Giving feedback to your BOSS?!

Ever stayed quiet when your boss is doing something wrong? (I did)

We know there’s a better way, but we don’t speak up.

Why?

Because we don’t want to hurt their ego, and we definitely don’t want to mess up our chance at a promotion.

But staying silent doesn’t make us look confident. Does it?

And for those of us who are immigrants trying to stand out at work, staying quiet can make us fade into the background.

Here’s a Real Example:

One of my former bosses did team shoutouts.

Sounds great, right?

The problem? Only Team leaders were supposed to give the shoutouts, but some were too shy to speak up.

So only the teams with more confident leaders got recognized. If your leader was shy, you stayed invisible.

Totally unfair.

So, What’s the Solution?

Here’s a simple 3-step approach I applied:

• Start with a Compliment:

Lead with what they did right. It eases their ego and opens the door. “I love how you encourage team recognition - it’s a great way to boost morale.”

• Stick to Facts, Not Feelings:

No vague stuff. No “I feel like…” or “It seems to me…” Instead, give something concrete:

“Here’s what I noticed: Some team leads are too shy to give shoutouts, so not everyone is getting recognized. This makes some team members feel left out.

One way to fix this could be allowing anyone on the team to give a shoutout, not just the leads.”

• Check Your Mindset:

Are you trying to help or just flex? Sincerity wins. Every time.

Guess what?

We started doing team shoutouts where everyone could chime in, not just the leaders.

If You’re Trying to Build That Leadership Presence:

Next time you need to give feedback:

• Spot a win to start with.
• Note the key takeaway you want them to remember.
• Get your mindset right - Helpful > Superior.

Trust me, whether it’s giving feedback to your boss or improving communication skills within your team, this approach works.

Test it out. You got this.

Recommendation Zone:

If you have time and want to dive deeper into giving feedback, here’s a resource:

The Art Of Delivering Constructive Feedback by Robert Logemann

Thanks for reading the #8 edition of The Confident Communicator.

If you particularly liked (or disliked) something, let me know in the comments.

See you next Monday!