Giving Feedback Upwards: How to Be Honest with a Senior Manager and Preserve Trust

What to look for when choosing feedback support in Finland

Giving feedback to a senior manager means balancing honesty with a real difference in authority. You may depend on this person for decisions, opportunities or your performance assessment. Good preparation helps, but no script can guarantee a positive response.

If you are comparing coaching or feedback resources in Finland, look for support that recognises those stakes rather than simply telling you to be more confident. Check for:

• Attention to power and context: advice should distinguish an uncomfortable conversation from a situation where speaking up could expose you to retaliation.
• Practical relevance: support should help you clarify what happened, why it matters and what you want to change.
• Clear confidentiality arrangements: if your employer pays for coaching, ask what information is shared with the sponsor.
• Language and working fit: confirm the language, meeting format, fees and availability before committing.

Do not assume that a Finland-based workplace automatically welcomes direct feedback. The manager’s behaviour, team norms and working language matter more than national stereotypes. A useful resource should help you adapt without hiding your message.

Decide whether a direct conversation is appropriate

Ask yourself: is this about a working habit, a decision or potentially serious misconduct?

Interruptions, shifting priorities and unclear expectations may be suitable for a private conversation. Harassment, discrimination, threats or suspected wrongdoing may require a different route. Consider your organisation’s reporting procedure, HR, a union representative or an occupational safety representative, as appropriate. You do not have to confront someone privately before seeking support.

For an ordinary feedback conversation, choose one issue and one desired improvement. Trying to resolve every frustration at once makes it harder to hear and act on the message.

Prepare an observation, an impact and a request

Separate what you observed from what you inferred. “You don’t respect my expertise” describes a judgement about intent. “The recommendation changed during the meeting before I had explained the risks” describes something you can discuss.

Prepare three short points:

1. Observation: What specifically happened, and when?
2. Impact: How did it affect your work, the decision or your ability to contribute?
3. Request: What would you like to happen differently next time?

Use an example you can accurately describe. Avoid “always”, “never” and claims that “everyone agrees”. Speak for your own experience unless you are explicitly authorised to represent others.

Choose a private moment and make your purpose clear

Ask for a short conversation when neither of you is rushing. Avoid surprising the manager in front of colleagues or adding sensitive feedback to an already heated exchange.

You could say:

“Could we take ten minutes to review how yesterday’s decision meeting worked? I’d like to discuss something that would help me contribute more effectively.”

Then give the feedback plainly:

“Yesterday, we moved to a decision before I had presented the delivery risks. That meant the timeline was agreed without those risks being considered. Could we leave time for the risk summary before confirming the next deadline? I’d also like to understand whether there was context I was missing.”

This is respectful without becoming vague. You are naming a problem, proposing a change and leaving room for information you do not have.

Listen without withdrawing the point

Pause after speaking. The manager may explain a constraint, challenge your account or need time to think. Listening does not require you to abandon your experience.

If they become defensive, return to the specific event:

“I’m not questioning your intention. I’m explaining the effect on the work and asking whether we can adjust the process.”

If you discover that your account was incomplete, acknowledge it. If the exchange becomes hostile, you can end it calmly and seek support rather than pushing for agreement.

Close with a manageable next step. For example, agree to include a risk review in the next decision meeting and check afterwards whether it helped. A brief, neutral written recap can prevent misunderstandings; it should not read like a warning or a verdict.

Who Jessica Hill Holm is — and why she may fit

Jessica Hill Holm, of Hill Holm Leadership, is an Executive Coach & Advisor working in People & Culture. Her professional focus is building and transforming innovation-driven companies alongside CEOs and founders.

That focus is relevant when upward feedback connects with executive decisions, leadership relationships and organisational change. It is a reason to explore fit, not a promise that a difficult manager will respond well. You can review her professional profile on LinkedIn.

Take the next step

If you want to work on this yourself now, start with Jessica’s workbook, Feedback That Builds Trust.

Leaders facing this challenge at executive level can also book a free discovery call to discuss their situation and explore whether coaching is appropriate.