If your manager asks for feedback, what can you say?

[hispenola]

I’m currently training on a grad programme. I rotate around different teams for a 6 months at a time. I’ve really disliked my current rotation. I need a good review from my manager.

My manager is fine but it’s her first time as a graduate manager. She’s been told by HR to ask me for feedback on how she had performed her role and how she might improve for the next grad.

Truth be told, she can be a bit of a bully. Has proven herself untrustworthy and completely unwilling to stand up for me when other team members have ridiculous demands. I’ve found all she was really interested in doing was giving me her dull admin work.

So when the time comes and she asks for feedback, do I lie and tell her she’s fabulous?

I'd be honest and say I didn't feel well supported by her and that she needs to think more clearly about the variety of work allocated to people she manages. Also there are wider issues with other team members putting too much pressure on new recruits.

Get your side of the story in as she probably isn't going to give you a good review. Sounds like a toxic shitheap anyway, just use them for training and get a job elsewhere.

I think it's good to develop your skills in constructive feedback - good organisations will take this seriously - but it needs to be constructive not a character assassination, so examples of occasions and input on how things could be improved for future.

• in a grad role there will be lots of admin work but you could say it would have helped your development more to have had exposure to other areas of work through shadowing, inclusion in meetings etc (whatever would have been practical) .- you would have appreciated more support in managing and prioritising your workload, with examples, and support in your development of how to manage multiple demands and say no when necessary

• give examples of how it worked well in your other placements

Give this as written feedback so you have a paper trail that it was all fair and constructive. In future placements make sure you are having these conversations throughout your placement so that managers have the opportunity to address issues.

You will really helpful in keeping me busy and allocating work so I knew what I needed to do. For future graduates I think it would be helpful to consider work that stretches their learning more and encourage independence skills. I found the team environment a bit challenging at times and on reflection it would have helped my confidence to have more support in advocating for myself. Overall I have learned a lot from being in the team and am looking forward to the next challenge.

Although if she's a bully she'll take offence at that anyway probably but at least you look professional overall. You don't need to mention that the thing you've learned a lot about is what doesn't work and how not to be a crap manager. Ironically you will probably get quite a lot of development from this. The more senior members may realise what she's like and be impressed you've given feedback in an accountable way

Honest reviews of shit managers will probably affect you more than them. That shouldn't be the case but usually is.

I'd give feedback but keep it generic and vague and nothing particularly offensive.

Hi X,

I've included some feedback below using the stop/start/continue method, hope that's OK!

Stop: I find using different channels challenging sometimes - I'd like to see one channel used for work instructions, for example email and not a mix of email and Teams.
Start: I'd love to implement a 10 minute zoom on a Friday, just for a quick review of how the works gone that week. I think this would be really beneficial for future grads.
Continue: Supporting my development by allowing me to complete X task. I'd not had experience in this area before so it's definitely improved my knowledge.

Thanks
Hispenola

I have to do this for my manager and keep putting it off. I like her, which is a good start, but she can turn a simple instruction into a lecture and it’s difficult to pick out what she’s after. I also wish she’d just make a decision and communicate it to us but instead she tends to push it on to us but has individual conversations with us and then wonders why we can’t pull together what she’s asking for.

Ha, just writing this has helped me articulate what’s bothering me!

What about ...

Generally happy with management, recommend below for improvement moving forward:

Manage the competing demands from a variety of colleagues on grad trainees ... maybe one person to 'oversee' all staff requests and assign?

Provide more challenging work for trainees alongside basic administrative work - to provide growth opportunities.

You can only be totally honest after she's done a reference for you.

'I feel unable to give you quality feedback because I wasn't given any quality work to do'.