Here's how you can actively solicit feedback from your boss to improve as a Product Manager.

"Arrrgh...It's that time of the month again" If you feel this way before your monthly feedback meetings, clearly you don't get what these are about. Feedback is a signal, not a judgment. It's a sign from your boss whether your work is aligned with his/her expectations. Use it to your advantage, by doing these: a. Block calendars; show eagerness for feedback b. Before the meeting, write 3 points each month for highs, lows, and help required. Discuss these. c. Take feedback constructively, and ask for particulars (avoid being too defensive though) d. Note feedback in detail, and underline actionable ones e. Thank them for the feedback - remember they DON'T HAVE TO give it in detail. Let your boss know your progress-oriented mindset.

Actively soliciting feedback from your boss is essential for growth as a Product Manager. Start by scheduling dedicated time for these discussions. Prepare specific topics or areas where you seek improvement. Embrace criticism with an open mind, focusing on actionable steps you can take. Follow up on the feedback to show your commitment to growth. Reflect regularly on the feedback to measure your progress and adjust your approach as needed.

Here's a simple framework: 1. Plan Regular Check-Ins: Set a recurring monthly or bi-weekly meeting specifically for feedback. 2. Prepare Ahead: Draft key questions and topics to discuss to make the most of the time. 3. Seek Specifics: Ask for concrete examples to understand areas of improvement clearly. 4. Actionable Insights: Request actionable advice you can implement immediately. 5. Follow-Up: Show progress in subsequent meetings to demonstrate your commitment. By making feedback a regular, structured part of your workflow, you'll continuously improve and align with your boss's expectations.

Ask specific questions about your performance, focusing on key areas like decision-making, leadership, and strategic thinking. Request examples of successes and areas for improvement. Discuss your career goals and seek advice on skill development.

One-on-one meetings are important for receiving continuous feedback and not just during 360 feedback periods, which influence goals and promotions. These meetings should occur regularly during the current cycle, allowing the employee to adjust strategies and improvements. They can be based on the Individual Development Plan (IDP), facilitating discussions about progress, difficulties, and the need for assistance. Proactively scheduling these meetings and approaching them with specific questions demonstrates an interest in individual and team improvement. Indeed, feedback should be seen as a growth tool.

This is the most important step and needs to be prepared in advance. The best feedback I get is always when asking a specific question. Of course, you can ask for 'general feedback,' but it won't be as actionable. Instead, you can, for example, discuss an initiative you've led, share the process and results, and then ask a specific question about a step you think can be improved. When you ask it, ensure you come up with your analysis first and discuss with your boss how to improve from there.

As a Product Manager, preparing discussion points is crucial for effective feedback sessions with your boss. Carefully curated topics ensure that all essential areas are covered, leading to meaningful conclusions and clear direction. Before the meeting, list key achievements, challenges, and areas where you seek guidance. Highlight ongoing projects, upcoming milestones, and any roadblocks. Structure the flow of topics to discuss urgent and important issues first, followed by important but not urgent ones. This approach demonstrates your commitment to improvement, manages limited time, and fosters a smooth, constructive discussion. Use tools like OneNote, Jam Boards, or even simple Google Sheets to organize your points effectively.

It is easy for the time together to turn into a detailed session about work in progress or upcoming. To be intentional about feedback, I keep a running tab of when I ask for and receive specific feedback. It's a short entry with my one-on-one notes and helps me be intentional. Seeing the date helps me be intentional about asking at least once a quarter. I include feedback in my agenda sent a few days prior, allowing the stakeholder time to prepare for specific actionable examples.

Preparing topics for feedback sessions is key. 1. Identify Core Areas: Focus on skills, project outcomes, and team interactions. 2. Set Objectives: Define what you aim to improve, like stakeholder management or agile practices. 3. Gather Data: Collect examples of your work and performance metrics. 4. Draft Questions: Create specific questions on how to enhance your approach and impact. By preparing detailed topics, you ensure your feedback sessions are focused, productive, and actionable.

I notice that when meetings are well-planned, they flow better, and you leave with a clear vision of "okay, now I know the next step." It's important to have moments to talk about personal life to bring the team closer and build good relationships. However, having a meeting with specific topics for discussion is crucial for professional development. Moreover, the idea of a two-way street, where both the leader and the employee have a structured agenda, is interesting to understand each other's focus. For example, if the leader brings more strategic topics, it might be a sign that developing a more strategic vision is necessary.

