How do I ask a Korean manager for written feedback after a review conversation?
I work at a company in Seoul and my team leader gave me verbal feedback in a short meeting, but I could not follow all of it. I would like a written summary so I can act on it and refer back to it later. Is that a normal request in a Korean workplace, and how should I phrase it so it does not sound like I am doubting my manager?
Note: This is an editorial persona question created from common experiences of foreign residents in Korea.
1 Answer
It is a normal request, and it has become more common as Korean companies work with international staff. The trick is in how you frame it, because asking a manager to go away and write something can feel like you are checking up on them.
The approach that works best is to write the summary yourself and ask them to correct it. Send a short message the same day saying thank you for the time, listing the two or three points you took away, and asking them to let you know if you missed anything or got something wrong. This is much easier for a Korean manager to respond to than being asked to produce a document, and it gets you the written record either way. Even if they only reply with a short confirmation, you now have the feedback in writing and it came from a place of wanting to act on it properly.
Send it over the company messenger or by email rather than raising it in person, and keep it short. Three or four sentences is enough. If one of the points was unclear, say specifically which part you would like to understand better rather than asking them to repeat everything, since a narrow question gets a much fuller answer than a broad one.
Two things for next time. If your company runs formal evaluations, ask HR whether there is a written evaluation form and whether employees can see their own, because many companies have one that simply never gets shared unless someone asks. And asking to take notes during a feedback conversation is completely acceptable in a Korean office, so open a notebook at the start of the next one. Managers generally read it as taking the conversation seriously.