A Lesson in Feedback

Shortly after I lost my job I learned a valuable lesson about feedback. In discussing the events with a good friend, the question was posed, "Did you get feedback?" I was somewhat defensive in my response of, "Well, of course I did! And I did, to a degree. I had asked questions of my supervisor when I didn't think things had gone well. Questions such as, "I don't think that went well. What do you think? What should I fix?" However, it's not enough just to get feedback, you also need to SEEK feedback. Seek feedback by asking questions such as, "Where do you think I could improve? What would you like me to work on?" In essence, find trouble before trouble finds you! I'm not saying that this kind of feedback is easy to seek or to accept. But the value of having that kind of feedback, for me, cannot be overstated!



Seeking feedback also means getting help. When I started my current job, I set my expectations too high and wanted to do everything perfectly. Not possible! Because my expectations were so high, I rarely asked for help, assuming that I should have been able to figure it out on my own and I was afraid to admit my shortcomings. However, since I never asked for help, I never improved and nearly quit my job! Thankfully, as I was exploring my options, my employers wanted to see me be successful and succeed so they allowed me to work alongside an experienced teacher for the rest of the school year, so I could learn what it was I was supposed to be doing! This was a move that I will always be grateful for, one that perpetuated further success.....