A year ago I had someone I didn’t really know approach me and offer me advice I really didn’t want. To be respectful I agreed to a free consultation which I also didn’t want and certainly believed I didn’t need! I responded to her suggestions by giving her a list of those things I was not willing to do. Shall we say, I was difficult? And defensive. I wanted to control what was happening to me. She was patient and respected the boundaries I was setting. She negotiated with me and was able to get my commitment to add a few key things to what I was already doing that would give me results I didn’t even know I wanted. She knew the results of making a few changes would motivate me to look at those things on my “do not touch’ list in a different way. I can honestly say that the feedback she gave me has changed my life. So why was I so difficult at the start? I believed her feedback pointed out my failure.

Within your offices there are opportunities every day to receive feedback that can improve you as an individual person or the operation as a whole. Maybe the feedback comes in the form of a Tooty secret shopper evaluation, a co-worker pointing out a data entry error or a customer commenting on service. It is easy to feel that the feedback given is pointing out failure when it is really offering productive and constructive information to help you (and others) grow, recover, improve, prosper or excel.

Julie Staszak, Operations Manager at Tooty Inc. shares her recent experience receiving feedback. “I just started playing golf and today I did a horrible job on the first three holes. I got frustrated. I had someone I trusted give me feedback on how I was swinging the club. I listened, adjusted what I needed to fix and what do you know? I crushed the ball like I know I can! Criticism isn’t meant to put you down, point fingers at what you did wrong or blame you for a bad result. It makes us take a look at what we are doing so we can focus on the areas we need to improve and apply changes.”

How can you be more receptive to feedback and have better results using it to improve?
1) Ask others for feedback. Keep in mind that veteran workers, those who are less experienced and those in different job positions will have different input. Those differences can be valuable. Clarify the areas you want critiqued, too. Example: Mary would you please let me know if I sound tired? I am really trying to work on my voice. Or, I am trying to shorten my talk-time. Can you tell me if there is anything I need to eliminate or abbreviate?
2) Listen to the feedback and take notes. Voice tone and wording choice used by the one providing feedback may not be to your liking. Don’t react to the feedback or the person giving it. Thank the person and say that you would like some time to think about it. Then, review the feedback and see if there is a way you can use it to grow, recover, improve, prosper or excel.
3) Insist upon listening to your Tooty call and ask your manager if there is anything you can do in the future with that type of scenario to better serve the customer.
4) Use the feedback to add something to what you are already doing well. Focus on being better tomorrow than you were today.

My friend and the author of Sticking Points, Hayden Shaw, has done extensive research on the different generations and how they feel about feedback and training. He writes, “People want more feedback but aren’t getting it. Managers feel guilt rather than excitement, because they struggle to squeeze in time for feedback while they juggle the rest of their workloads.”
What can you do to improve the feedback you give to your employees?Ask each person what feedback means to them and if they prefer real-time, weekly or monthly feedback. Baby Boomers, 1946-1964, were brought up on the annual performance review. They may not be comfortable with frequent feedback and can believe they are doing their best work if no one says a thing! Gen Xers, 1965-1980, and Millennials, 1981-2001, have been raised with gaming where they are constantly being told their score and then they strive to beat it. Research has shown that Gen Xers and Millennials like feedback more often and that they like to know their score or rankings.

Be clear with your feedback by stating what can be improved upon and the benefit to the individual and your organization if the improvement is made.
I recently asked a CSR what kind of feedback she received after 3 months on the job. She said, “Everyone tells me I am doing fine. No one will tell me what I need to work on.” That made her nervous because she knew she needed to improve but didn’t know how or where. She was afraid she would lose her job. Be clear on what the person is doing well and what needs improvement. Season your feedback by specifically stating what has been mastered and by providing specifics on skills that need work. Example: Jim, you have mastered creating work orders, but I need you to add the following detail to your notes.
The next time someone gives you feedback on the way you do your job, be thankful. It helps us in our collective goal which is to be better tomorrow than we are today.