How to Develop a Growth Mindset About Feedback

Most of us have worked in organisations where feedback is shared downwards - from senior to more junior levels - but not upwards, and accepted that as completely normal: "That's just the way it is."

It doesn't have to be.

An intellectually honest organisation where feedback is shared upwards, downwards and sideways is more likely to be?a better place to work?where team members are engaged and working towards fulfilling their potential.?

But sometimes it's hard to accept feedback and act on it positively - especially if you're a perfectionist like me!

Why is that??Often it’s because it’s delivered in an unhelpful way,?it’s more about feelings than facts and behaviours, people don’t have your best interest at heart, it’s too generic, it’s not delivered on a timely basis.?

We can’t control how people give us feedback but we?can control how we react to it.

When you receive ‘criticism’ with a growth mindset your mind stays open, you listen to understand, you seek clarification and you are motivated to learn and improve your performance.?

Some tips on helping you to handle feedback with a growth mindset:

1. Be clear you want to receive feedback frequently and therefore?expect you are going to receive it?– knowing you are going to get it is helpful for the brain in itself
2. As you have more frequent feedback discussions, it gets easier and allows you to have even more higher-stakes conversations?
3. For those perfectionists out there, one technique I use to get myself in the right state of mind to receive feedback is to use a?“Not Yet” mindset.?Carol Dweck, in her book?Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,?described how if students didn’t pass a course in a school in the US,?they got a “Not Yet” grade rather than a fail. She says that it helps “you understand you’re on a learning curve. It gives you a path into the future.”
4. By accepting the feedback from someone else you?contribute self-esteem to the giver
5. Imagine yourself having taken on board the feedback and now behaving in ways that demonstrate you have?
6. Attempt to see yourself as others see you,?accept that everyone else perceives something different
7. Reframe negative feedback as a learning opportunity. “What is something you think I could learn from you?”

Use these tips to make the most of feedback - it's one of the best tools you have for getting better at something, quickly.

And make sure that as a leader you are actually getting feedback. CEOs can isolate themselves from feedback, often unconsciously.?They promote and hire people who agree with them rather than people who are prepared to speak up and hold the mirror up. That can be a dangerous place to be as your?blind spots stay out of view and overconfidence creeps in.

So, take a moment to consider: Are you getting enough feedback? And how do you handle it?

I hope these tips are useful - let me know how you get on.

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I support Founders and Entrepreneurs to become thriving CEOs.

I help you close the gap between what you do now and what you are capable of doing, sharing my knowledge gained from 20 years+ of working alongside entrepreneurs.

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