Feedback

The Push you Need to Evolve

People often avoid feedback; it can feel scary and uncomfortable. My challenge to everyone is to lean in and, in fact, look for feedback. ASK for it! It provides a rare opportunity to get someone else's perspective on your work, behaviours, and much more. We often experience blind spots, usually only brought to light by a third party, unfortunately.

Have you ever met someone with little to no self-awareness of how they communicate or behave? And, instead of giving them the feedback so they can course correct, you slowly back away and proceed to inform everyone around the water cooler about your terrible interaction with said person. Everyone knows someone, maybe there is a person in your friend group, and when they show up, you think, “Ugh, here we go,” and “I wish Sally would stop interrupting me every five seconds,” or “Bob is so annoying, every time we are together, he is SO negative.” We all have little Bobs and Sallys in our lives.

Sound familiar?

Now, I have received AH-mazing feedback throughout my career, but I have also received the kind that makes your stomach turn. The kind that immediately makes you defensive, yes, that kind! Where instead of looking in and having some self-reflection, you feel an incredible need to start spewing things about the other person in a tit-for-tat fashion. Not great for overall team development, so I hear. Below are some pieces of feedback (not all) that I have received:

"Some people find you aggressive and too direct."

"When you're off, the whole team feels it."

"Your thinking is too black and white, and the team finds it hard to navigate situations with you."

"You are not flexible with your ideas when others have opinions."

OUCH!

However, those were truly some of the BEST things to happen to me in the arena of growth! Instead of crumbling - I mean, after some private emotional disruption, I went back and learned, I grew. I shifted my perspective. I decided I am not perfect, and that's ok.

It is also key to remember it takes COURAGE for anyone to provide this kind of feedback. I can imagine what was going through their heads, "yes, let's tell the woman we think is aggressive, that she's aggressive. I am sure it will be fine. LOL". 

There will be environments or circumstances that you don't show up for in your Sunday best, ya know. So, when those occasions come, and someone offers you a genuine assessment - buckle up! Of course, your ego will revolt at the time, but despite that, there is exponential evolution on the other side.

Now, don't get me wrong if the feedback given is completely off-kilter and doesn't sit with you at all. Well, that's a different situation. Some feedback does require some consideration. I am referring to the kind that deep down in your core, you know there is truth to what is being said.

The best gifts often come with the most discomfort. 

Lindsay Daniel, The Ambitious Coach, was developed with the intention to support women facing obstacles on their road to success. It is also an opportunity for my clients to receive feedback in a safe, confidential environment. Offering you the possibility to go through those transformations alongside your biggest cheerleader, ME!

I look forward to sharing more real-life experiences and more of my 'WHY'.

Thank you for visiting!