The Many Advantages of Having a Boss Who Gives Frequent, Honest Feedback

When you have a boss who believes in the value of frequent, helpful feedback conversations, you are at a huge advantage over professional peers whose bosses stay mum.  When your boss acts on their faith in feedback to provide you with everyday feedback, you are receiving a huge benefit that will pay off for many years to come! Everyday feedback is based on information—specific observations and specific suggestions about how to you can improve—given daily.

Don’t Freak Out If you have recently joined a new company/group and notice that your new boss offers you suggestions on how to improve on a frequent basis, don’t automatically conclude that they are overly critical. Their willingness to share may be a good thing! They may be implementing everyday feedback.

You may have just joined a continuous improvement culture! And your work results, your colleagues’ output, your hirability for the future, and even your boss’s behavior may keep getting better and better.

Advantage #1: You will get better at your job Not everyone benefits from their boss’s feedback. Some bosses offer criticism and judgement without taking the extra step in helping you learn how to change for the better. This is just demoralizing. A boss who clearly identifies how you can improve and who answers your questions helpfully, will speed up your success. If your boss offers feedback, be sure to ask follow-up questions and ask for clarity and concrete goals.

Advantage #2: You will progress in your role faster and faster When you receive frequent feedback, you can begin using it immediately and your progress will accelerate at a rapid pace. The cycle of receiving information, followed by implemented improvement, is called a feedback loop. You can use your completed feedback loops to step up and learn advanced skills once the pace of these loops quicken.

Advantage #3: You will be a hotter commodity in the job market Because you are rapidly developing and learning new skills through daily feedback, you are getting “ahead” of your peers who are in line for similar promotions and interesting new job roles. You will have continued to learn every day, every week, and every month, showing your continued and frequent improvement.

Advantage #4: You feel less stress compared to people with feedback-phobic bosses If your peers have “Everything–Is-OK” bosses, they may be surprised one morning when the boss becomes fed up and explodes into angry feedback. Your peer never knows where they stand. Some of these peers may fear being fired without warning on a daily basis. On the other hand, your everyday-feedback boss is always clear on how you are doing at work. You are not surprised by corrective feedback, and it’s always shared with you the same day as the issue arises. You can relax and go home on weekends knowing there won’t be a Monday morning surprise.

You Are Very Fortunate You are cued up for greater and greater job success, with your current position and new roles to come. Celebrate the value of everyday feedback and carry on the tradition in your own role as a leader!

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