How to Get Really Helpful Feedback From Your Boss
A common complaint against bosses is that they give little to no feedback, leaving employees wondering how they are doing or worrying that something might not be right. But lack of feedback often means only one thing: you’re not getting feedback. In many cases, the reason lies in the manager ‘s skill set, not yours – people are constantly being appointed to leadership positions without proper training. Giving feedback is a skill and many managers simply haven’t developed it properly.
Most of all, this worries employees who need feedback. These are people who care what their boss thinks about their work. They take pride in their work, want to make an impact, and strive to develop their skills. If something is wrong, they want to know. This gap in communication with their leader is unsatisfactory and disturbing to some.
If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing to do is confirm that you need feedback. You can not. Many high performers struggle to admit that they really do work well—maybe they have nothing to fix or improve. Instead, ask your boss for advice on what new skills you can develop. Ask them what they did or would like to do to develop themselves early in their career. Seek to expand your skill set with something new rather than improving your current job.
However, if you believe you can improve your current work but still aren’t receiving valuable input, here’s what to do next.
Ask your boss for an opinion on something specific
The best way to get quality feedback from your manager is to be specific about what you are trying to improve. Give your boss directions on what to look for and what your intentions are when working on a particular skill.
For example, maybe you want to understand the impact that buzzwords (ahh, umm, like, you know, right, etc.) have on your communication, especially in meetings. You want your communication to be clear and for you to demonstrate competence in your subject. Ask your boss if your use of buzzwords is distracting the message you’re trying to send, and if so, which ones are the loudest. Ask them to watch you in several meetings over the course of several months. Then get ready for feedback. Perhaps you will recognize that you are saying “Right?” at the end of every second sentence. This is great information.
This approach makes it much easier for your boss to give feedback because it directs his attention. Not to mention that you asked for it. The fact that you are expecting feedback should also make it easier for you to provide it and for you to accept it. Sometimes bosses don’t give feedback because they’re worried about the reaction they’ll get.
Other specific examples of feedback might include questions in meetings. Are you curious before expressing your own opinion? Or maybe you would like feedback on your ability to explore other perspectives. Do you demonstrate that you see other sides of the story before you form a judgment?
Being specific is the best way to get quality feedback from your boss. Be prepared, however, to receive feedback you don’t expect. Your boss may take this opportunity to share his thoughts on something unrelated to what you asked for. The information they share may even seem unfair or wrong, so be prepared to react in such situations.
Having open lines of communication with your boss is valuable and even liberating. Just don’t leave everything up to your boss. If your boss says you’re fine, accept it and keep going, but if you want more, ask for clarification.