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Ask and you shall receive. That’s a great quote, but is it true when it comes to getting to the critical feedback that employees need so they can produce their best work? When companies expect their workers to deliver exceptional work, honest feedback is the secret ingredient. Seeking and acting on candid feedback is critical to growing your personal brand.
But how can employees effectively ask for the authentic feedback they need from others to help boost their creativity and success in the workplace? Workers are historically skittish about raising their hands and asking their superiors to critique their work, so obviously, leadership needs to find a way to encourage their charges to cast aside those fears and be open to accepting some honest evaluations about their performance, right?
It can be a tough sell to both parties. Many workers prefer to keep their heads down and not attract any attention. No news is good news, after all. And management tends to look forward to performance reviews like a root canal: It’s a necessary box to check at predetermined intervals, nothing more.
But that’s a bad approach when it comes to personal and professional success. Ask any marriage counselor about the death knell for doomed relationships, and they’ll say a breakdown in communications was the culprit. When both sides stop talking and sharing honest—sometimes painful—feedback, they stop growing.
So how can employees convince their leaders that more conversations need to be had? What actions can anyone take to showcase their sincere interest in becoming better at their jobs and not taking criticisms personally?
Staying in the Loop
Asking for and receiving feedback on performance and production does more than hone one’s strengths and address their weaknesses; doing so leads to more overall job satisfaction and deeper engagement at work. Employees who feel nurtured and appreciated are more apt to stick with an organization, and that in turn makes the employee even more valuable to the company.
Establishing an honest feedback loop is mutually beneficial. Here are three ways for employees to capture their managers’ attention and solicit that critical feedback:
1. Make it known that you want feedback and share how you receive it best.
The popular aphorism “a closed mouth doesn’t get fed” means you should speak up and ask for what you need, and that includes the feedback that will help you to grow professionally. According to 15Five’s 2022 Workplace report, career growth and professional development are among the top issues dictating employee engagement and longevity. As an employee, don’t assume that leadership—or that anyone in your life, really—can read your mind and provide the information you seek. Instead, practice spelling out what kind of input and critique you expect (e.g., around specific skills you’re hoping to grow in the coming year) and giving your own feedback about what contributions and insights are most valuable to you.
Beyond that, you also should specifically spell out how you best receive this requested feedback in terms of both format and frequency. Maybe you like emails, where details can be fleshed out and archived. Perhaps you prefer a spoken conversation in private, where you can ask follow-up questions or prod for advice. Maybe you do best when you meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly with a coach or mentor who can provide the necessary feedback at regular intervals. One formula does not fit all employees, and management should be well aware of that.
2. Ask for new types of tasks or projects to leave your comfort zone.
Growth is rarely easy; if it were, everyone would do it. When you’re ambitious at work and volunteer to take on more than your role demands, management will notice—and you’ll feel more engaged with your work, too. When people push themselves to find new limits, that’s when real advancements are made in terms of their professional (and often, personal) growth. The next time the boss solicits some help with a special project or new initiative, raise your hand, even if it makes you a little nervous. Better yet, seek out those opportunities proactively to really showcase your desire to learn, grow and serve as a critical part of the team.
“By leaving our comfort zones, our brains will kick into learning mode, which can change our perspectives and allow our minds to grasp new processes and creative concepts,” says Carla Patton, director of people at RAPP, a global marketing and advertising agency. “This is extremely important: A learning mind is a happy mind. Unlocking our learning modes can help us improve our work ethic and our overall mood toward the creative work we complete.”
3. Show that you appreciated the feedback.
Nearly as important as asking for constructive criticism is what you do with it. Don’t simply nod or mutter thanks, and don’t respond with defensiveness or argument. Dig in and ask follow-up questions so you can better understand the facts underpinning the feedback and the nuances involved.
Then, write down the feedback you receive in a dedicated notebook or Google document so you can go back, refer to it, and use the insights in order to improve. Follow up with the person who gave the feedback, express how helpful their comments were (and maybe give an example of how you’re implementing the feedback in your work), and repeat how sincere you are in wanting more feedback in the future.
You don’t necessarily have to implement all the advice and feedback you receive, but you should accept the information as politely and positively as possible. Receive it, show appreciation for it, then decide what to do with it.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and creator of the 360Reach personal brand feedback survey which allows you to get the real scoop about your professional reputation from those who know you.
