How open should I be to discuss my improvement point/ weakness with project lead

Question

Hi everyone,

I would like to seek your advice on a question I’ve been reflecting on: How open should I be when discussing my areas for improvement or perceived weaknesses with my project lead?

I understand the importance of being open to feedback and demonstrating a willingness to improve. However, I’ve also heard that it’s important to carefully frame discussions about improvement areas, as poorly phrased comments might lead to stereotypes or labels that could stick. Similarly, expressing too much uncertainty could risk giving the impression of a lack of capability.

What’s the right balance in these situations? Are there any specific strategies you would recommend for addressing improvement points effectively? Additionally, does it make more sense to have fully honest discussions about these topics with career advisors, mentors within the firm, or external coaches, rather than directly with the project lead?

Thank you in advance for your insights!

Answer 1

This is an excellent question! I learned this myself the hard way -- working against myself in feedback conversations with my managers and development coaches. Before discussing any area of improvement, define the narrative yourself in a way that shows that you're striving for excellence (not just what is good enough), conveys some foundational skills, shows a willingness to learn, and displays proactivity in your development. For example:

Instead of: “I feel like I’m not good at structuring slides.”
Say: “I’m working on improving the clarity and structure of my slides by seeking feedback earlier in the process. Are there specific tips you’d recommend?”

Ask for Guidance, Not Validation: Focus on seeking actionable advice rather than simply admitting a weakness. This shows that you’re solutions-oriented and coachable. The more specific you can be here (e.g., pull up the slides or model where the feedback was given), the better.

Show Progress: If it’s an area you’ve been working on, share what steps you’ve already taken and how you’re tracking progress. For example:

“I’ve been using [specific method] to organize my analysis more effectively, and I’d appreciate your feedback on whether it’s helping the project. [ask specific questions and share some ideas on how you can continue refining your approach to improving on this area]”

Answer 2

Hey there,

Vinicius makes great points there! Definitely this is the right approach.

Just to reflect on how open you should be, you definitely want to get as much opportunity to grow and develop as much as possible, and the project lead can give you that. But in terms of HOW you do it - Vinicius's points are great to do that

Also, whilst getting the actionable improvement feedback, you could also create metrics to showcase and evaluate growth. Almost use their feedback to create a checklist of what to do, and then when you do them, reference this in your next feedback discussions so they can see that you've implemented their feedback

All the best