6 Best Upward Feedback Examples
Upward Feedback: Empowering Employees to Manage Up
In today‘s fast-paced and constantly evolving workplace, feedback is more important than ever for driving continuous improvement and employee engagement. While most professionals are accustomed to receiving top-down feedback from their managers, upward feedback – where employees provide input to their supervisors – is a powerful yet often overlooked tool.
When done effectively, upward feedback can help managers gain valuable insights into their leadership blind spots, enhance psychological safety and trust on their teams, and identify high-potential talent for succession planning. However, the inherent power differential between employees and their bosses can make upward feedback feel awkward or even risky.
In this article, we‘ll explore the benefits and challenges of upward feedback, share best practices for delivering it successfully, and provide real-world examples you can adapt in your own career. By the end, you‘ll be equipped with strategies for "managing up" in a way that strengthens your working relationship with your manager and demonstrates your leadership potential.
The Case for Upward Feedback
Let‘s start by looking at some of the key advantages of instituting a culture of upward feedback on your team or in your organization:
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Improving managerial effectiveness: Managers, like anyone else, have areas where they excel and opportunities for growth. Upward feedback illuminates how a leader‘s actions are perceived by their direct reports and can alert them to unintended negative impacts. For example, a manager may think their hands-on approach conveys support, while employees experience it as micromanagement. Armed with this knowledge, the manager can adjust their style accordingly.
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Facilitating open communication: Encouraging upward feedback sends the message that employees‘ opinions are valued and that it‘s safe to voice concerns or ideas. This psychological safety is essential for fostering innovation, preventing ethical breaches, and increasing employee satisfaction and retention. A study by Gallup found that employees who strongly agree that their opinions count at work are 5.6x more likely to perform their best.
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Enhancing engagement and trust: When employees see that their upward feedback is heard and acted upon, it strengthens their sense of investment in the team‘s success. They feel like partners in a two-way dialogue rather than passive recipients of top-down directives. This can boost motivation and morale, leading to better business outcomes. According to research by Salesforce, employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6x more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.
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Identifying future leaders: Giving thoughtful, constructive upward feedback is itself a sign of leadership potential. It demonstrates strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to organizational improvement. Managers can look to upward feedback as one data point in assessing team members‘ readiness for increased responsibilities or promotions. Those who consistently provide valuable input are likely to be strong candidates for leadership roles.
Of course, instituting upward feedback is easier said than done. Employees may hesitate to share critiques with those who have power over their job security and career progression. They may fear being seen as presumptuous or disrespectful. Conversely, managers may feel defensive or threatened by the notion of being evaluated by their subordinates.
The key is to build trust over time through open communication, positive reinforcement, and a track record of acting on feedback. It‘s also crucial to provide training on how to deliver feedback effectively using techniques like focusing on behaviors rather than personality traits, giving specific examples, and balancing positive and constructive input. We‘ll dive into more tips shortly.
6 Upward Feedback Examples
To see what effective upward feedback looks like in action, consider these examples spanning a range of topics and scenarios:
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Showing appreciation for support during a challenging project:
"Thank you for being so available and responsive while I was working on the client presentation last week. I really appreciated you taking the time to review my slides and provide guidance on some tricky points. It gave me the confidence boost I needed going into the meeting, which ended up going very smoothly. I‘m grateful to have a manager who has my back!" -
Expressing concerns about an unsustainable workload:
"I wanted to discuss my capacity and see if we can make some adjustments. Over the past month, I‘ve regularly been working late nights and weekends to keep up with deadlines. While I‘m committed to high-quality work, I‘m starting to feel burned out and worried that I‘ll miss important details. Could we have a conversation about which projects should be prioritized and whether some tasks could be delegated or pushed back?" -
Offering ideas for fostering team connection and collaboration:
"I‘ve noticed that our team meetings have felt a bit rushed and transactional lately as we focus on getting through agenda items. I‘m wondering if we could carve out some time for relationship-building, like sharing personal updates or doing a quick icebreaker. I think it could help us feel more connected while working remotely. What are your thoughts on trying this at our next meeting?" -
Providing feedback on communication style and frequency:
"I wanted to share an observation in the spirit of helping our team work together more efficiently. I‘ve noticed that you tend to send multiple daily check-in emails asking for status updates on projects. While I recognize your intention is to stay informed, the volume of messages can be disruptive to my work flow. Would it be possible to have one weekly progress report unless urgent issues arise? I‘m certainly happy to communicate proactively if I‘m blocked on something." -
Suggesting professional development resources and opportunities:
"In my last performance review, we discussed my goal of improving my data analysis skills. I came across an online course that seems very relevant and has great reviews from other professionals in our field. Would the company be willing to cover the enrollment fee? I estimate it would require about 2 hours per week for 6 weeks, so I would complete it on my own time. I‘m excited to apply the learnings to make our client reports even more impactful." -
Giving input on company policies and strategic direction:
"I recently learned that one of our major competitors offers a student loan repayment benefit for employees. With many on our team carrying educational debt, I think this could be a powerful way to attract and retain talent, especially as we aim to build a more diverse workforce. I‘d be happy to research some options if you think it‘s worth exploring further. I know budgets are tight, but even a small monthly contribution could have an outsized impact on financial wellbeing and loyalty."
As you craft your own upward feedback, remember to pick your timing wisely (e.g. not when your manager is in the middle of a stressful crunch period), practice your points in advance, and enter the conversation with curiosity and positivity. Express your commitment to your manager‘s success and growth, not just your own development. And be sure to acknowledge the vulnerability they‘re showing in being open to feedback.
Normalizing Upward Feedback
For organizations and teams to fully realize the benefits of upward feedback, it needs to become a regular, expected part of the performance management process. Managers can take the lead by proactively soliciting input from their direct reports in one-on-one meetings, after the completion of major projects, or through anonymous surveys.
Explicitly invite and welcome feedback, emphasizing that you see it as a gift and an essential part of your own professional growth. When you receive upward feedback, respond graciously and avoid being defensive or offering immediate counterpoints. If the input is off-base, first reflect on whether there could be a kernel of truth. If needed, share clarifying information or context.
Be transparent about how you‘re incorporating upward feedback into your leadership approach and development priorities. The more employees see their managers and senior leaders modeling receptivity to feedback and actually making changes based on it, the more readily they‘ll embrace the practice themselves.
Finally, find ways to acknowledge and reward those who consistently offer thoughtful, productive upward feedback. Highlight them as role models for others and consider their leadership potential as you build out succession plans.
Upward feedback is a potent tool for driving individual, team, and organizational performance. By equipping employees to "manage up" skillfully, you create a culture of psychological safety, trust, and continual improvement. Implementing the tips and examples covered here will help you build more resilient manager-employee relationships and develop the next generation of emotionally intelligent leaders.
