THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK

Bill Serva, Vice President of Enterprise Program Management Office and Information Technology

We just celebrated another new year, and for many of us this is a time we think about ways that we can be a better version of ourselves. Usually, we come up with these New Year resolutions on our own without consulting others for input. Personally, I like to actively seek feedback from others. Those on my team, my boss, my family, and my friends. I often find out something I didn’t know about myself.

FYI (FOR YOUR IMPROVEMENT)
I work in technology, so often when I’m visiting one of our locations someone mentions that a piece of technology is broken or not working correctly. I always make sure I get someone to work on their issue but I also ask, “Did you open up a ticket with the Service Desk?” When the answer is no, I respond by saying “We can’t fix it if we don’t know that it’s broken.” Personal feedback works the same way. You can’t improve if you don’t know what you’re doing that is not working.

Unfortunately, people often don’t provide positive or negative feedback to others. I get it, it can be uncomfortable to tell someone they could have handled a situation differently. People can get defensive or even angry when they hear something they don’t like about themselves. But honest and open feedback gives us another perspective on ourselves and if we can hear it, it can enable us to grow and become a better person.

MAKING FEEDBACK WORK

• Be Positive – If you are someone that has difficulty providing feedback to others, start with the positive. Find something that someone is doing right and highlight it. You can also do the same with your coworkers. Remember the last time that someone told you that you did a great job on something? How did it feel? You can be that motivating and positive force to other people.

• Use A Mirror – It’s also important to seek out feedback on yourself and your performance. Because it can be difficult for people to provide feedback, sometimes you need to just go out yourself and get it. Ask your manager, “what am I doing well and what could I do better?” Ask your coworkers what they think about how you did on a presentation or what insights you provided in a meeting. Ask your direct reports how you could improve as a manager.

• Be Open – Finally, try not to get defensive or dismiss the opinions of others. Even if the feedback you get isn’t true (or you don’t think it’s true) it is still their perception of how they see you. This information is hugely valuable! It gives you an opportunity to see if your intentions match your desired outcomes. For example, I once got feedback from some members of my team saying that I needed to be a better listener. I thought I was a great listener! The problem was the way that I was listening to people. If I was taking notes or doing something on my computer, people didn’t feel heard. This challenged me to change my approach to ensure that I was not only listening, but that my team felt heard when I was doing so.

So, take an opportunity today to recognize someone on your team for the great work that they are doing. Be specific. Also, I encourage you to solicit open and honest feedback from someone you know and trust. You might be surprised at what you learn about yourself.