Should I ask my employees for feedback?

Dear Aunty B,

It is performance review time and this year I asked my senior management to critique me in their performance review. It backfired. A few of them were quite critical and it made the performance review uncomfortable. It felt like they breached the boss/employee line.

Dear Miffed,

Be careful what you ask for. I asked Teenage Son Two recently, in an unusual mummy moment, if he needed any further advice on sex education. He said the only thing that really puzzled him was how to successfully put a condom on a soft banana.

Look, this stuff is all about communication. You’re the boss. Don’t ask them to critique you. You hire, fire and are in charge of pay rises. So either they are going to lie to you or they are really bad at managing up.

Be more general. Ask them how they are finding the job. Are they getting enough direction? Are they clear about the goals and the focus of the company?  Are they clear on the targets they have to meet every day, every month? Do they need any assistance to help them do their job better? Where do they see the company in three years time? How do they see their role changing? Are they enjoying work?

This gives you the information you need to judge your own management style without putting your employee in a corner and making them say nice things about you.

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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