I had a wonderful boss when I worked for Honeywell during my very first stint in Human Resources. During performance review time he asked permission to discuss the 95% of good performance he saw in me but to also inform me about my “hidden feedback.” He explained that some employees go through an entire career without ever knowing about this type of negative feedback that holds them back from growing and developing their best self in the work place. Feedback that most employers would rather not get into but feedback that other peers, managers and subordinates know about you (and may discuss without you knowing it). My Honeywell boss put the mirror up to me.
I was a younger Man of 31 years old at the time. I remember he shared some things about me that I was not ready for. I remember pouting and leaving the performance review upset. In fact, he called me later that night to make sure I was ok. What a great guy and boss.
When I woke the next morning, I realized what he told me was accurate. I also realized that I needed to change myself in the area of “hidden feedback” that was offered. This painful feedback made me better and allowed me to grow into a better executive and a better person.
If you have executives who need to clearly hear what their “hidden feedback” is, do them a favor and discuss this at the appropriate time. Package the information as a 95% positive-5% hidden feedback conversation. I execute executive coaching with “hidden feedback” squarely in mind. It can do wonders for a career and performance if executed correctly.
Thank you Honeywell boss for your courage.
