Asking your manager for feedback: what research says
Wait for the annual review, or go and get feedback? Research on feedback seeking separates what helps the relationship from what strains it.
A well-documented behaviour
Susan Ashford, Ruth Blatt and Don VandeWalle (2003, Journal of Management) review twenty years of work: feedback seeking is associated with better job adjustment, but employees also weigh the risk of looking incompetent.
Proactivity in context
J. Michael Crant (2000, Journal of Management) links proactive behaviour to favourable outcomes, while noting most studies are correlational: top performers may simply be more proactive.
The decisive nuance
Timing and form matter: a precise, task-linked request lands better than a general request for appraisal. Manager style also moderates the effect. (our executive and employee training programmes)
The limit of common practice
Advising people to 'ask for more feedback' without saying what or when can increase discomfort on both sides.
A practical check in Fribourg
After each major deliverable for two months, ask one targeted question: 'Which part would you have done differently?'. Note whether answers become more concrete over time. To go further: explore the Building an Effective Relationship with Your Manager training in Fribourg, or browse our executive and employee training programmes in Switzerland.
In pictures: Building an Effective Relationship with Your Manager in Fribourg
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