A couple of weeks ago one of my graduating seniors (I manage a team of seven college students) asked for an exit interview. We met via zoom and she asked me to provide her with some feedback about her work, the way she interacts with colleagues, and any suggestions for areas in which she could improve.

We had a great conversation. She was completely open and I provided her with as many concrete examples as I could. I then asked her if she would feel comfortable providing me with feedback on the way I manage, what her experience had been, what she gained from working in our office for four years, and what would have made it better. She provided me with concrete examples in each of the areas.

I don’t think that Edgar Schein could have written a better example of what a successful feedback session could look like. We were both open to what the other had to say, offered concrete examples, didn’t make it personal, we were humble in our inquiry and thoughtful in our deliver. I’d say that it was one of my biggest career growth spurts in years which all started by her asking for thirty minutes.