How to Start Being Open to Feedback

This is my rough 'quick start' guide, but if you're serious about developing this skillset, sign up for the course.

Step 1: Understand what it means to be Open to Feedback and why it's valuable

Listen to this podcast: How to Love Criticism from WorkLife with Adam Grant:

• Apple
• Stitcher
• TED

Step 2: Commit personally to being more Open to Feedback

Write it down somewhere for yourself. Reflect on what that means. You could hold yourself accountable by writing "Open to Feedback" somewhere your colleagues can see — in your Slack status, email signature, or on your LinkedIn.

Step 3: Practice asking for and receiving feedback

In the future, you’ll be able to use our platform to ask for and gather feedback. For now, you could:

• Start a conversation and ask for feedback
• Create a Google Form where people can share feedback with you

Step 4: Reflect and unpack the feedback you receive, and decide what to action

Ask yourself: What’s not clear? What clarifying questions should I ask? What might be true or useful in this feedback? How can I best act on it?

Repeat Steps 3 and 4 on a loop!

If you're interested in learning more, sign up for an upcoming course.

Watch:

• Brené Brown: The Call to Courage (on Netflix)

Listen:

• Leading Above the Line

Read:

• Thanks for the Feedback – Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
• Radical Candor – Kim Scott
• The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
• Drive – Daniel H. Pink
• Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman

When is the best time to start being open to feedback?

Right now! (Just kidding.) The best time to ask for feedback is when you are "above the line".
Being in an "above the line" space helps reduce your natural defensive response to potentially negative feedback.