How to Ask for (and Receive) Feedback in Mentorship – 3 Best Practices
Why is Feedback So Important?
As a mentee, asking your mentor for feedback shows initiative and openness. It also gives you a valuable opportunity to better understand how your words and actions are perceived—and to grow faster as a result.
Whether it’s positive, constructive, fact-based, or more intuitive, feedback helps reinforce what’s working, fine-tune what needs adjusting, and keep you motivated. In that sense, it becomes a powerful learning tool at the heart of your mentorship journey.
A good piece of feedback can help you:
- strengthen effective behaviours
- build confidence
- adjust your professional posture
- uncover blind spots
3 Best Practices to Ask for (and Receive) Feedback
It’s not always easy to ask the right questions—especially early on in a mentoring relationship. But by clarifying your intention, focusing on improvement, and taking action afterwards, you can turn a simple comment into real momentum for growth.
Here are three best practices to ask for feedback effectively and constructively:
1. Clarify Your Intention
Instead of asking vague questions like “Do you have any feedback?”, try being more specific. For example:
- “What should I stop doing to be more effective?”
- “What am I already doing well that I should keep doing?”
- “What behaviours could I adopt to make even more progress?”
The more precise your questions, the more helpful and experience-based your mentor’s answers can be.
2. Focus on Improvement
The goal isn’t to dwell on what didn’t work—it’s to gain clear direction for what comes next.
Try asking:
“Was there anything in how I communicated that could have created confusion? How might I avoid that next time?”
This keeps the conversation constructive and forward-looking.
3. Follow Through
Getting feedback is one thing—using it is another. Take notes on what your mentor shares, identify one specific behaviour to adjust or reinforce, and set a small goal for the coming weeks.
And don’t hesitate to follow up:
“I tried out your suggestion. Have you noticed a difference?”