You're facing career challenges as an executive. How can feedback guide you through them effectively?

It's not just about getting the feedback. It's about how you get the feedback. It's about the fact that you're taking the time to get the feedback. Do yourself a favor and don't just stick to quantitative surveys to get an understanding of your performance. Sure, this might take some extra time out of your schedule to meet people as a group or one by one. Trust me, it's worth it. Actively take notes during these conversations. Practice active listening. Ask questions. Don't get defensive. Take time to reflect on the feedback and summarize across your conversations. Openly share your summary with the team and welcome additional notes or clarifications. Then create an action plan and share that back with the team as well.

In challenging times, feedback can feel uncomfortable, but it’s essential to embrace it as a tool for growth. For instance, consider an executive facing a dip in team performance. Instead of viewing feedback on leadership style as criticism, seeing it as a catalyst for positive change can turn the situation around. One CMO I coached, who was leading a global brand, initially resisted feedback from her team about her communication approach. Once she embraced the feedback, she implemented small changes that significantly improved team morale and performance, steering the brand back to success.

1. Embrace Feedback: Whether it's Johari or any other form of 360 feedback, take it seriously. However much we may not believe if one gets similar kinds of feedback from several, it's critical one accepts and reflects on them. 2. Reflect on Feedback: Feedback on one's blindspots, the dark window in Johari, can be invaluable. Reflect on the feedback taking it to be real and evoke insights, whether at life or work. 3. These insights, if you have reflected well would make you aware of beliefs you have that may have served you once, not anymore if the feedback is developmental. Reassess and Reframe. 4. Implement changes in habits and behaviour. Seek support from those who provided feedback. become accountable for becoming your better self.

Many leadership trainings teach how to give feedback, but receiving feedback well can be a skill that's intentionally developed as well. If accepting constructive feedback is difficult for you, consider the "resistance triggers" at play and how to manage them. Sheila Heen's book "Thanks for the Feedback" is a great resource to help you build this skill. It explores that sometimes our ability to receive feedback can be colored by our sense of truth, an identity misalignment, or a relationship issue with the feedback giver. Learning to address our resistance triggers is an emotional intelligence exercise that can support us to embrace valuable feedback.

The best leaders take feedback on board and do something about it. Every high performer I’ve worked with has been humble enough to reflect, reassess how they see the world, and make adjustments to excel. If resistant to feedback or always blaming others in a situation, we can’t grow - we have to take ownership for what we can do better as individuals.

Seek Insights : Ask for specific examples of your behaviour and more importantly the impact it has had on the other person. Resist the temptation to explain it away or rationalise it. Write down what specifically you wish to change and the impact you are targeting. Seek Feed Forward. For example "I would like to get better at being trusted, give me 2 suggestions on how to become better at it". Work on the suggestions diligently. Build an accountability team that will raise red flags and hold your feet to the fire in your change journey. Go back to them every month for feedback on how you did so far and new inputs. Keep track of the targeted impact and measure if you are getting there.

Request feedback tailored to your personality traits and those of your team. For example, ask Proactive colleagues for input on strategic decisions, seek detailed insights from Reflective team members, and gather communication style preferences from Expressive and Supportive individuals. With this targeted feedback, you will address career challenges effectively and improve your leadership approach. Moreover, you will show that you care for collaboration and excellence.

In my experience; Don’t wait for it—actively seek it out from peers, team members, mentors, and even customers. Different perspectives can reveal things you might miss. Be clear about the areas you want to improve, so you get useful advice. Not to make it awkward use tools like SurveyMonkey for anonymous surveys and Slack for real-time feedback. Embrace these insights to enhance decision-making and drive continuous growth.

As a senior leader, it’s crucial to seek insights from diverse perspectives, not just your inner circle. When faced with declining market share, one CEO I worked with sought feedback not only from his executive team but also from frontline employees and customers. This broader perspective revealed underlying issues in customer experience that the leadership team hadn’t considered. By seeking insights from multiple sources, he was able to develop a comprehensive strategy that revitalized the company's market position.

