How to succeed at work when you don’t get enough feedback from your boss

Welcome to?Fast?Company?Daily, our daily newsletter on?LinkedIn, featuring a free article selected each day by our editors as well as a roundup of great advice on careers, hiring, innovation, and technology.

Visit fastcompany.com for our top stories and breaking news.?First time seeing this? Please subscribe.

• Trump is losing in court. With the "never surrender" slogan, his campaign wants to make defeat a winning brand.
• Exclusive: Apple's top software engineer shares new details on Apple Intelligence’s security features, plus where things stand with China.
• Trouble sleeping? A new study shows adults who ate ultra-processed foods were more likely to have chronic insomnia.
• As attacks on DEI intensify, companies are feeling pressure to revise their programs—but the current model of DEI has long needed rethinking. Here’s an updated framework for the DEI of the future.

TODAY: Apple Intelligence and the new world of AI

Apple announced its "Apple Intelligence," partnership with OpenAI and general vision for artificial intelligence at the company during its Worldwide Developers Conference

Join Fast Company today, June 12, at 1 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT for a LinkedIn Audio about WWDC and how it changes the state of AI overall.

We'll discuss what it does and doesn’t involve—and how it stacks up against the competing news from other tech giants such as Google and Microsoft.

RSVP for the discussion here!

How to succeed at work when you don’t get enough feedback from your boss

By Harrison Monarth

Whether you believe that “feedback is a gift” or that it is the neurological equivalent of hearing footsteps in the dark, as David Rock from the NeuroLeadership Institute once quipped, the fact is that we can’t prosper without it. We can’t improve if we don’t have feedback, which means measurement of outcomes, or, more subjectively, reaction to outcomes.??

Especially at work, we need to know how we’re doing, whether what we’re doing makes a difference, and what we can do to grow and become better at whatever we’re doing.??

But according to interdisciplinary research and my experience as an executive coach, meaningful feedback from managers to employees, at all levels, is often lacking, leading to disengagement, unnecessary rework, and a general sense of uncertainty that stymies progress.??

Employees can pick up the slack and chart a path to success despite the lack of intentional managerial feedback by following a few guidelines.??

UNDERSTAND THE OVERALL BUSINESS STRATEGY OF YOUR COMPANY?

Grasping your company’s business strategy empowers you to align your efforts with the organization’s broader goals, engaging you more fully in a shared vision and purpose. Having a better understanding of how your role contributes directly to value creation will also boost your motivation, as it allows you to see the direct impact of your work on customers and other stakeholders and how integral your contributions are to the organization’s success.?

This knowledge also enables you to understand and adapt more swiftly to market changes that may affect your organization, such as a shift in consumer preferences and demand, the emergence of disruptive competitors, or internal management shifts. All these factors can change your role and what you focus on at work. Moreover, clarity on your organization’s strategic objectives empowers you to engage in more autonomous decision-making, allowing you to put your leadership skills into practice.??

To deepen your understanding of the company’s strategy, depending on your level of seniority and access, you need to be proactive and find opportunities to participate in strategy meetings, seek regular updates from management, and engage with cross-functional teams.

Staying informed about industry trends and competitor movements adds context, while utilizing internal resources like intranets can provide you the necessary access to strategic documents and historical data.

Additionally, seeking mentorship within the company can offer practical insights on how you can contribute to the business and enhance your role’s strategic alignment.??

By getting involved and having a clear picture of the overall business strategy, you will be more invested in your organization’s future and work more efficiently towards shared goals.??

BE CLEAR ON THE PURPOSE OF YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES?

What are the key priorities you should be focused on? To excel in a role with minimal feedback from your manager, you need a deep understanding of your job responsibilities. Start by embracing competency mapping, a systematic approach to identifying and defining the skills, knowledge, and behaviors essential for successful performance in a particular role. If there’s a lack of clarity around role specifics, consult your HR partner for competency frameworks or job descriptions that detail the expected skills and knowledge you need to succeed in the role.??

Peers or indirect supervisors can also help you clarify expectations. Once you know what it takes, conduct a self-assessment to evaluate your current competencies, identify gaps, and develop a personal development plan. This plan should include targeted training, mentoring, as well as suitable stretch assignments you can get that are tailored to bridge any gaps in your knowledge and enhance your alignment with organizational goals. Proactively defining and refining your role’s requirements helps you position yourself to thrive even without frequent managerial feedback.

Understand your manager’s expectations by asking the right questions.?

It’s difficult to meet performance goals when you don’t know exactly what’s expected of you. According to Gallup Institute research, this is a far more common phenomenon for employees than companies realize.??

In situations where direct feedback from a manager is scarce, you can still excel by leveraging the art of asking smarter questions. When you don’t receive regular feedback, initiate the conversation with your manager by asking focused, strategic questions.

For instance, you could inquire about the specific expectations for a recent project or seek advice on how to align with the team’s goals:

• What were the key outcomes you were hoping to see in this project?
• How can I better support our team’s objectives?

These types of questions demonstrate your initiative and engagement and they can also encourage a more open dialogue, potentially leading to the feedback and clarity around expectations you need. By framing your inquiries to uncover insights rather than just information, you foster a richer understanding of your roles and responsibilities, paving the way for success even without regular feedback.

BUILD OUT YOUR NETWORK TO BETTER GAUGE HOW YOU’RE DOING??

You can still gauge your performance and progress without direct feedback from a manager by actively building and utilizing a strategic network. This network should include individuals within and outside your organization who can provide diverse perspectives on the business environment and feedback on your contributions.

Engage with people who can offer insights into organizational goals and strategies, which will help you align your efforts more effectively. You might also seek out colleagues with closer relationships and better insight into your manager’s values and which priorities keep them awake at night.

Additionally, create opportunities for learning and network interaction by joining cross-functional teams or industry groups, which can be a platform for gaining indirect feedback through discussions and collaborations. This approach compensates for the lack of direct managerial feedback but also enhances your visibility and influence within the organization.?

There is no substitute for meaningful feedback to succeed at work. If you can’t get it directly, there are opportunities you can leverage to proactively seek feedback from alternative sources that can tell you where you’re doing well, and where you need to adjust for better outcomes.???

Follow us on?LinkedIn,?X,?Instagram, Threads,?Facebook,?WhatsApp,?TikTok.