Have you ever given constructive feedback that was useful? It is not easy to do: you have to be clear, convincing and actionable. You cross a social line when speaking up, and you never know what reaction you are going to get. Rejected, reprimanded, you might even feel like you are missing something obvious. And then of course the fact that we might think we help the other person and then realizing that the effort was worth nothing.
But when someone does care enough, true constructive feedback can raise the lid. You’re design might get better, easier passing inspection and lower cost to manufacture. You can react to feedback by taking it as an attack, deflecting the blame and point fingers around you. Maybe you even point blame upward for not giving you enough time, better tools or direction. You can also act like you don’t care as much as I do. And if you don’t care, why should I? Another option: you can even more than than just excepting the feedback, you can embrace it, respect it, chew on it. You can thankfully appreciate that someone cares enough to speak up, and appreciate their insight and contribution. Because if it is true constructive feedback, you’re lucky having that person around, and if you treat the situation right it might happen again.
Comments