asking-for-feedback

name	asking-for-feedback
description	Use when requesting feedback on work, an idea, or behavior - in a way that maximizes the chance of useful answers
kind	content
audience	anyone
ai-tools	any
complexity	simple
time	5 min
version	1.0.0
source	bundled

Asking for Feedback

What this does

Drafts a feedback request that gets you specific, useful responses instead of "looks good!" Names what kind of feedback you want, what stage the work is at, and what kind of feedback you don't want.

When to use

• Sharing a draft (doc, code, design, plan) for review
• Asking a manager or peer how you're doing on a specific dimension
• Requesting feedback on an interview, talk, or proposal

What you bring (Inputs)

• The work or behavior you're asking about
• The dimension you most want feedback on
• The stage of the work (rough sketch / near-final / shipped)
• The audience (who you're asking; default = the person who will be affected by the work)

What you get (Output)

A short feedback request that the recipient can answer in 5 minutes.

How it works (Steps)

1. State the work and its stage explicitly: "Here's a rough draft of X — it's about 40% done."
2. State the one dimension you want feedback on: "I'd specifically like your read on whether the structure works."
3. Optionally state what you're NOT looking for: "Don't worry about typos or wording yet."
4. Tell them how much time you're asking for: "Should take 10 minutes."
5. Tell them when you need it by, and why that date matters.
6. End with a specific question, not "let me know what you think."

Quality bar

• Stage is named (rough / near-final / shipped)
• One dimension is specified (not "general feedback")
• Time ask is specific (under 30 minutes for a normal request)
• A specific question is asked, not an open invitation

Variations

• Manager feedback: ask about a specific situation, not "how am I doing"
• Peer code review: name the file or area you're least sure about
• Talk feedback: ask about one specific section ("did the demo land?")
• Critical feedback (sensitive): explicitly invite disagreement: "Tell me what you'd change, not what you liked."

Example

Input: A draft project plan, near-final, want feedback on whether the milestones are believable.

Output:

Hi Pat,

Sharing the Q3 project plan (attached). It's about 80% done — milestones and dependencies are locked, owner names and dates are draft.

Specifically, I'd like your read on whether the milestones are believable: am I underestimating any of them based on what you've seen on similar projects? Don't worry about formatting or wording.

15 minutes should do it. If you can get back by Friday EOD, I'll lock the plan Monday.

Specific question: which milestone would you push out and by how much?

Thanks, Alex