When is the best time to ask for feedback in your brand management career?

It's easy to get caught up in the numbers side of brand growth (specifically social media), so it's important to talk to your team about what success truly means to you - and find a very specific way to measure it. That might mean creating sales funnels, lead magnets, or an email newsletter - things you can control AND track more easily than likes and follows.

The title is misleading in that it seems to talk about the person, and seeking feedback or mentoring advice on the career of the individual, whereas the subpoints appear to refer to the products/services/brands handled by the person, who (in title of the discussion) seems to be asking about personal growth advice, as a brand practitioner, and aims to become a global brand guru. Perhaps restating the query may lead to a more focused discussion.

If asking for feedback feels intimidating, or not something that is built into your company culture, look for tools that can help. A great resource to consider for this is Leadr - tools like this help make sure effective feedback becomes a consistent, repeatable, trackable part of your 1:1 meetings and reviews, and you can easily request feedback from peers and those who report to you as well.

The best time is NOW. Everyday. Every data point is a potential feedback on your performance. I think it's a good practice to be receptive for feedback 24*7 in a brand management career. The job is so strongly linked to learning by doing, this is a great opportunity for a brand manager to seek feedback from every live data point. Also, it helps to create a small network of feedback givers around you. Your own network of people from different parts of the brand management value chain. Who see you in action , with varying frequencies and in different roles. That way your feedback is holistic and again, quite real time.

It is important to know what and where the goal-post is before starting! Have a 30/60/90 days goal plan and see how you performed against the desired expectations. As a brand manager, you are the custodian of all brand activities. This involves being the primary point of contact amongst various cross-functional employees and external partners. That’s why taking feedback only from your direct manager might not give you the full picture. Feel free to ask other internal stakeholders as well as external partners feedback. This will improve your relationships with them and also keep them involved in the way activities and tasks are being done!

Brand is your most valuable asset and it needs careful management at all times. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. Having said this, feedback is essential while setting up ypur strategy, tone of voice and relevancy. Your target audience is the source to get appropriate feedback because whatever you are going to do you are going to do it with them in mind. Just reach out to them see what they have to say.

The timing & approach are key to making the most of feedback & avoiding common pitfalls. Here are some considerations for when to ask for feedback: Seek feedback after completing major projects or campaigns. This allows you to evaluate your work while it's still fresh in everyone's minds. It's also a chance to discuss what went well & what could be improved in future endeavours. If there have been significant changes in your responsibilities, team, or brand strategy, it's a good time to ask for feedback. This could be a change in leadership, brand repositioning, or a new marketing channel. If you're facing challenges or feel stuck, request input from mentors, colleagues, or even external consultants to help you overcome obstacles.

If you've ever been a meeting with a boss who asks, "What can I do better to help you?" and you've looked at them blankly, you know why specific feedback is crucial. Open-ended questions receive vague answers, so really think about what you want others to focus on. Is it a new website? Give them a list of areas to review and guide them toward the information you need. Is it a logo redesign? Skip "Let me know what you think about these" and tell them why each one is in the running and ask them where they can help you narrow down the options.

Avoid getting caught up in the moment; while we may anticipate polite feedback, not all providers possess that skill. This may lead them to address sensitive areas without due care. The key is to maintain emotional composure, objectively interpret the feedback, and extract its value. Instead of dismissing it due to its sensitivity, take a step back and assess how you can genuinely benefit from it.