www.fastcompany.com: In any job, and indeed any area of performance, feedback is key to getting better. And there’s no substitute for the opinion of well-intended people who have both expertise in your field and knowledge of your performance. Hearing their views on how you are doing is essential for eliminating mistakes, putting in place more effective behaviors and habits, and learning new skills.
5 comments:
Feedback can suck the life out of a room. I enjoy getting constructive feedback. I do not enjoy getting told that my work is no good, or that I “need to learn how to do it right” or “that’s not the way we do it”. I live under the motto that comparison is the thief of joy. I don’t ever compare myself or my work to others. When I seek feedback on a project, it is not to reassure myself, but to have a different set of eyes on something to see if they catch something I missed or have additional ideas that I have not considered. Feedback should always be a sandwich. Say something good, offer a comment on an area where there can be improvement (in a positive way) and then end with another good comment. This is a much better way to present a colleague who is seeking feedback those opinions and options to help them improve their work. The article is great. Fishing for compliments can be dangerous and any feedback session that ends in a negative state is never going to be good for anyone. Always be positive, even if everything around you is crashing and burning.
This article touches on an action that is not necessarily desirable: requesting constructive criticism. It can be difficult to hear negative aspects about yourself, but it must be done in order to improve as an individual. This article does an excellent job at explaining the proper way to obtain accurate and effective criticism. It mentions not asking close friends or colleagues, because their opinions could be biased in order to preserve your feelings. I also found the point about “not focusing on the unchangeable” very useful and insightful. One must understand that improving as a designer or performer is separate from one’s personality. Altering attitudes in the workplace (i.e. being collaborative, positive, personable) does not necessarily mean one must change who they are. In fact, a variety of traits, ranging from introverts to extroverts and those in between, make projects more diverse and interesting. Confronting the ways in which you can improve, and taking action to make it happen, is an honorable task. It shows maturity, and reinforces the idea that there is always room to grow.
I really liked the article's point on feedback sources--"you should always prioritize seeking feedback from people who are less interested in being nice to you." Often times we seek feedback without really wanting the answer or being surprised when something is not only positive. Feedback too is best when you ask the right questions. The article suggests, "You should also phrase your questions so they’ll elicit criticism, such as: “What could I have done better?” “Which mistakes did I make?” “What are the things you disliked about my presentation?” or “What are the main areas where I could improve?”" Which is really important content. Framing your questions in a way that allows for honest feedback is critical, or really why bother asking. Just because someone says that they don't like the work you have done, doesn't mean that you have to take it personally. Just because you didn't do the thing right doesn't mean you are a terrible person, it just means you need improvement. I think a lot of people get caught up in the ego of it all--and being able to separate your ego from feedback and realizing that you actually need it is a sign of maturity and professionalism.
The key when getting feedback is going in expecting to hear things you may not want to hear. Being sure that will be coming from someone who would tell you if you are going down the wrong path and how best to get back on track. One should always be open to hearing that there are different ways of doing things and that sometimes the way we see it or are doing it is wrong and could be causing issues further down the line. I agree that there is not always one way to do, but I also think that there can be a correct way to do something and that there need to be people in our lives that will tell us that. The article does touch on not focusing on the unchangeable which is where I personally tend to get stuck in the process. I play so many if-then scenarios in my mind that it can become a trap.
Post a Comment