I recently witnessed a colleague turn in a poor performance. I remember thinking how difficult it would be to give him honest feedback on his performance but was instantly comforted by the fact that based on what I knew about him, he’d never ask. He’d prefer to either blame or rationalize his shortcomings or just choose to believe he’d done well.
Asking for feedback helps people become leaders. It also enables them to stay effective leaders.
I’ve often said if you don’t want to know, don’t ask. If you’re a leader, you’ll want to know. That doesn’t mean you’ll adjust to every bit of feedback you receive as if it were profound truth. Feedback is often co-mingled with opinion and personal preference. But enough feedback from enough valued sources will provide valuable information you can use to improve your performance.
Leaders ask because they want to know how they’re doing and how to keep doing better.
Mark,
Having lived through the sixties and seventies, I still shy away from the word feedback. When someone asked me, “Can I give you some feedback?” they usually meant, “Can I say something negative about you or your performance in the bluntest way possible?” Those were the days when “telling it like it is” (without any regard for the other person’s feelings or self-esteem) was highly praised.
I do value feedback — positive and negative — and I especially value it from people who know how to offer it both insightfully and kindly. It keeps me on my game.
Chris