Product management involves various competencies such as strategic thinking, leadership, communication, and technical skills. Ask for feedback on these specific areas. For example, "Can you provide feedback on my strategic planning for our upcoming product? How effective was my communication with the team during the last sprint?"

Embrace criticism by adopting a structured feedback framework like SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact). This helps in receiving specific, actionable insights rather than vague critiques. When your boss highlights areas for improvement, view it as a growth opportunity. Feedback is a gift that sharpens your skills and elevates your product management game. Actively seeking and embracing criticism can transform your career trajectory.

Embracing criticism is like seasoning your career with a bit of spice—it might sting at first, but it makes you better in the long run. When your boss dishes out feedback, resist the urge to play defense. Instead, tune in, take notes, and ask questions to get to the heart of their insights. Treat criticism not as a personal jab but as a professional GPS, guiding you to areas where you can improve. With each piece of feedback, you're not just surviving the heat; you're sharpening your skills and stepping up your game as a Product Manager. Bon appétit!

Ask specific questions about your performance, pay attention without interrupting, take notes, and aggressively seek out your boss's comments. Accept all criticism, including the harsh ones, and express gratitude by asking questions when you require clarity. Refrain from getting defensive and see criticism as a chance for improvement. Keep an optimistic outlook and consider every criticism as a chance to advance your knowledge and efficiency as a product manager.

I learnt this later in my career that sometimes, the best of the feedback can be blunt. As PMs we spent countless hours thinking about solutions, so much so that we can sometimes build blindspots around the larger problem. And often while seeking feedback, we are actually seeking validation with a bias towards our solution. However, the real goal of feedback is to identify these blindspots so that we stick to the larger problem and do not force fit a solution. Setting our expectations in such a way while seeking feedback can come a long way for us.

To actively solicit feedback from your boss, use the "Start-Stop-Continue" framework. Ask what you should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing to excel as a Product Manager. This method ensures you get clear, actionable steps to improve. Regularly schedule these feedback sessions and follow up on the advice given to demonstrate your commitment to growth.

Minimize the time from feedback stage to implementation stage. Coaches, Mentors, Supervisors they all appreciate quick action and then a follow-up indicating how their feedback brought results and helped you. Additionally, express gratitude for the feedback. Remember that those who take the time to give you feedback, genuinely care for your growth and development.

Absolutely recommend to track your communications in written. Feature statuses, revenue impact or your gaps to close to get a promotion – consider it's not visible if not written.

I've found actionable steps to be very useful in my learning journey as a Product Manager. 1. Defining Clear Objectives: When tackling a new product initiative, I set specific goals such as increasing user engagement by 15% or reducing onboarding time by 20%. 2. Implementing Agile Metrics: Utilizing metrics like velocity and burn-down charts helps us track progress efficiently during sprints, ensuring we stay on course to meet our development timelines. 3. Iterative Feedback Loops: By establishing regular feedback loops with stakeholders and the development team, we quickly adjust our roadmap based on user feedback, ensuring we deliver a product that resonates with our market.

Ask for actionable steps you can take to improve. During one feedback session, my boss suggested I work on my presentation skills. We outlined a plan that included attending a public speaking workshop and practicing with my team. Concrete steps make it easier to track progress and demonstrate commitment to improvement.

In complex feedback situations, it might take a few “iterations” and some time to see tangible results! This is when follow-up becomes crucial. I would approach it in the following way: - Identify key areas for improvement and document them - Revisit this document weekly/monthly to stay on track - Follow up with your manager quarterly or monthly, asking for their perspective. Is there improvement? Is something not working? What might be missing? - When the issue is resolved, strike it off your list and be proud of your progress! - Continuously repeat this process for ongoing improvement as there is always room for growth! This structured approach will demonstrate your commitment to implementing feedback and will fosters ongoing dialogue.

Follow up on the feedback you receive. I make it a point to update my boss on the steps I've taken and the progress I've made. For example, after improving my presentation skills, I shared my experiences and received further input. This not only shows initiative but also keeps the feedback loop active and productive.

I think it's very important to follow-up later that day with an email stating what you discussed, what is working well and what needs improvement. This way everything is clearly documented and can lead to successful outcomes.

Feedback is a great way to get another perspective. You may want to request it regularly, and from different people. When you request a feedback from your boss, it means you didn't hear from them before. Be specific on what you request, set regular meetings with them where feedback is given.