There is a common belief that organizational feedback primarily originates from higher-level individuals and is directed downwards.
Feedback can be beneficial for everyone, including supervisors. Despite its potential challenges, providing input to one’s supervisor is a crucial skill.
One might experience apprehension due to the potential of receiving a negative response. The individual’s thoughts immediately gravitate toward a negative outcome, such as the possibility of losing their job. The experience of fear is a common and understandable reaction. With proper attention, it is likely that your most extreme concerns are also baseless.
Feedback to individuals in positions of authority, such as bosses or leaders, can initially evoke apprehension. However, once one acquires the skills to express their perspective and deliver constructive feedback respectfully, and sincerely, this fear diminishes.
Do not allow fear to hinder you, particularly when you believe you have a valuable proposal for enhancing efficiency and morale. Individuals must cultivate a mindset of providing constructive feedback to their superiors as a helpful team member attribute. Ultimately, improving the workplace environment and employee experience is achieved.
Upward feedback refers to providing feedback from lower-level employees to their supervisors or managers.
An employee providing feedback to their superior is called “upward feedback.” This term refers to the scenario in which an individual of lower seniority and authority within an organization offers feedback to an individual of a higher hierarchical position.
Companies prioritizing feedback in this manner are perceived as having a positive feedback culture, contributing to increased employee satisfaction. Team members hesitant to provide upward feedback are 16% more likely to leave the company.
Furthermore, employees who receive regular and meaningful feedback are more than three times as likely to experience a sense of engagement in their work. Additionally, companies that provide such feedback observe a reduction in turnover rates by 18%. This encompasses your supervisor.
The boss’s understanding of the job may be enhanced through the receipt of feedback from employees. Individuals may be preoccupied with their responsibilities and could benefit from gaining insight into your perspective to comprehend whether you are experiencing excessive workload or dissatisfaction. Providing input regarding areas of your job that could be improved for greater effectiveness is beneficial.
Upward feedback can be valuable for addressing both significant challenges and minor issues, as well as providing words of advice. Although occasionally stressful, giving feedback effectively expresses ideas and distinguishes oneself from higher-level executives.
The significance of upward feedback lies in its importance.
There are clear advantages to offering upward feedback. Observing a colleague in a similar role providing upward feedback can encourage other team members to feel more at ease in doing so as well.
Employees feel empowered to express their opinions and ideas when they observe that their superiors value and appreciate their input. This sense of comfort fosters a positive feedback loop within the organization, enabling all members to feel secure in expressing their thoughts and gaining insights from diverse viewpoints.
Instead of fostering a culture of fear among employees when providing feedback to managers, it is more advantageous to cultivate an environment that promotes giving feedback on time. Over time, the professional rapport between you and your supervisor will strengthen, leading to an increased sense of the significance of your viewpoints.
Managers who actively engage with their employees foster employee engagement. Active listening is crucial for facilitating improvements. It aids in identifying areas for optimizing team performance and enhancing productivity.
What is the appropriate timing for providing feedback to one’s supervisor?
It is advisable to prioritize timing to overcome hesitancy in providing feedback to your manager. Constructive feedback should be given judiciously, as there are instances when it may be more appropriate to wait for a more opportune moment.
However, it is essential to note that it should be considered if a problem or situation requires attention. Select a mutually convenient time that accommodates your supervisor’s schedule, allowing them to dedicate their undivided attention to the discussion.
There are three instances in which it is advisable to provide feedback to one’s supervisor:
In a one-on-one conversation
When you and your supervisor prioritize your professional relationship, it becomes feasible to address any concerns. If one experiences apprehension in expressing their problems, it is crucial to recognize that the interaction is simply a dialogue between two individuals. If feedback is kept private, there is no opportunity for others to listen and provide their input.
If an individual schedules a one-on-one meeting with you to solicit feedback and assess your work progress, it is an entirely suitable occasion.
A brief conversation before or following a meeting.
