Receiving Feedback

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Ken Blanchard

Receiving and giving feedback is our natural way of life. Since we were born till we die we give and receive feedback. Feedback is our way of communicating with each other. To grow mature we need to become self-aware. Self-awareness comes to a big part from other people’s feedback.  We will grow, develop and improve, if we learn the golden rules of receiving feedback.

How to receive feedback?

Love it

First we need to fall in love with feedback. Feedback is the fuel in our engines. We need it in order to move forward, but it’s not wise to drink it. Feedback is like a Christmas gift that is still wrapped. Sometimes you don’t get exactly what you wished for, but still it’s a gift and it’s for you.
Learn to love it!

Everybody needs feedback, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than paying a trainer.
Doug Lowenstein

Stay open for it

Only if you truly have experienced the power of feedback you will be open for more. You will only learn if you want to learn. Feedback is a gift – that means you will have to “want” to receive it. It’s your choice. I observe many people who are afraid of feedback. I think  the reason is that they have not experienced the power of forward progress that lies within it. Of course, not every feedback is easy to handle, especially if it is delivered in a bad manner or at the wrong time and place. But remember that receiving feedback is not as dangerous as receiving no feedback. I agree, it’s risky to open yourself to it, but you’ll never know what will come out of that thing called the mirror.

Who gives it

If you want to grow, you will need good and honest feedback from people you can trust! Use every opportunity to ask for feedback from people you admire, trust, lead or know well. It seems that we long for affirmation, but are often afraid to ask for it. Get over it! Ask for it!

If you don’t get feedback from your performers and your audience, you’re going to be working in a vacuum. Peter Maxwell Davies

Process it

Handle feedback like a peace of gum. Take it in and chew it up till it looses its flavor than spit it out again. It’s never healthy live on feedback – so don’t swallow. Receive feedback, process it, but don’t let it get into your system.

You are not what you do – you can change your actions, but your identity will always remain the same.

There are no good or bad people – there are only people that do good or bad actions. Feedback should always focus on the action, never on the identity. Don’t let feedback make you feel bad about yourself. Let it only rethink your actions. You can change your actions to reveal your true identity.

Well, user feedback was excellent. Even when the software didn’t work at all, there were few people who were avid users, and there were people who were just sending excellent feedback and excellent ideas. Shawn Fanning

Questions

• Who could you ask for a feedback about what you are doing?
• Are you letting feedback get into your system?
• What tips would you add to make this topic more complete?