If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent hot summer evenings in an air-conditioned room, inspired by Olympic athletes in Paris. Watching 17-year-old swimmer Summer McIntosh remain remarkably calm as she continuously broke records and captured medals was awe-inspiring. Her relentless pursuit of small gains speaks volumes about courage and determination. But how does this Olympic mindset apply to our work lives?
As leaders, we aspire to create a feedback-friendly culture across our teams – a place where continuous growth, learning, and inspiration thrive. But what stands in our way? It’s time to confront feedback head-on and transform how we seek and embrace it.
Ask for the good stuff. When you crave feedback, be laser focused. What’s the tweak you’re after? By pinpointing your focus, it becomes easier for others to provide relevant insights. Try framing it like this:
“In recent marketing meetings, I’ve been refining my body language and engagement during presentations. What is one thing you’ve seen me do that made a real impact? What is one suggestion to make my presentations even stronger?”
Take it all in. When someone shares feedback, resist the urge to interrupt or add commentary (I get it – it’s tough). Let the words sink deeper. Instead of an immediate response, simply say “thank you.” Then, challenge yourself to ask a question. Try this out:
“Thank you for sharing that with me. Have you faced something similar? How did you tackle it? What strategies helped you conquer it?”
Flip the Script: Feedforward
Marshall Goldsmith, a globally respected leadership coach, introduced the term “feedforward” to shift our attention away from dwelling on the past in feedback. Instead of fixating on events in the past we can’t change, let’s embrace a forward-looking approach. It’s as simple as asking questions like:
“What are two valuable ideas you could share to enhance my performance in this area?”
“What single action could I start implementing to create a positive impact?”
“Looking ahead, what critical focus areas could truly transform our team?”
Remember, Olympians thrive on feedback, and so can we. Whether we’re chasing gold or just fine-tuning our skills, let’s embrace a feedforward approach as we finish this year strongly!
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