What could you learn by asking?

If you lead managers, you count on them to ensure their staff are taken care of and have what they need to be successful in their roles. As a result, most of what you know about the front line reaches you through your managers. The good ones tell you the truth as they see it, but it’s still their version, and the people doing the work sometimes have a version of their own.

A skip-level review is how you hear firsthand about the team’s experience. The process we’ve created for you is simple. To ensure confidentiality, you only share patterns and don’t attribute specific feedback to an individual.

Typically, the feedback is positive and provides you with a great opportunity to recognize the manager for a job well done. Occasionally, you’ll uncover something that isn’t quite working, and that gives you another chance to coach. In either case, it’s a win for both the employees and the manager.

The first round of conversations tends to be polite and a little guarded, and a few people will wonder what your true intentions are. That’s normal behavior anytime the boss’s boss is sitting in front of you.

As employees see that their feedback is handled respectfully and that you follow through on what you hear, they'll become more comfortable sharing their perspectives.

Skip-Level Review Tools

The Skip-Level Review form provides a structured format that guides the employee conversations. You’ll choose the list of questions to ask, along with follow-up questions that help you to identify specific examples. Once the reviews are completed, you’ll have a Theme List, which will become the agenda for a Feedback Discussion with the manager.

The Skip-Level Leader’s Guide walks you through the whole process, including the email that announces it to the team, what to do when the manager pushes back, and a completed example for your reference.

Word, PDF, and Google Docs.

A round of skip-levels costs you a few hours over a week or two, and it pays back many times over. Each person you meet with will know their input is valued. Your managers will receive timely feedback, and you'll come away from the experience having created a stronger connection with the team.

To your success,

Richard

Founder, Leadership-Tools.com

P.S. If you've promoted someone in the last few months, their team is the place to start. A first round about 90 days in will help you support the new manager by sharing feedback from the staff that the manager can't see yet. View details about Skip-Level Reviews.

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