Ask for Feedback (Part 2)

Many of us are very unwilling to ask for
feedback. This is because we are anxious
about what we will hear. We would rather
keep our head buried in the sand and not
hear any bad news or negative feedback.

As much as this is understandable it does
us no good if we do not know the truth.
If you are not providing the level of
service or quality of product your
customers and clients expect wouldn’t it
be better to know so you can make
adjustments before they leave you for
another provider?

Asking for feedback about your
performance, level of service, or quality
of product will give you an invaluable
advantage over those who fail to ask. And
if your clients/customers tell you that
you are coming up short you will be able
to repair the damage rather than find
your customers/clients have moved on.

Asking for, and acting on, feedback can
be a lot less damaging than waiting for
the end result. This is true in all
areas of life; including your health,
and personal relationships. Got a lump;
better get feedback from the doctor. It
will be easier to fix if you act quickly
rather than wait.

In many cases when you ask for feedback
you will find that you are the last
person to know. Your partner has already
complained about your behavior to her
friends and family. Your lecturer has
already discussed you progress with the
head of the department. Your boss has
already discussed his or her options with
the human resources department.

If you are a bad manager the whole office
knows already. If you are slipping up as
a sales person not only does your sales
director know this already but your
clients as well. People are too worried
about offending you to tell you what is
wrong. They would rather go to somebody
else. Now you are suddenly losing your
spouse, clients, and your job.

Find out what’s going on and take action
to fix what is broken. You cannot improve
your management skills, your relationships,
and your sales performance if you don’t
get feedback.

Wouldn’t it be easier to walk into the office
in the morning with smiling faces welcoming
you rather than everybody scurrying away and
avoiding you? How would you know what is
happening if you don’t ask for feedback?
And how often do we pretend everything is ok?

Get rid of those blinders and ask for
feedback. Ask your partner, your friends,
your colleagues, your sales director, your
clients or your coach. Make it a habit to
ask for feedback. Ask how you can improve
and what would make the situation better for
everybody.

Once you have your feedback, be grateful you
got it. Remember the person giving you feedback
is risking your rejection by offering you
feedback. Accept feedback with gratitude and
understand how lucky you are that you can fix
things before they get too serious.