Most bosses are familiar with providing feedback to their direct reports. However, organizations may not have a process in place for bosses receiving upward feedback. Essentially, upward feedback reverses the traditional manager-to-employee feedback model. Instead of leaders sharing their thoughts with employees, the employees offer feedback on their manager’s performance or behavior as it relates to them.

Even though it may feel daunting, there are many benefits to providing upward feedback. For one, it allows leaders to obtain useful insight, according to writer Nathan Ojaokomo. Upward feedback also helps companies identify potential leaders. Giving constructive feedback is a useful skill, and it highlights the employees who truly care about an organization’s progress.

If you’ve never given this kind of feedback, you may wonder how to approach it. We share some best practices from Ojaokomo in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Consider your relationship with your boss. Have you worked with your boss for years or are you relatively new to the team? Ojaokomo says that without an existing relationship, feedback can be tricky to give safely. When you know your boss and their personality, preferences and temperament, you can get a better feel for how they will respond to your feedback.

Don’t just spring feedback on your boss. Be wary of unsolicited feedback, Ojaokomo says. Rather than chiming in with your comments, try posing a question. For example, you might say to your boss at the beginning of a new project, “Would it be helpful to you if I gave you feedback at different points during this new endeavor?” When you show your willingness to help, your boss is more likely to want to hear your opinion.

Speak from your viewpoint. Upward feedback shouldn’t be about employees pretending like they could do a better job if they were in charge. Instead, it’s helpful to share examples and explain what changes you would like to see. You could say something like, “I felt a condescending tone during our meeting when you explained your expectations. Personally, I’m more motivated when I hear phrases like …” By framing your feedback this way, Ojaokomo says that your boss may see themselves the way others do and feel empowered to do better.

Don’t go to their boss. Never go further up the chain than necessary when providing upward feedback. In other words, Ojaokomo says it’s best to talk to your manager directly rather than going a level above. If you bypass your boss, you risk bringing on more issues than you anticipated. However, if you’re in a situation where you feel like you can’t trust your boss, it’s okay to get additional support from HR or legal, he adds.

Remember that silence is sometimes golden. While upward feedback can be useful at times, at other times, it’s best to just bite your tongue. Ojaokomo says that unless their behavior puts you, the team or the company at risk, there’s no upside to upsetting your working relationship with your boss. You can always look for other, more anonymous ways to share your feedback.

Upward feedback doesn’t always have to involve constructive criticism. It can also be a way to show appreciation for the help and guidance your boss provides. But should you need to talk to your boss about some improvement areas, consider the tips above to make the experience a productive and positive one.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Nathan Ojaokomo is a content writer and content marketing specialist who contributes to the HubSpot blog.