Give feedback sooner, rather than later (Zhou)

If you have feedback, especially around expectations, it’s better to give it as soon as you know it. Don’t wait for quarterly reviews.

• If it’s negative feedback, then the person has time to respond to it.
• If it’s someone asking for a promotion, let them know what you can about prospects so they can either start working towards earning it or not falsely get their hopes up.
• If you assign someone an important project and you want to stay extra informed, let them know so they don’t interpret it as micromanaging.

This cuts both ways — ask people to give you feedback early. If you have a deadline coming up you want to know right away if you’re going to miss it, not the week before.

References

Julie Zhou, The Making of a Manager

Backlinks

• The Making of a Manager
  • Give feedback sooner, rather than later (Zhou)