Mastering Feedback: Key Strategies for Global Impact Professionals to Thrive in Competitive Job Markets

Vital Element of Navigating Feedback with Discernment

Not all feedback is created equal, and it's important to figure out which feedback to embrace, which to set aside for future consideration, and which to discard respectfully.

Remember, feedback is a gift, but that doesn't mean every piece of advice is right for you. When you receive feedback, approach it with compassion and an open mind. Recognise that if someone takes the time to offer constructive feedback, it often comes from a place of care and a desire to see you succeed.

However, you ultimately judge its relevance and value to your personal and professional growth.

By thoughtfully considering feedback, you can apply what aligns with your goals, keep some insights for future reference, and graciously let go of what doesn’t resonate.

This discernment allows you to grow on your terms while appreciating the input of others.

Personal Story: Turning a Setback into a Future Opportunity

Rejection can be a powerful motivator if approached with the right mindset. Rather than seeing a setback as the end of the road, it can be viewed as a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to demonstrate resilience and adaptability. My personal story illustrates how a proactive approach to feedback can turn a rejection into a new opportunity.

My Last Mission: I once applied for a role in Afghanistan and, admittedly, didn’t prepare as thoroughly as I should have for the interview. When I received the rejection, it was clear to me that my lack of preparation was the reason. However, instead of letting the rejection discourage me, I sought feedback, approaching the feedback session as an opportunity to show my value and determination, if not for this role for future opportunities.

During the conversation, I humbly accepted the points they raised and provided additional context where appropriate, essentially treating the feedback session as a second interview. Afterwards, I followed up with a thoughtful email, thanking them for the opportunity and wishing the successful applicants good luck in their new roles.

A few weeks later, I received an unexpected call. One of the selected candidates had withdrawn, and because of my positive and proactive approach, I was offered the position. The rest, as they say, is history!

“Rejection is not the end; it's an invitation to refine your approach, learn from the experience, and return stronger. Sometimes, the path to success is found in how you handle setbacks." — Martin Cunningham

Application: This experience underscores the importance of resilience and the willingness to turn feedback into a learning opportunity.

·????? When faced with rejection, take the initiative to seek constructive feedback.

·????? Demonstrate full respect for their time and the feedback they’re offering.

·????? Use it to refine your approach and demonstrate your ability to adapt and grow.

·????? Follow up with a positive and thoughtful response, showing that you value the process and are still committed to contributing to the organisation.

This proactive mindset leaves a lasting impression and can open doors that might have seemed closed.

Understanding the Role of Feedback in Professional Growth

Explanation:?Feedback is not just a periodic checkpoint in your career; it's an essential tool that guides your ongoing development. As a global impact professional, the stakes are high, and the competition is fierce. To excel, you must see feedback as the compass that directs your career journey. Feedback, whether from a job application, an interview, or ongoing work, is invaluable for identifying where you can refine your skills and strategies.

Angela Duckworth's work on grit emphasizes that the road to success is long and full of challenges. The key to navigating this road is persistence and the ability to learn from every experience, especially from feedback. Duckworth's insights remind us that feedback fuels the perseverance needed to overcome obstacles and achieve long-term goals.

“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. It’s having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years.” – Angela Duckworth

Application:?To fully harness the power of feedback, start by seeking it actively after each job application and interview. When you receive feedback, don’t just skim it—

·????? analyse it.

·????? Identify areas where you can improve and think about how these improvements align with your long-term career goals.

·????? Determine for yourself the feedback you wish to take, the feedback you wish to save for a later future context and the feedback you wish to completely discard. (Just because somebody provides you feedback doesn’t mean that it’s right for you).

·????? Create a feedback journal where you track the feedback you receive, reflect on it, and outline actionable steps you can take.

This ongoing process will not only help you improve in the short term but will also build the grit needed to persevere and succeed in your long-term aspirations.

?Developing a Growth Mindset to Embrace Feedback

Explanation:?Embracing feedback requires a growth mindset, a concept pioneered by Carol Dweck. A growth mindset is about seeing challenges not as roadblocks but as opportunities to grow and improve. In the competitive global job market, feedback is often the key to unlocking your potential.

