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Feedback is a big component of your performance at work, although many a time not enough emphasis is put on it by managers and employees alike. While most companies have a feedback system in place, mostly via periodic performance reviews, these can turn out to be too informal and infrequent to truly have an impact. When asked once about the adequacy of feedback at one of the organizations I worked at, an outstanding and very successful corporate sister had this smart reply: ” I believe that as members of a corporate organization, we should be proactive and take it upon ourselves to request the feedback necessary for us to advance in our careers.” While others were passively blaming the organizational structure, or the managers, for inadequate feedback, this sister was taking it upon herself to take charge of her career by requesting feedback. Since then, and by following her example, I’ve made it a practice to not just passively wait for the mid-year or quarterly review session at work to get (or give) feedback; but also to proactively seek (and provide) feedback on a regular basis. And to my surprise, it has proven to not only be an effective way to monitor my own performance, but also has been much appreciated by my superiors and co-workers alike:
- Actively seek feedback! Do not just wait for your regularly scheduled performance review to hear what your manager or co-workers think about your performance. When I started making it a habit to openly ask for formal and informal feedback outside of the mandatory performance reviews, I noticed that not only were the managers and co-workers I was requesting this feedback from open to provide it, but as a result, my performance significantly improved.
- Ask for feedback when it’s necessary! Many are the work projects that we are all involved in, and not all of these do warrant a feedback session. Target those projects and assignments that have significant impact, and proactively request feedback on those! You do not want to appear as the one who is always asking “How am I doing? Am I ok? Am I ok?”. Instead, you want to come forward when necessary and when it counts. Like they say, make it count….
- Last but not least, take the 360 degree approach to feedback! A manager I once worked for displayed a great example of leadership by requesting feedback from the entire department she supervised! Not only did she humble herself to ask how her performance was perceived, but also how her personality and attitude at work had an impact on the rest of us. As she explained later, feedback is an all-around process, not just an upward one. Feedback is best used and most inspiring when it also spreads laterally to peers and co-workers, and even downwards to direct or indirect reports. We can even give and get feedback outside of our own groups and departments. That is the power of feedback, as it’s not just a one-way process, and can extend way beyond our direct professional surroundings. And the wider the feedback circle, the better for us!
Will you be proactive and request feedback at work?
The Corporate Sister.
