"Early in my (Chantal's) career, my manager, Scott, shared something in my annual review that I'll never forget. My sarcastic sense of humor made some people uncomfortable. He recommended that I "tone it down a bit." I felt embarrassed and defensive. Since I was young, I'd always leveraged humor to connect and signal mental acuity. The feedback made me question what I thought I knew. Was my presumed superpower actually a liability? The conversation rattled me."
"So often, early-career professionals enter the workforce and receive technical feedback from managers: fix code this way, prepare for a check-in using this template, sequence slides like this for a presentation. This type of feedback is helpful. Too often though, managers are nervous to share behavioral feedback (like what Scott gave to me). They worry that it'll come across as too subjective and therefore not valid or offensive to the receiver. These are reasonable concerns, but unfortunately, perception can impact how your career progresses."
Early in a career, a manager told a junior employee that sarcastic humor made some people uncomfortable and suggested toning it down, which prompted embarrassment and defensiveness. Technical feedback is common and actionable, but managers often avoid behavioral feedback because it feels subjective or potentially offensive. Perception of interpersonal behavior can influence career progression. Recipients should resist defensive reactions by giving themselves grace, recognizing blind spots, and treating feedback as one person's perspective rather than fact. Recipients can hold feedback at arm's length, examine it, and decide whether accepting it will support professional development.
Read at Fast Company
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