“There are two things people want more than sex and money… recognition and praise.” – Mary Kay Ash

I mean wow….when you put it that way Mary Kay, I totally feel you.

65% of employees say they want more feedback at work and their managers know they’re not fully holding up their end of the feedback bargain.  Only 58% of people leaders think they give enough feedback.

Then of course we have employees who do their part and ask for feedback and receive really sucky, no-at-all helpful feedback in response.  Yeah, you know what I’m talking about.  That vague, roundabout, “keep it up”, “just change that last part”, kind of feedback.

What do you do when you’re getting crappy feedback without coming off like a needy team member?  Today’s video gives you very practical, easy to implement tips to help you get feedback that you can do something with.

Here’s the rundown on what you’ll see in the video.

  •  People are super uncomfortable giving feedback.  So, the more we can guide the conversation towards the outcome we want, the more likely we’ll get feedback we can do something with.  One way to do this is to ask someone a direct question like “What can/should I do differently in the future?”  This question forces the respondent to pick something they think specifically can be adjusted the next time.   Conversely, you can also ask, “Is there anything you want to make sure I continue doing next time?”  Voila!

So what if the answer is still super vague.  Yeah, thats definitely a possibility.  Here’s what you can do.

  • Probe for more details anytime you need it.  Don’t let someone off the hook with their vague feedback.  They may not even realize they’re giving you vague feedback.  By probing, you’re getting what you need, but also helping the other person realize that what they initially gave you wan’t helpful enough, which will cause them to go deeper to give you what you need.
  • Don;t be all judge about the feedback you get.  You’re asking about feedback that’s helpful and sometimes helpful feedback isn’t positive.  Don’t take it personally and get all judge about it.  Take it in the spirit in which it was intended, which is positive intent to make you more awesome.

Now comes the fun part, I get to listen to you!  So tell me, was this helpful?  Leave a comment below, share your thoughts with other viewers and sign up for email updates.  You never know how your voice will impact someone’s life.  Need some personalized career attention?  Work with me and get 10x the career love and attention.

The corporate world needs that brilliance that only you bring.  So go out into the world, act with conviction, be courageous and live joyfully every single day.

XOXO,

Adwoa

Adwoa Dadzie is a Vice President of Human Resources at a Fortune 50 company and Corporate Career Strategist. The views expressed in this post are Adwoa’s and do not reflect the views of her employer. Follow her on Twitter @adwoadadzie3, Instagram @adwoadadzie, Periscope @adwoadadzie3, or visit her at adwoadadzie.com.