Feedback, no matter how it comes, is like gold dust. Feedback is often uncomfortable, challenging, and even hurtful.
Feedback is often uncomfortable, challenging, and even hurtful.
However, irrespective of the feedback's initial impact, we should always reflect on it and use it to grow. Feedback invariably pushes us out of our comfort zone and allows us to think about how we can improve.
Yes, it may be painful, and it might strike at the core of what we believe aboutourselves, but we should nevertheless use what we can from it. Our response to feedback is an indication of whether or not we have a growth mindset. During my career, I have often seen that those individuals who have used the feedback that they have received go further and achieve more than those who either beat themselves after receiving challenging feedback or distance themselves from it. Just as feedback is the catalyst for individual development, it is also critical for organisational improvement and success.
Creating a culture in an organisation that values feedback starts with equipping the leaders with skills to providing and accepting feedback. From my observations, most leaders are more comfortable giving positive than negative feedback. Similarly, most people feel more comfortable receiving positive feedback. Nearly everyone finds it difficult to take negative feedback. The consequence is that we are reluctant to give it and poor at receiving it. This invariably has a damaging effect on own development and on organisational performance.
But things do not have to be this way.
A step in changing the culture and promoting development is introducing a structured, evidence-based feedback process that both the organisation and its staff can learn about themselves and develop ways to improve.
VirtlX to provides an affordable, scalable, cloud-based solution to help organisations of all sizes obtain; customer feedback, promote 360-degree staff feedback and provide online opportunities for staff training and development.
Does your organisation understand its customers?
Are your staff adept at receiving feedback?
Do they have the opportunity to use the feedback by giving them immediate access to training and development?
Bletchley Recruitment & Consulting Services are one of Rison's Professional Services Partners offering VirtlX as part of their tool set geared towards helping business understand the sentiment and wellbeing of their employees.
Author: Peter Baird - Bletchley Recruitment & Consulting Services
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