Make It Specific

Vague requests get vague answers. Aim your ask at one concrete thing: the work, a skill, or the future. Try: "What's the weakest part of this report?" or "What habit is holding me back from the next level?" Narrow questions are easier to answer honestly.

Once you act on input repeatedly, people bring you problems while they are still small. They have learned you will do something useful with what they say. That becomes an information advantage: early warnings, fixes, and openings reach you first.