To minimize disruptions during the meeting, choose a moment when your boss is not actively providing new instructions or information. Raising a matter before a meeting enables the boss to promptly discuss the issue with other team members.
Alternatively, inquiring about the possibility of addressing a specific point raised during the meeting and expressing your concern regarding its implications demonstrates your attentiveness and engagement with the organization’s operations to your supervisor. These instances coincide with periods when your supervisor is preoccupied with work-related matters.
During the performance review
Performance reviews provide a valuable opportunity for individuals to acquire the skill of giving feedback to their managers.
During a performance review, your manager may solicit your feedback on specific matters. Occasionally, individuals are evaluated, and engaging in conversations about their professional rapport with their supervisor is a crucial aspect of their work process.
Your supervisor may request that you complete a form, send an email, or deliver feedback orally. Organizations may include the option for employees to provide feedback through an employee engagement survey as part of the performance review process.
There are four essential guidelines to follow when providing feedback.
How feedback is provided to one’s supervisor can vary depending on the nature of the input. Specific areas to consider include workload, expectations from others, and project management.
It is advisable to inquire with one’s manager about their availability and readiness to receive feedback to avoid catching them off guard.
Here are four tips for providing feedback to your supervisor.
Improve your presentation skills.
Engaging in feedback exercises is beneficial to help a friend or family member overcome nervousness and select suitable language. To achieve a balanced perspective, it is advisable to acknowledge both positive and negative aspects. Begin by recognizing a particular strength and subsequently elaborate on how addressing a specific weakness can enhance the performance of that strength.
To ensure your feedback is not perceived as a personal attack, it is advisable to ground it in objective observations and factual information rather than subjective judgments. One effective method to avoid personalization is using verbs instead of adjectives. The individual occasionally interrupts others and neglects to allow for the expression of diverse viewpoints, instead of displaying bossy and controlling behaviour during team meetings.
It is advisable to employ more “I” than “you” statements to avoid sounding accusatory and putting one’s boss in a defensive or aggressive position. Using “I” statements helps convey your perspective to your supervisor without assigning blame to them.
Please provide your response.
Every story has two perspectives. After providing feedback, it is vital to allow the recipient an opportunity to respond.
Transitioning from a one-sided review to a conversation allows for a more interactive discussion and enables you to ensure that the recipient comprehends your feedback. Only when both parties comprehensively understand the situation can they collaboratively develop an effective solution.
Request reciprocal feedback.
After providing feedback, it is advisable to solicit their input in return. This step indicates your willingness to receive constructive feedback and appreciate their viewpoint.
Inquire about your performance in a manner that demonstrates genuine interest and a desire for meaningful feedback rather than asking merely out of courtesy. One possible topic of discussion is the experience of feeling intimidated in one-on-one interactions. After addressing this issue, you may inquire about potential enhancements to enhance the productivity of these meetings.
Empathize with their perspective.
Consider adopting their perspective to anticipate your boss’s response to your feedback. Consider a scenario where the situation is reversed. What would be your response if a colleague or subordinate provided you with identical feedback? Would you feel anger or gratitude towards someone who brought this to your attention?
Consider individual variations in personality. Specific individuals may face more significant challenges in overcoming a fixed mindset than others. Receiving feedback without offense indicates effective planning in delivering the feedback.
Flourish through feedback.
Providing feedback to one’s boss, regardless of the duration of the professional relationship, can induce stress.
Individuals who have refrained from giving feedback in previous instances may have experienced discomfort, self-consciousness, and uncertainty regarding the appropriate approach to such situations.
Now that you comprehend the importance of feedback in the context of being a team member, we trust that you feel empowered with the knowledge of how to provide feedback to your supervisor. Have confidence in the belief that the recommendations you possess will exclusively enhance the overall environment of your workplace.
Your team members will also express gratitude for this action. As a coworker, you will demonstrate a genuine concern for your team’s success and motivate others to voice their opinions.
With practice and experience, individuals can develop the ability to express their opinions and offer feedback without hesitation confidently.
