During my workshops, I remind participants what aspects of feedback they can control. There are several elements, but I always want to highlight the power (and importance) of asking for feedback.
Not only does selecting the appropriate time and place, along with being specific about the developmental interests, help the brain receive feedback better, but you can also choose the person from whom you want the feedback.
Why does it matter? Because you can really dig for gold, for feedback that hits home and helps you grow.
In his book Hidden Potential, Adam Grant discusses the sources of trust, and I could not agree more with his breakdown of trustworthiness into three components: Care, Credibility, and Familiarity.
Let's look into it!
Care
According to Adam, if people don’t care about you, they haven’t earned the right for you to care about their reactions. A person giving feedback might have credibility and know you personally, but if they don’t care about you, I suggest questioning their intentions. Are they really trying to help you? You can try finding some truth in the feedback (and that would show how growth-oriented you are), but care is fundamental for honesty and trust.
How Care manifests in actions:
They genuinely want to see you succeed and invest in your long-term growth.
They provide feedback with empathy, considering both your feelings and aspirations.
An example of someone who cares:
A close colleague who shares your career aspirations says, "I know you’ve been handling multiple projects, but it might be worth delegating some tasks. This could free up time to focus on delivering higher-quality work on the most important goals."
Familiarity
If the feedback giver cares and has credibility but is not familiar with you, meaning that they don’t know your environment, challenges, character, or ways of working, the feedback you receive might not apply to you. Or in short - the observations without familiarity might miss the crucial context OF YOU for them to be relevant.
How Familiarity manifests in actions:
They understand your environment, challenges, and goals.
They consider your unique circumstances when giving feedback or advice.
An example of someone who cares:
A teammate who has worked with you on several projects says, "I’ve noticed you tend to thrive when deadlines are clear upfront. It might help to clarify expectations earlier with stakeholders so you don’t feel overwhelmed later."
Credibility
Lastly, if the feedback giver cares and knows you but lacks credibility, their feedback might be plain wrong because there could be a potential gap in knowledge or experience, rendering their feedback invalid.
How Credibility manifests in actions:
They have expertise or experience in the area you are seeking feedback.
Their advice carries weight because it’s backed by their own knowledge or success in similar situations.
An example of someone who has Credibility:
A senior graphic designer reviews your portfolio and comments, "Your colour palettes are strong, but try using more negative space. It will make your designs more striking, especially for web layouts."
✨ When you find someone who cares for you, has knowledge or experience in a subject you seek feedback on, and knows you well - that’s your source!! Go, and dig for that gold!! Prepare questions that will help you solicit specific feedback, and remember to express gratitude and thank that person because you’ve received a gift! 🎁
And as Adam Grant said, "May the source be with you."!
Want to learn about this? Let’s talk!
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