The other half of feedback that managers need to be concerned about is being able to successfully handle the feedback that team members or others give them. Managers need to view receiving feedback as a plus. If a team member is willing to give a manager feedback, it demonstrates that the team member is concerned about meeting the goals of the department or organization. It shows that the team member cares. It also demonstrates that the manager has built a relationship with her team where issues and problems can be talked about openly. Just like employees, managers often are not aware that certain actions of theirs are causing concerns.
The more typical concerns for which team members give their managers feedback are:
- Not sharing information
- Not involving the team member in decisions
- Bypassing the team member and going directly to the team member’s direct employee (if the team member has supervisory responsibilities)
- Taking credit for the accomplishment of a team member
- Not giving team members the opportunities for growth and development that they are looking for
- Micromanaging
- Giving unclear or nonspecific directions
- Being vague in the feedback given (e.g., "The client is complaining about the service he is getting")
- Being biased or making decisions based on assumptions