Receiving feedback from your manager can help you align your development with the goals of your organization and team, as well as provide an opportunity to increase awareness of your strengths and opportunities for growth.
BetterUp has developed a simple process for involving your manager in coaching that allows you to get input on where to focus as well as feedback on your growth. Manager feedback is collected in a way that ensures your coaching conversations remain confidential and that you have the freedom to focus on what you care about most, ensuring you remain the driver of your own coaching journey.
During your BetterUp onboarding, you will be asked if you would like to receive feedback from your manager. You have the ability to request your manager’s input at any point during your coaching journey. If you selected "No" when you signed up, we will send you a follow-up message 30 days after you sign up, asking whether you'd like your manager's input at that point.
Your coaching will remain completely confidential. Your manager will receive only your program start date, the top 5 Whole Person strengths, and the inputs you provide in this feedback request.
Manager Feedback Process
During Onboarding, you’ll also be asked if you want to invite your manager to provide you with their feedback.If you opt-in, you will be automatically directed to the Manager Recommendation Assessment (focus areas). You will be asked four questions. Upon completing those questions, your manager will be notified via email of your request for feedback. Once your manager completes their portion, this will generate the Manager Recommendation Assessment. We will email you and your coach the Manager Recommendation Assessment to review.
After two months, you will receive an email from us to invite you to request more feedback from your manager. If you would like additional feedback, you can follow those steps in that email or request new feedback from your manager manually. This will trigger an email to your manager. Upon the manager’s completion, this will generate the Manager Growth Assessment. You are able to request additional feedback from your manager at any time and in any cadence. Please note that the Manager Growth Assessment option is not available during onboarding, because onboarding occurs at the beginning of your coaching journey. Additionally, if your manager has already completed one Growth Assessment, you will not be able to request another one.
If you have not invited your manager to provide you with feedback, you are welcome to manually add a manager to your account at any point in your coaching journey.
You will be able to easily access our Manager Feeback feature directly from the BetterUp homepage. Simply scroll down to the "People I work with" section. If you are connected with a manager, you will see their name there. If your account isn't connected with your manager, you will see "Connect with your manager."
Read this resource on how to leverage your manager’s feedback if you are interested in learning more.
Manually Adding Your Manager
During onboarding, you will be asked to if you would like to receive your manager’s feedback during your BetterUp journey. If you have selected no, you are welcome to manually add your manager by following these steps:
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Log into BetterUp and scroll down to “People I work with”
- Click Connect with your manager
- Enter your manager's email and click Next
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Select Focus or Growth
- Select Focus if you would like to get your manager's recommendation on where to focus now as well as feedback on your growth two months from now.
- Select Growth if you would like to get your manager's feedback on your growth over the past two months.
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You will be asked four questions. Upon completing those questions, your manager will be notified via email of your request for feedback
- You will now see your manager added under the "People I work" with section.
You can also manage your manager settings via this link.
Updating/Changing Your Manager
If your account is already connected to a manager and you would like to change your manager, you can update your manager. Please note that if you choose to remove your current manager, they will no longer be able to provide feedback or access your past reports. However, you will still be able to access their past feedback reports. To update or change your manager, follow these steps:
- Log into BetterUp and scroll down to the “People I work with” section
- Click on the ellipses (...) within your current manager's card
- Click Remove as a manager
- Follow the steps to manually add your manager
Additionally, you can update your manager via this link and selecting “Remove from the team.” From there you can enter your new manager’s information. This will trigger an email to your new manager to start the feedback process.
Multiple Managers
At this time, we are unable to send the Manager Feedback to more than one manager or colleague at a time. You are able to change your assigned manager directly in your dashboard, but can only have one at a time completing this feedback loop.
Accessing Your Manager’s Reports
To view the reports of your existing manager:
- Click the manager card under the "People I work with" section.
- Click View next to the report
If you would like to access a report from a manager that has been previously connected to your account, you can still access their past feedback. Please follow these steps:
- Log into BetterUp and click Insights
- Click My Reports
- Click View on the applicable report (Recommendation Report or the Growth Report)
Manager Hasn’t Completed Feedback
The most effective way to encourage your manager to submit feedback is to reach out directly to your manager.
Here is a sample script you may use:
- "As you know, I am participating in BetterUp coaching to increase my impact at work. I really value your perspective, and it would mean a lot to me to get your feedback on my strengths and areas for improvement. BetterUp has sent you an invitation to participate in my coaching by providing some lightweight feedback. Is this something you are able to do in the next week? If not, is there a better time?"
Additionally, you can resend the feedback request to your manager. The following steps will trigger a new email to your manager:
- Log in to the BetterUp and scroll down to the “People I work with” section
- Click on your manager's card
- Click Request feedback from your manager
Is your manager unable to locate the email? We recommend that they search their inbox and spam folder for the applicable subject line of these emails:
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If this is your first feedback report or you have selected focus, the subject line will be:
- [FOCUS] Subject: [Your Name] requests your feedback for their BetterUp program
- If you have requested additional feedback or have selected “growth, the subject line will be
- [GROWTH] Subject: How has [Your Name] changed since starting BetterUp
8 Focus Areas
Your manager will provide you with suggestions on eight focus areas both times they fill out the questionnaire. These 8 focus areas are both common areas of focus for members, and key areas that managers care about. We limited the report to only 8 areas because we know managers’ time is limited.
The eight areas include:
- Strategic thinking and planning for the future
- Ability to adapt to change
- Executing against objectives
- Innovating products and/or processes
- Motivating and inspiring others
- Aligning others around a clear strategy
- Building relationships and internal partnerships
- Creating an inclusive work environment
The 8 focus area rating questions are required in both the Manager Recommendation Assessment and the Manager Growth Assessment. Please note that what you work on in coaching is completely up to you and confidential. You can choose to focus on what you think will have the greatest positive impact in your life.
Confidentiality
We take confidentiality very seriously and do not release personal information to your employer, even if they are paying for the service. The employer knows our confidentiality policy and knows that coaching is a safe space that helps foster real, meaningful growth. No personally identifiable information will be shared with your employer, meaning they won’t know what skills you're working on, what you've shared with your coach(es), or what kind of progress you are personally making. We will only share basic usage statistics with your employer related to whether or not your account is active for billing purposes.
Only aggregated data is sent out to the partner for all programs on the BetterUp platform. Data is never displayed at an individual level and is completely anonymous. Please note that aggregated information is only shared if there is enough data recorded to ensure the anonymity of each individual. Here is a link to our Privacy Policy for additional information.
Please note that your coach is able to see your scores.
For the Manager Feedback Assessments, your manager will only be able to see your program start date, your top 5 Whole Person strengths, and the inputs you provided in this feedback request.