Ask HN: Unsolicited Feedback, Yay or Nay?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4569040

by mehulkar • 14 years ago

1 4 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

If you hire someone to do something and they do a good job or a poor job, is it your responsibility to provide feedback or only if you're asked? I crave feedback most of the time, but if it was unsolicited and negative, I could imagine myself getting offended.

joshsusser2• 14 years ago

You have just told me why I absolutely should not hire you, at least while you have that attitude. Someone who cannot respond positively to negative feedback is what we call "unmanageable". Nobody is perfect, so nobody can do a job perfectly. And when (not if) you screw up, it is definitely your manager's job to provide feedback, whether or not you want to hear it. You can hope your manager is experienced enough to deliver the feedback in a constructive way, but even if not, you need to be adult enough to take it in stride, learn from the experience, and do better next time. Welcome to the real world.

mehulkar2• 14 years ago

I may have phrased the question wrong, but I meant the other way around. If I did work for you, would you provide me with feedback if I didn't ask for it?

joshsusser2• 14 years ago

Of course I would. That's part of managing.

Ask HN: Unsolicited Feedback, Yay or Nay?

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