Rather than fearing feedback, welcome it as a chance to refine your skills, adapt your strategies, and inch closer to your career goals.

In her research, Dweck explains that individuals with a growth mindset are more likely to succeed because they view challenges and feedback as opportunities for development rather than threats. This mindset is crucial when navigating the high-pressure environments of global impact organisations.

“In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I'm going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here's a chance to grow.” – Carol Dweck

Application:?Start by reframing how you view feedback. Instead of seeing it as criticism, consider it constructive guidance that helps you grow.

·????? When you receive feedback, ask yourself: ?"What can I learn from this?" and "How can I use this information to improve?"

·????? Practice applying this mindset by setting specific goals based on your feedback. For example, if feedback indicates that you need to improve your communication skills, enrol in a course or seek opportunities to practice these skills in real-life scenarios.

Treat feedback as stepping stones to becoming a more skilled and adaptable professional.

?The Adaptability Quotient: Leveraging Feedback for Long-Term Success

Explanation:?Your ability to adapt is critical in today's rapidly changing world. This is where the Adaptability Quotient (AQ) concept comes in.

AQ measures your ability to adjust to new challenges and environments, essential for thriving in global impact roles. Feedback is vital to adaptability because it provides the insights you need to adjust your strategies and approaches to stay ahead in your career.

Your AQ is influenced by various factors, including grit, resilience, and mental flexibility. Each component affects how effectively you can process feedback and use it to improve. Stephen Covey’s work emphasises that success depends on your ability to adapt to change, and feedback is the mechanism that enables you to make those necessary adjustments.

“Success in an increasingly unpredictable world depends on your ability to adapt and respond to change.” – Stephen Covey

Application:?To leverage your AQ, assess how you currently respond to feedback. Are you quick to make necessary changes or struggle to adapt?

·????? Use feedback as a tool to enhance your adaptability. For example, if you receive feedback that your problem-solving approach needs work, experiment with new methods or frameworks to address this.

·????? Build resilience by regularly exposing yourself to challenging situations where feedback is likely.

This will enhance your adaptability, making you more agile and effective in your career.

Tailoring Feedback to Align with Personal and Organisational Goals

Explanation:?Feedback is most potent when it aligns with both your personal career goals and the objectives of the organisations you are targeting.

This alignment ensures that you grow as a professional and position yourself as a valuable asset to potential employers. Understanding the strategic goals of the organisations you are applying to allows you to tailor your feedback-driven improvements to meet their needs.

Michael Porter’s strategic advice is that knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do. This principle also applies to feedback—knowing how to filter and apply feedback that aligns with your goals is crucial for your success.

?“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” – Michael Porter

Application:?Begin by clearly defining your career goals and the values of the organisations you wish to join.

·????? When you receive feedback, assess it through the lens of these goals and values.

·????? Ask yourself how the feedback aligns with your long-term career objectives and how it can help you better meet the needs of potential employers. If it aligns, use it; if it doesn't, then don't use it.

·????? For instance, if an organisation values innovation and you receive feedback about being too risk-averse, focus on cultivating a mindset that embraces calculated risks unless your longer-term goals need you to be more risk-aware. Then, you need to balance the elements of the feedback you accept.

·????? Tailor your professional development activities to align with your personal and organisational goals, ensuring that you continuously evolve in the right direction.

Learning from Feedback: Avoiding Outdated Advice and Embracing Continuous Learning

Explanation:?In the competitive landscape of today’s job market, following outdated advice can be detrimental to your success. The internet is flooded with generic tips on interview preparation that are often 20 years old and no longer relevant.

For example, being advised to prepare for 'common', generic interview questions or asking basic, overused questions at the end of an interview are strategies that fail to set you apart from the competition. These methods may have worked previously, but they no longer resonate with hiring managers looking for candidates who stand out, demonstrate depth, and align with the organisation’s values.

It's time to unlearn these outdated practices and embrace new strategies that reflect the current demands of the job market. Unlearning means letting go of what no longer serves you and replacing it with more effective approaches. This is where feedback becomes invaluable—it provides real-time insights into what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to refine your strategy and stay ahead.

