Why This F Word in Your Career Matters

This F word is Feedback. Love it or hate it, this will help you propel in your career if used the right way. Feedback is a very important part of your career development and can help you progress to success.

In your quest for impactful feedback, It’s also important to use your judgement and assess where the feedback is coming from, and if its a reliable source for you. Sometimes, there are situations where you may side-eye the feedback depending on where it's coming from. However, if we're not careful we could missed out on something crucial that needs to be addressed. Im speaking from experience here. Although your ego could get crushed, swallow hard and make mental notes.

My suggestion — lean into the approach of “take it with a grain of salt”and know that although you may be side-eyeing the comments, there could be a grain of truth in there for you to consider.

Unfortunately, all feedback isn’t going to be rainbows and sunshine and some of it is going to be difficult to hear. But it’s best we take those moments of constructive criticism and make them a part of our continued success journey.

Although I’m not surprised by these findings, I think we can all agree that the only way to improve is to hear it directly. I’d also like to stress that good guidance is crucial, and if you're going to take the manager's seat you need to know how to deliver feedback in a way that isn't reprimanding or downright cruel. Leading with a level of emotional intelligence and coaching is pivotal to getting the most out of your colleagues.

So, how can you get the feedback you need in the workplace and use it to your advantage?

Here’s how:

Get consistent feedback from your manager.

Don’t wait for your yearly performance review to ask for feedback. The best time to ask for feedback is ongoing, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly which ever works for you, but never leave it to the end of the year.

Ask your colleagues and clients for feedback.

Not only can we benefit from feedback from our managers but we can also hear from our peers, and if you work with vendors or clients it's helpful to get their feedback as well.

Ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think I can do to improve our project outcomes for the next quarter?”

This way, you won’t be hit with limited answers like yes and no. Open-ended questions allow for your peers to give you expansive feedback.

Understand the kind of feedback you want.

Be clear on the kind of feedback you are looking for. This will help you pinpoint what improvements are needed so you can be more strategic in your development.

Different types of feedback include:

Keep track of your feedback and make small changes to improve.

Every time you get feedback, keep track of it in your development plan and track your progress. Developing this habit over time will be useful when it comes to your overall performance review. There, you’ll be able to demonstrate how you improved over time and what actionable steps you took to get there.

Bottom line: Get you some feedback consistently! There is no point in feeling around in the dark when it comes to your career development. Remember to always ask for clarity if you aren’t clear on where you need to improve. This way, you’ll be clear on the next steps you need to take to get to the next level in your career.

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