Oct 13 Is Your Career Starved for Feedback?
Feedback is critical to career success, and if you are not getting the kind of insightful and helpful input or critiques that you need, you may be slowly starving your development. Before you know it your value can wither away as more informed competitors take the right steps to move themselves forward while you remain stuck in the status quo.
Don’t Settle for Praise Alone
I always find it amazing that so many corporate leaders today tell me they never receive adequate constructive feedback. Many of my private clients tell me that they ask for feedback but unfortunately, their bosses just says “Oh, you are doing great.”
You cannot settle for a pat on the back. You need to be clear and ask for specific, valid feedback. I have been a corporate mentor, executive presence coach, and promotion acceleration expert for decades. But almost every month, as most of you know, I set aside time to work with my own private coaches and mentors who give me constructive feedback.
Ask for Specifics
Tell your boss to list the top three things you do best. Then ask them to point out the one thing you should work on and improve to be a more well-rounded team member.
If your boss isn’t capable of giving you that kind of assistance and insight, then look for someone in HR or request that one of the senior managers in your organization mentor you.
Organize a 360
You can also organize your own informal 360-review, asking trusted colleagues, family members, or friends to give you a supportive but honest critique of your strong points and areas that show room to develop.
We all need partners with the vision, honesty, and experience to point out where we can add even greater value to what we bring to the table.
As a pioneering and visionary innovator, Sarah is a certified image master (CIM) and brand strategist, speaker, trainer and author. Her company, Illustra Consulting, provides leading-edge image and brand management strategies for top leaders and high achievers who wish to take their career to the next level. She also delivers innovative and inspiring corporate workshops to assist large organizations in strengthening their corporate brand. Illustra Consulting Copyright © 2015, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIM, CPBS 1-800-267-3245, [email protected] This article may be reproduced only in it’s entirety, including the above bio.
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Sarah Hathorn, CEO of Hathorn Consulting Group, is the go-to-expert in working with leaders and companies to create successful corporate DNA. As an executive coach, consultant and speaker she collaborates globally with clients and brands such as Deloitte, McKesson, Kimberly-Clark, Sherwin-Williams, Home Depot and other leading organizations.
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