4 ways to give productive feedback to your manager at work 👋 💬

Do you think giving feedback to your boss is like walking on a tightrope? It doesn’t have to be.

Feedback at work is sharing advice or comments on how someone did a task. This can come from anyone, and to anyone — peers, teammates, or even your boss. It’s most helpful when given soon after an event, so it’s fresh and relevant.

With the right approach — like offering specific, actionable advice instead of vague criticism — constructive feedback can help leaders improve and guide their teams more effectively.

Here’s how to give feedback that makes a difference — without the stress.

Choosing the right time and placefor feedback can make the difference between a productive conversation and a defensive argument.

Follow these do's and don'ts when choosing the time and place to give your leader feedback.

Do:

• Pick a private space to talk ✅

• Choose a low-stress time ⏰

• Ask for a meeting, so you can prepare 📅

• Allow for enough time so the conversation isn't rushed ⏳

Don’t:

• Surprise or catch your boss off-guard 🚫

• Give feedback in public settings ❌

• Give feedback during high-stress moments ⚠️

When giving feedback, it's important to start with somethingpositiveabout your leader's performance.

This can help them feel appreciated and more open to hearing areas for improvement.

Photo by DISRUPTIVO on Unsplash

The goal is to create a constructive dialogue that encourages growth.

For example, you can say, "I really appreciate how you handled the client meeting today," before transitioning into areas for improvement.

When giving feedback to your boss, it's important to focus on their actions.

Watch the video below on a strategy called "situation-behaviour-impact (SBI)" on how to give objective feedback.

Instead of saying, "You took too long to share in the meeting," you can use the SBI model to say:

• Situation: In today's meeting, you shared about budgets. 💴

• Behavior: The budget part took longer than outlined in the agenda. 📅

• Impact: We didn’t have time to go over the other items and rushed through them. ⏳

Using the SBI model ensures your feedback focuses on their behaviors, not personal traits!

Instead of just saying what went wrong, give ideas on how things can be better next time.

For example, you could say, “Next time, can we try starting the meeting with a time check to keep us on track?"

Providing suggestions that are future-focused builds trust, enhances communication, and strengthens relationships in the workplace.

Instead of saying:

"You always..."

"You never..."

"This is the third time..."

"You didn’t..."

Say:

"Next time, can we try...?"

"In the future, perhaps you can..."

"To avoid this in the future, maybe you could..."

"What if you try...?"

Remember that feedback that’s thoughtful, timed right, and helpful can make relationships stronger and help everyone improve.

The goal is to create a positive environment where feedback leads to growth and progress!

Check out these Bytes related to giving or asking for feedback in the workplace!