Happy Monday, everyone! After a rejuvenating and relaxing weekend, we’re ready to hop back into the swing of the week. Were you able to follow along with our consistent advice to unplug this weekend and spend quality time with loved ones? Did you fully engage in creating meaning outside of your job? We hope that you feel equally fulfilled and motivated to get back into a productive flow over the next few days. And, there’s no better way to guarantee you’re being a productive and valued employee than by asking for feedback! Not sure how to guide and engage in these types of meetings? Follow along to learn everything you need to know below!

Requesting Feedback…

Mindfulness of Tone and Presence: The most meaningful effect often isn’t even constructive feedback, but the way you receive and reply to it. Be mindful of smiling, maintaining eye contact, and avoiding any demonstration of irritation. This means… don’t eye roll, slouch in your seat, look around the room, or otherwise display signs of disengagement. Receiving feedback is all about interest in growing, embracing criticism, and actively listening. Make sure to start these conversations by expressing gratitude for the fact that your leader took time to shape feedback about your performance, and approach the conversation with the same tone, smile, and body language as you would any networking conversation! Remember, your manager might be ‘evaluating’ your performance during this meeting too – and those employees who are open to growth and self-aware of their areas of opportunity are those who will generate long-term success in any corporate setting.
Active Listening! While it is crucial to allow your manager to speak without interruption, it is appropriate (and often expected!) that you reply with questions that show you’re engaged and interested in growth. Whether this means asking for specific examples, creating measurable goals to improve on mentioned skills, or requesting regular meetings for the feedback discussed, showing that you’re actively listening will set you up for a successful conversation. If asking for feedback on general skills feels too ambiguous (for example, “How can I improve my presentation skills?”), make note of specific examples that you can share and point the conversation toward. Have you presented at a recent team meeting? Do you have a deliverable you just completed? Have you sent out a mass email to your department? Pointing out specific documents and meetings to guide feedback will help you derive the most value out of these conversations and their relevance to your individual performance.
Thankful Attitude: It’s essential to thank your manager for feedback and not express any animosity about the result! Getting constructive criticism is a part of life, and a vital skill to success is being able to channel those types of messages with action and appreciation. Especially when feedback may not have aligned with your expectations, make sure that you and your manager are on the same page before finalizing goals in any type of HR platform. Make sure that your goals are SMART (measurable!), align with your interests and role, and are reviewed by the same management/leadership that will evaluate them. Creating an open channel of communication so that your goals are interactive is key to success.
Provide Your Feedback: Take advantage of the opportunity to discuss your perception of your manager’s work and communication style as well. Provide constructive feedback about areas in which you need more support, their strengths, and general opportunities for the team’s workflow. In the same way that you expect to be given feedback in a kind manner and with respect, exemplify the same awareness of creating a positive conversation – whenever able, always end on a positive note!

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