This week I have been tasked with both giving and receiving feedback. What do you think is easier, giving or receiving feedback? It’s very easy to get it wrong (really wrong) and receive it badly too.
Words are incredibly powerful and can have a lasting impact (negatively or positively) depending upon what words are used and when they are heard.
Feedback should always have a positive motive. In other words, if you don’t intend what you are saying to help the individual concerned in some way then don’t bother.
If you are receiving the feedback, take some time to take it in. If you don’t take it well it could be for a few reasons; you think it’s unfair or untrue. Or it touches a nerve that then sends you into overdrive meaning you don’t view it objectively or have a knee jerk reaction to it which is generally unhelpful all round.
It’s great to know when you are doing well and even the smallest (sincere) acknowldgement of something you have done well can make a massive difference.
If it’s something that needs to change that’s really important to know as well so that you can act on it and improve, the thought of continuing to do something that you need to change but are unaware of is not great at all, if you don’t make someone aware of something that you think that they need to change you are doing them a dis-service and there we are back at motive.
So next time you are asked to fill in a feedback form or give feedback, take some time to think about it, when it says ‘Your feedback is really important to us’ on the form or at the end of a call, it really really is…
