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Never Ask for ‘Honest Feedback’
Innovation and Thinking

Never Ask for ‘Honest Feedback’

Michael Heppell
Michael Heppell
May 29, 2025

Yes, you read that right. You should NEVER ask for honest feedback.

Asking for honest feedback sounds magnanimous, but it’s a trap.

‘Why?’ you cry!

Because if you ask for honest feedback, you might just get it…

and not in the way you’d hoped.

Worse is unsolicited honesty. You know the kind:


‘Can I give you some honest feedback?’

Erm… maybe not.

The problem is that ‘honest’ is often just a thinly veiled excuse for someone to share their opinion – not to help you improve.

So what do you do?

You ask for specific feedback.

Use this type of question instead:

1.   What’s one thing I could do to improve this presentation?
Not ten things. One. Focused and actionable.

2.   Was there anything in the report that wasn’t 100% clear?
That’s how you remove confusion.

3.   If you had to tweak one part of this design, what would it be?
You’re permitting them to be constructive, not over-critical.

Honest feedback can create pain.

Specific feedback can create progress.

I believe receiving feedback should make you better.  

And if you would like to give me some specific feedback on this message you can do so here.

Be Brilliant!

Michael

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