Giving Negative Feedback to Your Boss: 12 Safe Examples

May 15

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Is there something about your boss that’s irritating you? You want to say something, but you’re worried about angering him or her?

Have no fear.

Here are a few examples on how to give negative feedback to your boss:

On micromanaging + nitpicking

“I understand your time is extremely valuable. Therefore, I would hate to waste your time on the minutiae of my assignments. What can I do to ensure you the work I put out is at the level you expect?”

On lack of guidance

“This is a completely new subject matter for me. Although I’m spending time researching the subject, I would still appreciate more guidance than usual to ensure I’m making the right progress.”

On confusing or contradictory instructions

“I would like some clarification on this situation. This is what I’m hearing from you: _______, which doesn’t quite match what you told me yesterday. Yesterday you said: _______. Would you please clarify the action you would like me to take?”

On blaming

“In the meeting this morning, you had implied I had made a mistake in the assignment. I wasn’t aware of that. Would you please provide me with a little more context about what exactly happened? Maybe I can shed some light on the situation.”

On getting dull assignments

“How would you rate the success of these past assignments I’ve completed?”

Assuming the manager’s response is something along the lines of, “You’ve done a great job.”

“That’s awesome to hear. I’ve been spending quite some time mastering my skills for these assignments. I feel I’ve reached the point where these assignments aren’t challenging enough anymore. If possible, I would like to start receiving more challenging assignments so I can continue to build on my skills.”

On being passive aggressive

“I value your thoughtfulness and consideration for others’ feelings when you provide feedback. With me, I much prefer candid conversations. I feel that the message sometimes gets lost when people put too much focus on trying to sound inoffensive. I would appreciate your directness so we can put that focus on how I can improve instead.”

On using threats

“I appreciate your feedback on my recent performance. I agree with you that I need to work on my approach with potential customers in order to reach my sales goals. I will start working on it today. In the future, I would appreciate you to continue providing candid, constructive feedback without the added threats. You want to manage a successful team that exceeds goals. I am motivated to help drive the team’s success because I enjoy being on this team and value the lessons you have to offer. I will continue to work hard to be a valuable asset to this team. These threats would be counterproductive to both of our goals.”

On asking questions

“I appreciate your interest in what I’m working on. It seems like there’s still areas of the project you would like a better understanding of. Would it be helpful to set up periodic meetings where you can get all the answers you need from me at once?”

On rejecting your ideas

“The last three times I tried proposing an idea, you decided fairly quickly to reject the ideas. What would you like me to provide you in order to make a more compelling case when I propose a new idea?”

On playing favorites

“The past few times we’ve brought on major clients that everyone on our sales team would like to take on, you made the decision to give them all to Jane. It’s also rare for her to be assigned the smaller clients. What are your thoughts about the perception of favoritism towards Jane?”

On being a hypocrite

“You always remind us to listen to the customer and make decisions based on their needs. Through customer interviews, we found out they need more face-to-face time. Last week, you made the decision to cut down on face-to-face time. Would you please share your thoughts behind your decision?”

On having unrealistic expectations

“I am concerned about the deadlines set for these projects. I’m currently working on X, Y, and Z. I cannot finish all three projects this week. I would like to know which two are of the highest priority at the moment so I can spend my time effectively.”