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Between regular meetings, yearly performance reviews and performance improvement plans, there are a multitude of ways for managers to evaluate employee performance and communicate feedback. What’s often less common is structured internal business processes that provide space for employees to offer feedback on a manager’s performance.
While businesses often aim to create work environments that support open and honest communication, knowing how to approach leadership with suggestions without inadvertently causing offense can be daunting. To help, 20 Forbes Business Council members suggest effective ways employees can balance giving constructive feedback to their managers while remaining empathetic and respectful.
1. Build A Rapport First
Think of a business relationship as a bank account. You want to deposit into it trust, respect and consistent performance over a long period of time before you make a withdrawal. Have open and honest conversations, and make sure you connect your concerns to the team's goals. Continue building rapport over a long period of time so you'll be able to deduct from the balance when that time comes. - Joseph Drups, Drups Ventures
2. Ask For Permission
Get their permission first. If they're not open to feedback, ask yourself, "Is this representative of just this manager or the corporate culture as a whole?" If the latter, it may be time to polish up your resume. - Brandon Carlson, Lean TECHniques, Inc.
3. Take A Thoughtful Approach
When giving feedback, approach it thoughtfully and with respect. Focus on specific, constructive points and identify areas for feedback, emphasizing behaviors or processes, not personal traits. For example, if a manager's communication style impacts workflow, use "I" statements to keep the tone collaborative and help the manager see feedback as a chance to support team growth. - Kristina Aran, EVOLVE Integrative Psychotherapy
4. Choose The Right Time And Place
Start by choosing the right time and place—like during a one-on-one meeting. Be specific and focus on facts, not feelings. For example, instead of saying that meetings are too long, try something like, "I notice our team meetings often run 30 minutes over schedule, which impacts my other work. Maybe we could stick to an agenda?" Keep it professional and solution-focused. - Vikrant Shaurya, Authors On Mission
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5. Start With The 'Why'
When giving feedback to a manager, an employee should start with the "why" and frame the feedback in terms of team outcomes or project success. This grounds the conversation in shared goals and reduces defensiveness. Use collaborative language like, "How could we make this even better?" to put the focus on growth and improvement, not criticism. - Jim Stevenson, Bletchley Group
6. Point To Specific Situations
Even in the case of managers, feedback should be bidirectional and handled with thought and respect. Start by focusing on specific situations rather than being general, and frame it as a mutual aim for improvement. One could say, "I feel we can improve team communication by holding more frequent check-ins. What about you?" This keeps the tone collaborative and constructive. - Kamya Elawadhi, Doceree
7. Frame Feedback Around Shared Goals
One effective step is to frame feedback around shared goals, focusing on solutions rather than just issues. For instance, an employee might say, “To help streamline our project timelines, could we explore having more regular check-ins?” This approach keeps the feedback collaborative, respectful and geared toward mutual improvement, fostering a positive work environment. - Egor Karpovich, Travel Code Inc.
8. Be Respectful
When giving feedback to a manager, approach the conversation with respect, focusing on shared goals and the potential benefits for the organization. Communicate your points clearly and avoid unnecessary criticism. Maintain a collaborative tone to emphasize that your intent is to support rather than to critique. Respectful feedback builds trust and paves the way for positive change. - Daniel Paxitzis, Fayston Preparatory School
9. Focus On Coming To A Mutually Desirable Outcome
Approach with the intent of reaching a mutually desirable outcome. Initiate the conversation by asking if the manager is open to feedback. If they are, begin with your observation, owning that the observation is your point of view. Avoid making assumptions about the “why” behind the behavior. This deeper understanding is a door opener for delivering objective, constructive and empathetic feedback. - Camille Nicita, Human8
10. Adopt The SBI Model
After choosing the right time and place to give your manager feedback, try the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model to structure your feedback. This framework involves describing the situation or context in which the behavior occurred, detailing the behavior or actions you observed and explaining how those actions impacted or affected you, the team or the project. - Chris Gerlach, Synergy Life Science
11. Avoid Sharing Too Much At Once
One common mistake employees make when giving feedback is addressing too much at once. Rather than piling everything on at your next one-on-one meeting, choose one piece of feedback and have specific examples ready. Give them plenty of room for a response and address more topics at a later time. This is the first step towards building ongoing trust and communication with your manager. - Mark DeHaan, TenantCloud & Rentler
12. Request Feedback First
The best way to help others receive feedback is to request it first. By asking for feedback, you are creating an equal space to then give feedback. The conversation at the end of you receiving feedback should ideally be, "What about me? Do you have any feedback for me"? If not, then a gentle nudge is all that will be required. - Manley Hopkinson, Manley Talks Ltd - Compassionate Leadership Academy
13. Ensure They Will Receive It Without Feeling Attacked
The best way to give feedback is to set up an opportunity for them to receive it without feeling attacked. Creating the opening starts with asking permission. Generally, when people receive feedback without a heads-up, they respond defensively. For the feedback to be heard and received well, their defense system needs to be down so they don’t hear it as an attack or criticism. - Ariya Malek, Educational Awakening Center
14. Focus On One Area
When giving feedback to a manager, employees should prepare by choosing one actionable area of focus. For instance, if communication during property inspections could be improved, frame it as "I think clearer updates could help us address tenant needs more efficiently." Specificity makes feedback valuable and easy to implement. - Anthony A. Luna, Coastline Equity Property Management
15. Include Qualitative And Quantitative Observations
Framing feedback around qualitative and quantitative observations is critical. Instead of saying, “Team meetings feel unproductive,” employees might offer, “Our last three meetings ran over by an average of 20 minutes, and several agenda items were not addressed. Tightening the agenda might help us stay on track.” Actionable feedback respects the manager’s leadership and fosters mutual growth. - Dr. Cassandra Henderson, Child Action, Inc.
16. Lead With Value
Start by highlighting a recent win or success and build trust. Then segue with, “Here’s how we could make it even better.” This approach is proactive, not reactive. They won’t just hear your feedback—they’ll listen, engage and appreciate your insight. This method shifts the conversation from critique to collaboration, positioning you as a team player focused on collective success. - Greg Clement, Realeflow
17. Highlight Specific Observable Behaviors And Their Impact
Feedback is crucial for growth. When providing feedback to a manager, focus on specific observable behaviors and their impact instead of using generalizations or judgments. This will help you give your managers clear, actionable feedback, making it easier for them to understand your perspective and make positive changes. - Trey Ferro, Spot Pet Insurance
18. Integrate Feedback Into Personal Development Discussions
Incorporate your feedback into personal development plan discussions. For example, during a review, discuss how certain changes in management style or decision-making processes could help you achieve your professional goals. This frames your feedback in the context of your personal growth and the organization’s success. - Ran Ronen, Equally AI
19. Offer Practical Solutions
Managers deal with a lot of day-to-day stress, so feedback is most helpful when it offers more than just problems. Practical solutions or suggestions for improvement can make a real impact. This approach demonstrates awareness of the issues and a commitment to helping the team succeed. Presenting ideas for improvement makes the feedback feel supportive and keeps the conversation constructive. - Sabeer Nelliparamban, Tyler Petroleum Inc.
20. Keep It Simple
I firmly believe that simplicity is genius. Honesty and integrity are key principles. An employee should communicate openly and directly with their manager without withholding information, even if it might be unpleasant. It’s important to remember that the entire team is working together to address the company’s shared challenges. - Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o