Feedback that that leads to the implementation of change should be acknowledged and rewarded. Credit should be given to those who have provided such feedback.

Finally, deep reflection on the feedback received is vital. It’s not enough to just hear it; you must internalize and act on it. A CFO in a high-growth tech firm I coached faced challenges with investor relations. After receiving feedback on his presentation style, he took time to reflect on how his approach aligned with the company’s vision and the investors’ expectations. This deep reflection led to a more authentic communication style, fostering stronger investor confidence and securing additional funding.

Reflection takes time; you must take your time and effort. Could you make notes, explore solutions and draft action plans? Sleep, walk, play and then return to the draft action plan. Then, redraft, review, extend, reduce and make a second draft. Sleep for a week, walk, eat with friends and then produce the third and final action plan.

Once feedback is received, it’s crucial to engage in deep reflection. This isn’t just a cursory review; it’s a thorough analysis of the insights provided and their implications for your leadership. Consider how the feedback aligns with your current challenges and long-term goals. Through reflection, feedback transforms into actionable insights, enabling you to make strategic decisions that tackle the root of your challenges. This process not only sharpens your leadership but also ensures that your actions are purposeful and aligned with your vision as an executive.

Before get your feedback, reflect on your performance. The self assessment is important to understand where you are. Once you understand your own perfomance get your feedback, and be prepared to active listening. The perception of others on how we performed, brings valuable information, and help us construct our future. Not all information reflects the truth, so reflect deeply and carry on what really matters. Escape of the traps hidden in the way. And if you get the chance, have a folow up feedback meeting to clarify any questions that are not clear for you.

Taking time to reflect on the feedback is important because sometimes, we might be feeling sore about the comments. Take a step back, cool down, then ask yourself how you can use the feedback to make yourself even better.

Tenho observado que nós latinos somos muito receosos em fornecer um feedback honesto e direto, visto o impacto que isto pode trazer no relacionamento interpessoal. A melhor forma é estabelecer um acordo prévio que o processo tem como objetivo uma ajuda verdadeira para a melhoria do comportamento. Costumo utilizar a metodologia YOU, ME, AGREE. Num primeiro momento questiono (quem vai receber o feedback) qual é a sua auto-percep??o em rela??o a uma situa??o específica, ou a um comportamento etc e deixo-o discorrer. Num segundo momento refor?o e apresento dados ou fatos concretos que foram observados e que devem ser trabalhados. Num terceiro momento concordamos como devemos atuar no futuro em rela??o às situa??es mencionadas no feedback.

When implementing feedback, I transform it into iterative experiments to speed up progress and encourage proactive implementation. Here's my process: 1. Design Mini-Experiments: Develop small, testable modifications informed by feedback. 2. Implement Quickly: Carry out these experiments within a brief timeframe to monitor immediate results. 3. Gather Data: Accumulate feedback and data from these mini-experiments to evaluate their impact. 4. Iterate Rapidly: Modify the strategy based on the results and fine-tune the objectives. 5. Share Insights: Consistently share the results with a mentor or team for further insights and support.

Implementation typically takes time - and I mean weeks or months - when we’re talking about changing leadership or professional behaviors. So visualize the changes you want to see. Reflect on prior less-than-stellar behaviors and what a “better you” would do differently. Think about them several times to engrain a better you into your brain so when an opportunity arises to implement a “better you” behavior, an even better you may show up.

Significant change doesn’t happen overnight; it requires time, consistency, and patience. When receiving feedback, it’s natural to want quick results, but deep and lasting change takes time. Behaviors and habits are deeply rooted, and altering them involves gradual learning, adaptation, and continuous practice. Consistency in applying new strategies is key to solidifying changes over time. It’s easy to get discouraged without immediate results, but patience is crucial. Small daily improvements accumulate and lead to substantial transformation. Patience also allows for reflection and adjustment, ensuring long-term, sustainable change.

