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Five Guidelines for Seeking Feedback
Research shows that receiving feedback is a key to performing well. If you are
not receiving enough feedback on the job, it is better to seek it instead of trying to
guess how well you are doing.

1. Consider seeking regular feedback from your boss. This also has the
added benefit of signaling to the manager that you care about your performance
and want to be successful.
2. Be genuine in your desire to learn. When seeking feedback, your aim
should be improving yourself as opposed to creating the impression that you are a
motivated employee. If your manager thinks that you are managing impressions
rather than genuinely trying to improve your performance, feedback seeking may
hurt you.
3. Develop a good relationship with your manager as well as the employees
you manage. This would have the benefit of giving you more feedback in the first
place. It also has the upside of making it easier to ask direct questions about your
own performance.
4. Consider finding trustworthy peers who can share information with you
regarding your performance. Your manager is not the only helpful source of
feedback.
5. Be gracious when you receive unfavorable feedback. If you go on the
defensive, there may not be a next time. Remember, even if it may not feel like it
sometimes, feedback is a gift. You can improve your performance by using
feedback constructively. Consider that the negative feedback giver probably
risked your goodwill by being honest. Unless there are factual mistakes in the
feedback, do not try to convince the person that the feedback is inaccurate.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Giving effective feedback is a key part of a manager’s job. To do so, plan
the delivery of feedback before, during, and after the meeting. In addition, there
are a number of ways to learn about your own performance. Take the time to
seek feedback and act on it. With this information, you can do key things to
maximize your success and the success of those you manage.
EXERCISES
1. Why can discussing performance feedback with employees be so
hard?
2. What barriers do you perceive in asking for feedback?
3. How would you react if one of your employees came to you for
feedback?
4. Imagine that your good friend is starting a new job next week. What
recommendations would you give to help your friend do a great job seeking
feedback?

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