Juggling is surprisingly similar to giving feedback in the workplace. Hear me out on this one...
Whether it's to an employee, a boss, a friend or family member; we have all faced the daunting task of giving feedback to someone that is entirely unreceptive. It's nerve-racking and exhausting considering all the options of how to frame your feedback and make your point without causing a drama. It's also a waste of time and energy...
Just like in juggling, the better you get at catching the less you have to worry about the throwing. So if you can engender a culture whereby staff and bosses are all good catchers, then your business can reap the benefits of quick and candid feedback.
So here's a few tips for being a good catcher...
- Adopt a learning mindset. You must accept feedback without judgement. If you get criticism, then accept it as a gift to help you improve with no ill judgement.
- Sleep on it. Avoid spontaneous answers or rebuttals. Feedback is all a matter of trust... You will only get feedback if people around you feel safe to give it.
- Choose your language carefully to show you seek criticism, not praise... When showing your work ask "How could it be better?" or "on a Scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate my performance on this project and what would have made it a 10?" - this gives your thrower the chance to pitch something without any pressure.
Remember that "I hear you" is not the same as "I agree with you" - so accept the feedback and move on knowing that there is no such thing as bad feedback if you learn from it.
