When working in Indian contexts, understand that feedback flows primarily from those with higher standing to those with lower standing—elders to juniors, teachers to students, managers to subordinates, experts to novices. The authority to give feedback derives from position, whether through age, role, expertise, or achievement.
This creates asymmetric feedback flows: downward feedback is expected and abundant; upward feedback is constrained and requires careful navigation. If you need to provide feedback to someone above you in hierarchy, you’ll need appropriate channels, careful framing, and ideally relationship foundation that makes the feedback acceptable. Simply providing direct upward feedback as you might with a peer can be received as presumptuous regardless of how accurate or well-intentioned it is. Recognize that this hierarchy reflects cultural understanding that position is earned and earns the right to guide.
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