Supervisor Feedback
What are some constructive ways to ask your direct supervisor your strenghts/areas of improvement without he or she thinking you are looking for another job?
Jordan,
this is a good question. My hope would be that the supervisor has created a climate where you can do this. I also like to just ask them what they think I'm doing well in the current job & in what ways they think I can improve in my current role.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Jordan,
I recommend inviting your supervisor to observe you during an entire workday or part of a workday, having the objective of them providing you with feedback as to your on-the-spot performance. Sometimes this is the truest snapshot of your daily/cummulative performance and is most beneficial---not only to your growth, but to your continued success with that company.
John,
this is great advice & I agree. I do this when I am coaching a leader, try to observe him/her in the work day so I can give much more accurate feedback & specific examples.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Luckily, I can be straightforward with my supervisor because that is the climate he has created for our team. He will ask straight out if we are looking for something else...we can say yes or no, and he supports everyone either way. When a coworker was in need of relocation for family reasons, that person thought that they would have to hide the job search. But knowing our supervisor, our team encouraged that person to ask our supervisor for a transfer to another school within our system. The person was a great instructor and wanted to keep that career. So that coworker did ask. Our supervisor helped that person transfer within the company instead of leaving the company. I thought that was incredible.
I have found that asking what you might be able to differently, to improve your performance. Most are glad to hear that you are open to feedback and want to improve.
George,
this is true & my only caveat is make sure you are open to the feedback you asked for.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Our company has established a culture of continuous feedback for all employees. I formally meet with my supervisor every two weeks and informally many times each week. Our mutual goal is always about achieving good results from utilizing my individual development plan.
Walter,
this is great & I'm glad to hear of a company doing this. That consistent feedback is key to success & morale.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
We have an annual review and are observed several times throughout the year. We given a chance to tell about our strengths and weaknesses. We are given a copy of the observation and asked to make comments, this is all for our employee records. I can ask "what do You think I can do to improve my job performance" at any time and get some good feedback from Mgt.
Tom,
this type of regular & ongoing feedback is a key factor for employee engagement & improvement.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
