Chapter 98. Seek Feedback on Your Performance

Now usually we don’t go round seeking approval because we can follow our gut instincts and we know when we have done a good job. But feedback is always a good thing. You should seek feedback from your peers, your rivals, your team, your bosses, and your customers. You are not seeking praise, approval or love, merely feedback. Remember you are all on the same team—from the janitor right up to the CEO, all kicking toward the same goal, all waving the same flag—or should be.

You should seek feedback to

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses.

• Compare the feedback with your own assessment of any situation—to make sure you are on track and realistic with your own self-appraisal.

• Learn from a situation where you went wrong—or got it right—for next time.

• Identify problem areas that need action and over which you have responsibility.

• See how your team is performing—as additional information to your own assessment.

See, none of this involves praise or approval (or love). It is a real-istic appraisal of a situation or project so you can learn and move on.

Now, how do you ask for feedback? Well, asking people on the team is easy, “So, team, how did we do?” They’ll tell you all right.

Next, your boss, “So, Boss, how did I do?” Again easy.

Customers? Easy. “Is there anything we could do to improve the service/product/delivery times/specifications/proposal?” They’ll tell you all right as well.

Co-workers? Just ask. “So, could you give me some feedback on how you thought the relocation went?” Or “Could you tell me how you think we (you and your team) did with the exhibition?” Or “Any chance of some feedback on the cost-cutting exercise/new accounting procedure/staffing levels over the summer vacations/new theme park ride?” Don’t preface it with, “Can you tell me where I went wrong?” or, “I know the relocation went off appallingly but I don’t know where we screwed up.” Or even worse, “Help me out here, can you? I did wrong but no one will tell me what I did.” Don’t give anyone your judgment of the situation in advance. Let them tell you the good and the bad. Just nod at it all and say “Thank you” and move on.