What do you do when no one will give you actionable and useful feedback? That’s the situation our guest, an aerospace engineer, has been in for years. And while she’s managed to move up within her company, she feels like she’s missing out on information that would clarify her standing there and secure her future success.

Ella Bell, an expert on interpersonal communication and organizational behavior, shares creative ways to draw out people’s perceptions of your performance and potential. She also offers advice on how to make sense of the feedback you do receive. It can be especially tricky if you don’t agree with what someone says or if their comments don’t align with your priorities. We talk through both scenarios and give suggestions for how to respond.

Guest expert: 

Ella Bell is a professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

Resources:

• “We Deserve Better Than ‘Attagirl,’” from Women at Work
• “Why Asking for Advice Is More Effective Than Asking for Feedback,” by Jaewon Yoon et al.
• “The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback,” by Tasha Eurich
• “The Right Way to Process Feedback,” by Cameron Conaway
• “You Need Tough Feedback—Here’s How to Get It – HBR Video,” from Christine vs. Work

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