Get More Feedback This Week
“Do you have any feedback for me?” I’ve been asked this question probably a hundred times, and have asked it the same amount. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong."
“Uh…. Nothing that I can think of right now!”
There’s a lot of focus on giving more feedback. But feedback is like currency; it needs to circulate.
So what’s the secret to getting more feedback from your peers and your boss?
Asking an open ended question at the end of a meeting isn’t the way to do it.
Here are 3 things that will help you get more feedback this week:
Be specific. “Let me know if you have any feedback” is not going to help you. It’s not specific, and your conversation partner will be overwhelmed with choice. Make it easy for them to give you what you want. A request like “Could you tell that I was really nervous when I demoed that new feature in All-Hands?” will get you the feedback you are looking for.
Be timely. Ask for feedback beforehand, so people know what to look out for. Send out a quick Slack message ahead of a meeting or mention it in a 1-1. “I’m going to share an architectural proposal later today. When you read it, can you point out any areas where my logic is hard to follow?”
Be gracious. If someone gives you feedback and then you immediately dismiss it, explain it away, or share that you’ve already thought about it, you can bet that will be the last time they go through the trouble. “I hadn’t considered it that way. Thanks for pointing that out!” will get you a long way. No one wants to go through the effort of putting together some thoughtful feedback only to be dismissed right after delivery.
