Feedback is the only way to improve in any part of life be it professional or personal. It is essential to get a regular dose of feedback from multiple sources. One needs to accept feedback in a positive way, work on it and practice new ways and means to improve. Seeking feedback is very critical in the progress of an individual. You need to learn to get feedback from coaches, mentors, managers, and peers. This Transformation Tuesday, let us look at how we get feedback from the people around us:

1. Listen

No one will give feedback if you are not ready to take it. The first rule is to just listen to what the other party has to say. You should make the other party comfortable and thank them to share the feedback. Also, ask if there is anything else that they would want to share. Just listen and it will help. The other person might not always be right, but the point here is not to look at their mistakes but to learn from what they share.

2. Get more feedback

Another way is to talk to people in the organization whom you trust that they would share genuine views. You might ask them – I have heard people in my team feel that my communication is clear. Do you also perceive me in the same way? Have you heard the same about me? If they too feel the same, then remember the first point – Listen. But if the answer is no, still do not stop the conversation here. You can ask them about who in the team feels so? Go and talk to that person to understand this further. It will help you to improve.

3. Ask for suggestions

Some people do not understand the feedback mechanism. They take it as criticism. So, they are not open to sharing feedback. For example, if you ask them that you want to make sure that you communicate in an effective way so that all the team members are on the same page. Then they will try to get off this awkward situation. But they will be open to sharing suggestions.

But, what after getting feedback from the different stakeholders in your ecosystem?
You need to bring in the change in your behavior to make sure that the feedback shared by them matters. There should be a visible change that they should be able to see, so they are open to sharing feedback in the future.

Feedback is the most influential development tool in the workplace. It helps you to understand your strengths, weaknesses, and how others perceive you – so that you can become the best version of yourself.

So as quoted by Bill Gates – “We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”

Written & Compiled by Faber Mayuri.