How to Ask for Feedback


  • Ask specific questions
  • “How am I doing?” is not helpful
  • Ask instead, for example:
    • Is there something I could have done for [task] better? What areas do you think I could improve upon?
    • Do you have any suggestions for how I can take on more responsibility or expand my role?
    • What goals or objectives should I focus on in the upcoming months?
    • How do you gain visibility into my work?

Asking for help (without triggering Imposter Syndrome)#

How

  • Timeboxing

Treat each Q&A session as an opportunity to build trust

  • Show your due diligence
  • Collaborate on a final solution
    • Never say “I need help”.
    • Say “Hey, I tried this, which resulted to this. Here are the other things I tried, and then this is what happened. Now this is my hypothesis, but I ran out of time. What do you think about that?
  • Clarify assumptions
  • Express gratitude

Reference

Software Developer Success: Soft Skills & Testing