Feedback: Looking Up, Looking Down!

Performance Appraisals/ Downward feedback is a topic often and widely discussed. This annual/bi-annual exercise that gauges employees’ performance is a testing ground for many. Even though it is portrayed as a daunting exercise, this tool is a proven method to assess employee performance and to extrapolate future expectations.

Complementing to it, if there something that is missing, like the cherry on the cake could be Upward Feedback process. Even though few organizations have this system in place integrated in the 360 degree reviews, it could be an alien term for many.

To start with the context, read following questions.

1. Have you ever had a wish that if you could give feedback to your manager?

2. Have you had a situation where your manager had asked feedback, but you had to be nice and gave an all-good-but-not-true feedback?

3. Imagine if there is a platform for providing feedback about your manager, but you are bit skeptical about how it will be perceived by him/her and how it would affect you?

If the above questions tick the answer ‘Yes’, then a well-established Upward Feedback process is the solution. However, setting an Upward Feedback process is not so easy, but daring move since it opens up doors to welcome reflection of a manager’s image from his/her subordinates perception. One has to be ready to take few bullets from his/subordinates that are shot from their experience, frustration and it could even be an explosive tank filled with criticism.

Upward Feedback is more like a microscopic view about you being looked by the others, rather than a clean mirror image that you would expect who and how you are!

Here are steps on how to implement an Upward Feedback process:

1. Prepare a survey questionnaire for assessment. Questions should include criteria on Leadership, planning, communication, mentoring, problem solving skills etc. Questions should be tailor made to the depth where you as a manager can get assessed thoroughly. Also include provision for providing descriptive feedback.
2.  Establish a platform for anonymity. Subordinates will not provide honest feedback if they are made to mention their identity. An anonymous platform is a key to ensure you receive honest feedback.
3. Send out the survey questionnaire and encourage your subordinates to give honest feedback.
4. Give them 3-5 days time to submit the feedback. Be the person as usual as you are during this period, and never put on a fake persona to show any transformation.
5. Once feedback is received, thank your team for the time and effort they have put. Let them know that you will come with a detailed response after analyzing the feedback.
6. Analyze all received feedback and gauge areas of strengths and weaknesses. Be open minded to read and understand each feedback received without any prejudice. Also never  use your investigation skills to find out the person behind a critical feedback.
7. Understand that repeated concerns highlighted by multiple people could be an actual concern (Pareto Principle!). Focus on these first and let the isolated comments stay at bay. Chalk out a plan for improvement.
8. Once you plan for self-development, align it with department objectives and what is also expected from subordinates to improve teamwork.
9. Discuss the outcome of your analysis and your expectations with your team for improving the performance and to becoming a better team.

This cycle can be reiterated annual/biennial to review and enhance the performance. Always keep in mind that you are a leader/manager because you are heading a team. Your success comes from the success of the team. Like there is no sweet salt, there is no successful leader with a miserable team.

It is very important to take feedback with a positive spirit by keeping in mind that, you are getting to know about yourself perceived from a different angle!

It is also quite interesting to know that upward feedback is not limited within the boundaries of your workplace, it can be adopted at home. Read an interesting HBR article here “Learn to Solicit Feedback … from Your Kids” https://hbr.org/2020/07/learn-to-solicit-feedback-from-your-kids

Also read more about Upward Feedback here in this HBR Article “How to Give Your Boss Feedback”: https://hbr.org/2010/03/how-to-give-your-boss-feedback