How to request that feedback be passed on to my boss?

April 27, 2016 10:15 AM

The nature of my job is that I don't have a lot of contact with my immediate leader for long periods of time. I've been "on loan" to another area of the company since late last year. In that time, I've received a lot of positive feedback on my work. Sometimes this is given to me in person and other times it's through email. Is there a tactful way that I could suggest that people pass some of this feedback onto my boss, so that it can be considered when I'm being given my performance evaluation? I'm not really sure how to phrase this in a way that isn't awkward?
posted by anonymous to Work & Money (13 answers total)

To the person giving you complimentary feedback:
"Thank you so much! I'd love if you could pass that on to [boss] so s/he knows you were happy with the job we did."

For yourself:
Save written feedback and keep a list for yourself of your achievements with names of who was pleased with your performance so you have something concrete to refer to at your performance review.
posted by Wretch729 at 10:23 AM on April 27, 2016 [8 favorites]

My usual formula in response to a compliment, back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was doing client-facing legal work, was along the lines of "Thank you very much, that's good to hear. I'd like to be able to show that to my boss. Could you put it in writing please?" Nobody ever refused. This has to be done in response to the compliment though--wouldn't work so well if you waited for days or weeks afterwards.
posted by Logophiliac at 10:23 AM on April 27, 2016 [6 favorites]

On non-preview, exactly what Wretch729 said, even to the file of written feedback.
posted by Logophiliac at 10:24 AM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

What a good problem to have! I reply to the emailed feedback... "Hi, Bob! Thanks so much for the positive feedback - I really enjoy the work I do for you here in Widgets. Could you do me a favor and also email this feedback to Gerri back in Gizmos? She'll be putting together my performance evaluation and I want to make sure she knows everything I've been doing here in the Widget department. Thanks so much!"
posted by kimberussell at 10:25 AM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yes to all of the above. Me, I keep a file in my email archive called "Egoboo" for copies of all those compliments, in case I need to prove I'm supporting our clients to their satisfaction.
posted by suelac at 10:34 AM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

I think Wretch729 has the perfect line. And as for the awkwardness, this is a very common situation in many industries, so people will not be shocked in any way from this request. I mean, if someone sent that response to one of your complimentary emails, would you be upset?
posted by blurker at 11:08 AM on April 27, 2016

As a boss, I appreciate seeing this from other departments about my employees. I also take pains to cc other employees bosses when providing positive feeback.

If you get an email compliment, put your boss on cc with a shorter version of kimberussell's reply "Hi, Bob! Thanks so much for the positive feedback - I really enjoy the work I do for you here in Widgets."

Now Bob doesn't have to write another email, and the next time Bob compliments you he will likely take the hint and cc your boss.
posted by ElGuapo at 11:47 AM on April 27, 2016 [5 favorites]

Heads up! When I've done this in the past, I've had people forward the whole email trail to my boss, including my request that they let my boss know. Aw..KWARD!
posted by vitabellosi at 12:15 PM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Your boss shouldn't have a problem with you asking people to give her feedback on your performance. If you think she might, run it by her before making this request of others.
posted by soelo at 1:15 PM on April 27, 2016

I keep a few of my bosses' business cards--with her permission--to hand out for this and other uses of our clients.
posted by gregoreo at 4:09 PM on April 27, 2016

you need to be a little more proactive about this. If you have a bunch of emails, print them out and give them to your boss well in advance of your performance review.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:46 PM on April 27, 2016

I just forward it to my boss, saying "hey look Mr Smith's really happy with his care/our service!"

I work in a team though, which makes it easier to say how well we're all doing without looking like I'm boasting. I do forward stuff that is just about how great I am, but I make sure I couch it in "this person thinks our team is fabulous" terms rather than "look how great I am" terms. I also bring verbal praise/gifts to team meetings - again, with a "team doing well" spin. Because we ARE a team, and credit is usually given to the doctor when actually everyone has played a part.

From my boss's point of view, she wants to know about any and all praise for the team because SHE then uses that in HER appraisal. So there's no need to be coy.
posted by tinkletown at 5:28 AM on April 28, 2016

I am always happy to do send positive feedback to someone's manager/boss.whatever -- and in fact on my other computer I have a complimentary email open right now. :7)

Often I offer to do it on my own, but in this case the person asked me to do so after I complimented him. No worries, he was a huge help!
posted by wenestvedt at 8:35 AM on April 28, 2016