18 Examples of Effective Employee Feedback for Managers

Giving feedback to managers and supervisors can be difficult. As an employee, it may feel intimidating to provide constructive criticism to someone in a position of authority. However, honest and thoughtful feedback is invaluable for helping managers recognize their blindspots, improve leadership skills, and foster a culture of open communication.

In this article, we will provide 18 examples of effective employee feedback for managers. Whether praising their strengths or highlighting areas for improvement, these actionable examples can help inspire you to deliver feedback that makes an impact.

Why Employee Feedback is Crucial for Managers

First let’s examine why employee feedback is so important for those in leadership roles

• Enhances self-awareness – Managers have a high-level view of operations and may lose sight of day-to-day realities Honest feedback gives context and highlights unseen weak points.

• Facilitates continuous growth – Leader competencies constantly evolve. Feedback pinpoints opportunities for skills development and training.

• Boosts trust and transparency – Open communication in both directions builds mutual understanding and stronger relationships.

• Identifies blindspots – Even talented managers have blindspots. Feedback sheds light on areas leaders didn’t realize needed improvement.

• Prevents disconnects – Without feedback, assumptions can lead to frustration. Open dialogue aligns expectations between leaders and team members.

• Enables course correction – Ongoing feedback provides the chance to refine processes, resources, and communication before small issues become major problems.

• Improves morale – Employees feel empowered and valued when they can safely voice thoughts and contribute to solutions.

Now that we’ve covered the importance of feedback, let’s look at 18 examples across different focus areas:

Examples of Positive Feedback for Managers

Positive feedback is just as crucial as constructive criticism. Be sure to highlight strengths, wins, and things the manager is doing well.

Recognizing Leadership Efforts

• “I appreciate you jumping in to help when things get busy. It really takes the pressure off the team.”

• “Thanks for trusting me with this new responsibility. It’s helped build my confidence.”

• “Your mentoring has been invaluable in helping me develop new skills.”

Praising Communication Skills

• “The weekly team meetings have really improved communication and transparency.”

• “I like the detailed meeting minutes you provide. They help keep everyone aligned on action items.”

• “Thanks for keeping us updated on company news. I appreciate the transparency.”

Acknowledging Work-Life Balance Efforts

• “I’m grateful for the flexibility you’ve shown in accommodating my family obligations.”

• “Your boundaries around after-hours work have really helped maintain positive team morale.”

• “I appreciate your understanding when I need to shift my schedule occasionally. It makes me feel valued.”

Recognizing Performance Management Support

• “The SMART goals we set during my review gave me clarity. I’ve been more productive as a result.”

• “Thanks for taking so much time to provide thoughtful feedback on my work. It’s helped me continuously improve.”

• “I appreciate you holding me accountable to my development goals. It shows you’re invested in my growth.”

Examples of Constructive Feedback for Managers

While highlighting opportunities for improvement, maintain a respectful, helpful tone and focus on behaviors vs. character judgments.

Enhancing Leadership Approach

• “I would love more regular check-ins and direction from you. The extra coaching would help my growth.”

• “It would be helpful to understand the reasoning behind decisions that impact our work.”

• “I feel certain voices dominate team meetings. Can we try individually soliciting input from everyone?”

Improving Communication

• “Lately, communication has felt one-sided. I would appreciate more chances to share my perspective.”

• “At times, expectations seem unclear. Could we implement 15-minute project kick-off meetings to align on objectives and requirements?”

• “I don’t always receive enough context to prioritize competing tasks. Direct check-ins would help set me up for success.”

Establishing Clearer Expectations

• “My current workload has felt unmanageable. Could we meet to re-prioritize projects and set reasonable deadlines?”

• “I’m starting to feel burned out balancing competing priorities. Some delegation of responsibilities could help.”

• “I feel in over my head with this new assignment. Some additional training and ramp-up time would set me up for success.”

Improving Recognition and Morale

• “I don’t feel my efforts have been sufficiently recognized lately. More frequent acknowledgement would greatly improve my motivation.”

• “Our team worked extremely hard to deliver that project on time. Some appreciation from leadership would boost morale.”

• “I’m proud of my performance this quarter but haven’t received any feedback. Understanding what I’m doing well would help me repeat that success.”

Effective Ways to Deliver Feedback to Managers

Now that we’ve provided specific examples, here are some best practices for effectively delivering your message:

• Schedule time – Don’t “ambush” them. Set up a meeting focused specifically on sharing your feedback.

• Be direct yet diplomatic – Avoid ambiguity, but maintain an air of constructive professionalism.

• Use clear examples – Cite specific situations or scenarios to ground your message and eliminate misinterpretations.

• Suggest solutions – Provide recommendations to help resolve any issues highlighted.

• Focus on behaviors – Critique actions, not intrinsic qualities. Avoid character judgments.

• Maintain calm – Monitor your emotions and attitude. Don’t let anger or defensiveness derail the discussion.

• Follow-up – Arrange occasional check-ins to reinforce positive changes and demonstrate you’re invested in their success.

Creating a Feedback-Rich Culture

While these examples provide a starting point, developing a culture that embraces continuous feedback takes time. Leaders set the tone. As a manager, consider the following strategies:

• Make yourself available and approachable. Let employees know you welcome regular input.

• Continually self-reflect and actively solicit feedback from your team through surveys, meetings, and 1:1s.

• When receiving feedback, listen attentively without interruption. Be grateful for their candor.

• Avoid immediate defensiveness if the feedback surprises you. Reflect before reacting.

• Recognize constructive criticism as a gift rather than a threat. View it as an opportunity for mutual growth and trust-building.

• Implement regular peer feedback across your team. This facilitates candid horizontal dialogue, not just top-down messaging.

• Share and celebrate wins based on feedback-driven change. This reinforces the value of speaking up.

• Model vulnerability. Admit your mistakes and areas for improvement. Take ownership of your own development.

• Tie feedback processes directly to performance management. This motivates continuous improvement.

Soliciting upward feedback may feel uncomfortable at first. But an environment where employees feel psychologically safe to express concerns, share ideas, and weigh in on decisions unleashes tremendous advantages, for both individual leaders and the organization as a whole.

So be bold. Speaking up constructively could be the catalyst to unlocking a manager’s full potential and taking your team to new heights. The examples provided above can help guide you to deliver feedback that inspires change.