Feedback is a gift. My mentor taught me that, and I believe it is one of the best lessons I’ve learned as a manager. When I give feedback, I present it as a gift. Likewise, when I receive feedback, I receive it as a gift. (Or at least I try really hard to!) Are you able to receive feedback as a gift? Take this quiz to find out.
1. Do you swallow your pride when someone provides you with feedback?
- Yes, you hold your pride lovingly like it’s a lost puppy.
- No, you cloak your pride in anger.
2. Do you resist the temptation to be defensive when someone provides you with feedback?
- Yes, you quiet the voice in your head that is thinking of all the reasons this feedback shouldn’t be for you.
- No, you let the voice roar by reactively questioning the feedback.
3. Do you recognize that it is a generous gesture when someone more senior than you takes the time and energy to give you feedback?
- Yes, you stay cognizant of the time and energy they are investing in you.
- No, you forget that their time and energy reflects the promise they see in you.
What your answers mean:
0 yes’s = Feedback is not a gift. It is a curse.
1 yes = Feedback is a gift, but one you plan to return.
2 yes’s = Feedback is a gift, it’s just one that you don’t really want, but you keep in order not to offend the giver.
3 yes’s = Feedback is a wonderful gift—like a diamond necklace.
Even if feedback is delivered in a crappy way—done in front of your peers, or through cagey metaphors—you are fortunate to get it. Feedback means someone cares about you and believes that you can be better. It’s actually a vote of confidence! You just have to put your big girl pants on and remember that.
Has your ability to receive feedback evolved overtime? Tell us about it.