Most organizations appear to be struggling with a poor Feedback Culture. There is something compulsive about struggling with Feedback both personally and professionally leaving people bewildered, confused, and struggling in relationships, often underperforming with large blind spots no one seems to care about.
Collective societies are built with the spirit of reciprocity, face-saving and a fear of your social reputation getting badly impacted if you take the trouble to show someone the mirror. Here is why Feedback is the biggest gift you can give someone, is an indication of care as compared to the apathy and indifference of Not Giving Feedback, and here is why You must actively seek Feedback in your journeys of continuous Excellence-
1. Feedback gives us the advantage of accessing the thinking and perspectives of others, so that we can explore and incorporate this, to complete our own thinking..
2. Feedback is fodder for developing a Growth mindset to learn and grow and remain relevant in changing times…not wanting Feedback is an indication of a Fixed Mindset and that you believe you can’t Change, Learn or Grow..
3. Feedback when actively sought and worked on is what helps early course correction, avoids disappointments and pitfalls and enables Development/ Actualizing of Potential
4. Adverse feedback must trigger exploration and is an opportunity to evaluate and develop perspective to suitably Change behaviour or action.
5. Ask anyone who has achieved anything Great- they most likely have a string of Mentors who guided them (gave them Feedback), which the Mentees had the humility to Act On!!
6. Seeking, Acting and Working on feedback comes from an innate need to want to succeed and using other’s perspectives to accelerate actualisation of Potential.
Not wanting feedback is blocking off our own Pathways to Growth and Excellence. Fragile Egos and feeling offended easily also means we can be easily manipulated. True Leadership is being in the real quest of impact and outcomes – role modelling the maturity to listen to and work on feedback!!
In our Coaching work at Capstone we have umpteen examples of Leaders having turned around their performance and Team impact by having the courage to work on their Pulse and other Feedback!!
Feedback is indeed the Breakfast of Champions!!!