Using Feedback to Get to Your Next Level
Last week, we were scheduled to give a “speed-date OrangeBall” presentation to a group of marketing professionals. As part of the prep, our hosts created room for us to share a dry-run of our preso. We did the work, we prepped, and we showed up ready to go. At the end of our dry-run, we heard this:
“It’s good, but…”
Our host team had taken notes during our dry-run, and what came next was a list of suggestions offered to help us make our presentation more engaging, exciting, and entertaining. It was shared with an authentic desire to help us create a greater impact and more memorable experience for our audience. How we received this feedback would make or break us as we moved forward, and that’s the key to today’s message.
We get to choose what we do with the feedback the world gives us.
On the one hand, we can use feedback as a catalyst for growth – a launchpad for helping us achieve next-level results. We can approach it like data and then measure that data to help guide our decisions. On the other hand, we can choose to take feedback personally, and it can land on us like a heavy-weight right hook, leaving us wanting to defend ourselves and punch back.
Our openness to receive feedback is what dictates whether we grow or stay stuck.
In the example we’re describing above, the feedback we received was being shared with us in a very open and generous manner. We knew, going into the conversation, that our hosts were invested in our success. They wanted us to win. With that in mind, we used what they shared to help us enhance our preso. We were open to their critique and used it to help create something amazing.
Pressure creates diamonds.
The result? When we reapproached our hosts in a second dry-run, they loved how we had tweaked our preso. Because we were open to their initial feedback, and then we were intentional to use that feedback to grow, we were perfectly prepared on the day of our live presentation. We brought Bounce to what we shared, and it showed in the response we got from our audience.
One final note to add… We’re not saying that all feedback is good. We need to know where it’s coming from, who’s delivering it, and what their motives are. Then, based on how all of that adds up, we can choose what weight to give the feedback.
Our point is this – we need to be receptive enough to listen first. Then, we need to be open enough to take on some constructive criticism and see it for its value. And, we need to set our egos at the door, so we’re ready to do something with the feedback if we decide it’s valid.
Call-to-Action
Drop your guard and open up to receiving feedback. Rather than making your first response to play defense when someone shares their feedback, hear it with an open mind and weigh it out. Then, if it’s on point, do something with it. That’s where growth begins.
Ready for more?
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