?“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler.

Application:?Start by critically evaluating the advice you encounter online.

·????? When preparing for interviews, avoid practising outdated, generic questions.

·????? Tailor your preparation to the specific role, company, and industry.

·????? Seek out credible, up-to-date sources of information, and be willing to unlearn old habits that no longer serve you.

·????? This might involve adopting new strategies, such as personalised storytelling in interviews or deep research into a company’s values and goals.

By continually refining your approach and embracing new ways of thinking, you can position yourself as a forward-thinking, adaptable candidate.

?Applying for Jobs and Seeking Feedback: The Path to Continuous Improvement

Explanation:?Applying for jobs and going through the interview process is not just about landing the next role—it's an opportunity for continuous improvement. Every job application and interview should be seen as a learning experience.

Seeking feedback after every stage of the process is crucial for understanding your strengths and identifying areas for improvement. Whether positive or constructive, feedback from interviews will help refine your approach and enhance your chances of success in future opportunities.

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Ken Blanchard

?Application:?After every job application and interview, make it a habit to seek feedback from the recruiters or interviewers.

·????? Ask specific questions about your performance, what you did well, and what you could improve.

·????? Actively listen and assess what you’re being told. Understand that it is a perspective from a potential employer. It may be correct; it may be wrong, but it is their perspective and understanding that will allow you to position yourself better next time.

·????? Use this feedback to decide how to adjust your resume, cover letter, and interview responses. (Remember to assess the elements of the feedback that work for you; you are not obliged to use any of it).

·????? Record this feedback in your career journal or feedback log and review it regularly to track your progress.

By consistently considering and applying feedback that works for you, you can improve your skills, refine your approach, and increase your chances of success in future job opportunities.

What Else to Consider: The Power of Unlearning and Relearning

Explanation:?In an era where information constantly evolves, the ability to unlearn outdated practices and relearn new strategies is essential for professional growth.

Unlearning involves letting go of habits, methods, or beliefs that are no longer effective or relevant. Relearning is about embracing new information and approaches that better align with current realities. This cycle of unlearning and relearning is crucial in ensuring you remain adaptable and competitive in the job market.

“It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. – Mark Twain

Application:?Take a proactive approach to unlearning outdated interview techniques and job application strategies.

·????? Start by identifying which of your current practices may be holding you back. For example, it's time to unlearn these habits if you’ve relied on generic cover letters or interview responses.

·????? Replace them with more personalised and targeted approaches that reflect the specific needs and culture of the organisations you’re applying to.

·????? Stay informed about the latest trends in job search strategies by following industry thought leaders, attending webinars, and engaging in continuous professional development.

By committing to the cycle of unlearning and relearning, you ensure that you are always at the forefront of industry best practices.

Conclusion: Embracing Feedback as a Continuous Growth Cycle

Feedback is, at its core, a reflection of others' perceptions—a valuable mirror into how your actions, words, and behaviours are seen by those around you. To harness the power of feedback, you must actively seek it out and listen without judgment, considering all perspectives with an open mind. Feedback should be assessed to determine which elements resonate with your values and long-term goals. From there, thoughtfully integrate the feedback you accept, where it can shape new habits and contribute to your ongoing development.

Think of feedback as part of a continuous, cyclical process:

S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

• Solicit Feedback: Actively seek feedback from those around you, demonstrating a willingness to learn.
• Understand Its Meaning: Listen carefully to the feedback, considering its source and intent without rushing to judgment.
• Consider Its Application: Reflect on what feedback resonates with your values and goals, deciding what to accept, set aside, or discard.
• Contemplate Long-Term Goals: Align the feedback with your broader career and personal development goals.
• Execute Changes: Incorporate the accepted feedback into your actions and behaviours.
• Study the Results: Regularly assess the impact of your changes and refine as necessary.
• Strengthen New Habits: Reinforce the new behaviours and practices that align with your integrated feedback through Uncomfortable, Continuous, Focused Action!