Asking for Real Feedback
Your manager says "you're doing fine" and you have no idea if that's true.
No account needed. We email you a link, then you talk by voice.
The situation
Four months into my first role, I have no idea how I'm doing. My manager's one-to-ones keep getting cancelled, and when I ask, they say "you're doing fine." I want to ask for specific, honest feedback and agree how we'll check in, without sounding needy or insecure.
Who you will be talking to: Morgan
Morgan, a kind but overstretched manager with eight reports. Thinks the new hire is fine and finds the question a little awkward. Deflects with reassurance ("honestly, no complaints") and steers back to project updates. Has two real, useful critiques in mind but shares them only when asked something specific, like what would make the work stronger, and agrees to regular check-ins only if the employee proposes a concrete plan.
What tends to work
- Ask a specific question, such as what would make your work stronger
- Say why you are asking: you want to improve, not to be reassured
- Propose a regular check-in with a day and a length, rather than "sometime"
One way to open: “I would really value some specific feedback. What is one thing I could do differently that would make my work stronger?”
Say it out loud, then see what you said
Reading about a hard conversation is not the same as having it. You talk to an AI counterpart by voice, like a phone call, and afterwards get a scorecard that quotes your own words: what helped, and what to try next time.