Tell Me More
Your brain really wants it. Yet many of us have a hard time both giving and getting it. I am referring to feedback. Good ol’ information on how you are doing. Sometimes the world delivers natural feedback, which is good. What we do with that feedback? Not always so good. Consider the following: Over or Under: "I am so good" or "I really suck"? Which is true? Well that depends on your filter or cognitive bias. Most of us are predisposed one way or the other. We think we are better than we are, or we think we are worse than we are. Keep in mind I am talking about performance here not the holistic you. Self reflect on this and think about your automatic reaction when you get feedback. Do you consider the source and your actual performance or do you jump to conclusions one way or the other? You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Develop a ranking or rating system to measure your progress. This is applicable in pretty much any scenario. Want to be a better communicator? Consider your predicative and influenceable areas of improvement, i.e., actively listen and focus on the person who is talking. Benchmark where you are now. Decide where you want to get to. Keep a log and rate your performance daily or weekly. Once you have hit your goal – rinse and repeat. Pick a new area of improvement and follow the same process. DIY – YOU CAN Do It Yourself: Often times we play the blame game. My boss should be giving me feedback, that’s their job. While there is some truth to that it is difficult for any human being to read our mind, and know exactly what we need so DIY – Do it yourself! Use the formula above and get to it. And then share it with your boss, or a co-worker to get them to weigh in to see if they agree with your assessment. We owe it to ourselves and the rest of the world to be the best that we can be. Why not take matters into your own hands and start with just one little thing you want to improve. Focus on it, measure it, master it and do it again. You will be amazed at what a big impact those little improvements make.
