Feedback doesn’t have to be a one-way street, delivering from your boss to you. It’s something you can deliver back to your boss, in many forms. And when it’s done well it will be appreciated as being useful – and can be done without fear of undermining your position or getting fired.
Feedback doesn’t have to be harsh and can be a very positive thing for everyone involved. Encouraging an open and honest space for you, your boss and anyone else involved to give feedback, will make your working relationships better and your workplace a more productive environment.
Giving your boss feedback appropriately should not only maintain your good relationship but also strengthen it and make it better. But there are some dos and don’ts for giving feedback to your boss.
1. Don’t ambush your boss
No one likes to feel like they are being ganged up on. Even by one person. Additionally, you want to be heard. So ask your boss if you can talk to him/her about it and arrange a time. And if you feel it’s necessary, have a third party there.
2. Don’t call your boss out in public
This is when your boss having an office can come in handy. If you want to have a word with them, send them an email, a text or even pop your head in the door to see when would be a good time to talk to them.
3. Do be open and honest
Don’t beat around the bush. An open, honest relationship, at the end of the day, is best. Even if it hurts a little.
This is great for any relationship and it provides an opportunity for both of you to speak your mind and say how feel about X, Y and Z.
4. Explain the purpose of your feedback
You need to be clear about why you are giving feedback, and to tie it to your business’s goals. If the feedback is aimed at improving things like productivity, profile or profit, your boss will be interested to hear it.
5. Give the other person an opportunity to respond
Feedback shouldn’t be one sided. If you go to your boss and say something like “I didn’t appreciate you calling me out on that thing in front of everyone” or “why did you ask me that question in the meeting when you know I don’t know much about it”, then let him/her explain why they did it.
6. Be direct
You don’t need to choose confrontational language, but you do need to not beat around the bush. Write out some dot points for the feedback you want to give, and take them with you. No boss will mind you saying “To save your time, I’ve made a few notes … do you mind if I refer to them?”
Additionally, if you’re normally shy and have trouble confronting people, it might be good to get in the mindset of “just doing it” and starting the conversation with “I need to discuss these points with you but I don’t want you to take it personally”.
7. Arrange a little guidance if you need it
If you’re not sure how to best approach your boss and ask if you can talk to them about something, what might help is asking HR to arrange a meeting and to act as a mediator between the two of you, so that you each get an opportunity to say what you need to and then respond.
8. Insist on feedback in return
If you like knowing how well or poorly you’re doing your job, asking your boss for constructive criticism and feedback every now and again is beneficial. You get to know how you’re doing and it sends a message to your boss that you want to improve.
So don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, even if it’s just a casual discussion every three months or so.
9. Work on developing ongoing communication
Having an open dialogue with you boss is a good thing. Communicating with them regularly about work projects, goal setting, etc. can help them gauge your work goals and what you want to achieve.
You’re much more able to give feedback if the communication is already there, rather than if the feedback is the only communication you’ve had in months.
10. Ask for feedback on priorities
Making a list at the start of each week of what needs to be done can help you prioritize your days and week as a whole. Sharing this with your boss and asking for feedback where you have conflicting priorities can be a very useful communication. At the end of the week, do a brief dot-point summary of which priorities you finished and which are still being actioned, and send that to your boss as well. They might have some good advice, or redirection, that will help you.
