?' That mindset builds trust. It allows people to take risks without fearing blame.

3. Sideways feedback keeps teams sharp and honest

Colleagues don’t just work together. They challenge each other. We call out delays. We highlight communication gaps. And we do it with one goal: to make each other better. No egos. No drama. Just straight talk between people who want to grow.

4. It’s built into the system

We don’t leave feedback to chance.

Weekly 1:1s include a structured time for both people to give and receive input Quarterly Reviews ask for feedback from multiple directions, manager, peer, and self Open retros after projects, where no one is immune and everyone contributes

5. The mindset shift: Feedback = Trust

If someone takes the time to give you feedback at Ventura, it means they believe in you. We don’t waste time on people we’ve given up on. We invest energy in those we want to see grow. That means feedback can be tough, but it always comes from a place of care.

Some of the most uncomfortable moments at Ventura have been the most transformative: • A direct report telling their manager their leadership wasn’t clear • A founder receiving a public challenge to a strategy • A teammate being told their 'perfect' project was actually off-target

Each time, growth followed.

Final thought: Feedback isn’t personal, it’s powerful

In a culture of trust, feedback isn’t an attack. It’s a gift. We treat it that way.

Because at Ventura, we don’t just want harmony, we want honesty. And we don’t just want to be nice, we want to win together.

So we talk. We listen. We challenge. And we turn feedback into fuel.