Updated September 2026: in January 2020, after I spent a weekend improving a deck, the delivery person did not reply to me but called my manager to say the work was irrelevant, and my manager then questioned me about missing content. I have rewritten it into advice on handling feedback that goes around you.
I shared the weekend's work with the team and asked for inputs. I did not expect praise, but a note or a call with suggestions would have helped. Instead, the delivery person told my manager that much work remained and my weekend's effort did not match the client's requirements. My manager then asked why I had not included content he wanted, although he had not interpreted the onsite team's needs clearly either.
Why does feedback sometimes go around you?
Because it feels easier to tell someone's manager than to tell them directly, especially under time pressure. It can also be a way to push for faster changes. Either way, you receive the feedback late, second-hand and without the detail you need to act on it.
How do you respond to your manager?
- Ask for the specific points raised, not a summary.
- Explain which requirements you worked from, with the source.
- Propose a quick call with the delivery person to align on the gap.
How do you get direct feedback in future?
Ask for it explicitly when sharing work: "Please send comments to me directly by 3 pm, so I can update before the call." Offer a short review call instead of waiting for emails. People are more likely to come to you when you make it easy and quick.
How do you avoid weekend work being wasted?
Confirm direction before the weekend, in writing, with whoever will judge the work. A one-paragraph outline approved on Friday is the difference between a useful weekend and a lost one. If direction is unclear, it is reasonable to wait for it rather than guess.
What if your manager's own requests were unclear?
Ask for the requirement behind the request: which client need does this content meet? That keeps the conversation on the client, and it often shows whether the missing content was ever needed.