Implement change one step at a time. Trying to implement all feedback all at once will not help you to truly transform. I find it easier to start with the feedback that resonated immediately with you even if the feedback that is the hardest or least resonant might be the most important. It is great to get momentum started in order to tackle the more challenging changes. Sharing your journey also helps to embody the changes more quickly and shows your commitment to being the best you can be which has a ripple effect on your team and how they receive feedback.

As a leader eager to champion authentic change, you need to embrace innovative thinking. Why not cultivate a culture of Reverse Mentoring, where junior employees guide senior leaders, providing new perspectives and insights. This innovative approach yields numerous benefits, including: 1- Breaking Down Biases: It allows seniors to grasp diverse experiences, which enhances decision-making. 2- Fostering Empathy: It builds mutual respect and empathy through direct dialogue. 3- Driving Innovation: It encourages creative solutions and organizational growth through diverse viewpoints.

Foster a culture where psychological safety is celebrated. This creates an environment for open and honest feedback about areas in one's blind spot. This type of feedback may be the catalyst for implementing small changes that have a significant impact on boosting team morale and equipping each person with the tools, the confidence and dedication necessary for the collective to be fully invested in moving to the next level.

Fostering an effective feedback culture is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and reinforcement. Start small, be patient, continuously assess and adjust your approach, and ensure feedback flows in all directions. 5 key points: 1. Leaders at all levels lead by example actively participate in the feedback process. 2. Establish an environment where employees feel safe to share their thoughts without fear of negative consequences. Encourage open dialogue, respond timely to feedback, address conflicts constructively, and protect employees from retaliation for giving honest feedback. 3. Integrate feedback into daily operations and formal processes. 4. Provide training and resources 5. Recognize and reward feedback participation.

Totalmente de acuerdo. Fomentar una cultura de retroalimentación crea un entorno donde la mejora continua es la norma, y eso fortalece no solo a los líderes, sino a todos los niveles de la organización. La clave es ser genuino al hacerlo, promoviendo espacios y la cultura de pedir y agradecer el feedback.

Feedback is important but what you do with it afterwards is key. If the challenges are regarding performance then it is critical to speak to a coach or to a mentor to understand where the disconnect actually is. A coach is crucial for Executives as the pressure they work under is ten fold. A coach allows the Executive to reflect on what feedbacknis given and to come up with workable solutions to improve. If the challenges are more regarding fit or culture, it would be advisable to discuss first with a coach, before going to the MD or Board to raise these issues. Some challenges could also be perceived from one side, or could be raised due to other issues, as a facade, so it is essential to get the right advice before proceeding.

It is important to seek feedback to improve employee dilemma and challenges. Both employee and the executive coach must understand the present realities and also agree on what the expectations should be, following their deliberations. Feedback directly imparts key performance indicators such as morale, skillbuilding, cultural values as well as human resources. It identifies areas of strength and weakness, leading to improvement in employee performance. The executive coach should be honest and constructive with feeback and skillfully guide the executive to learn from their interactive sessions. This effort will boost employee knowledge and leadership skills.

Making a mental commitment to staying the course is a discipline in itself. Once it becomes a habit, it becomes Muscle Memory and you'll be doing it naturally without thinking!

To sustain progress in applying feedback, I use a method known as "Feedback Circles." The approach involves: 1. Forming varied small groups of colleagues who convene regularly to discuss and assess each other's development. 2. Rotating roles of giving and receiving feedback within the group to guarantee new perspectives and fair participation. 3. Employing real-time data or insights during meetings to promptly modify objectives and tactics as a team. 4. Recognizing and celebrating progress collectively, which bolsters positive behavior and maintains mutual motivation. 5. Integrating feedback from beyond the immediate group to expand the perspective and maintain the vitality of the process.

Maintaining momentum isn't just about discipline; it's about aligning your actions with your deeper purpose. Spiritual Intelligence teaches us to view feedback as a “Mirror” reflecting not only our professional growth but also our inner journey. What if feedback is more than a guide? It's a tool for self-awareness. Regularly revisiting feedback can then become a Spiritual Practice, reminding us to stay true to our values while adapting our strategies. By integrating this deeper focus into our routine, we cultivate resilience and authenticity in our leadership roles.