Getting honest, useful feedback can be the quickest route to better performance and job satisfaction. Your peers are sometimes too nice to share the full picture or too intimidated to be fully truthful. You need to be clear that you want honest feedback. Consider beginning your request for feedback on your performance with, "Don't be nice, be helpful," so that your peers have "permission" to share their thoughts and will be less likely to hold back. Instead of asking what you did wrong, ask what you can do better going forward. Try not to judge any feedback you receive, whether it’s positive or negative. Just thank people for being honest with you and let them know that you find their observations and opinions helpful. Try to write down what they say. A little silence communicates that you’re taking feedback seriously, and it gives people time to think about what else they might add. And don’t just ask once. Give people multiple opportunities to give you real feedback.
Adapted from “How to Ask for Feedback That Will Actually Help You” by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg and Peter Bregman.