The Exponential Power of Feedback

Those of you who have interacted with me or follow my Linkedin activity know that I have always been an outspoken supporter of the theories related to Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Emotional Intelligence is believed to be a far better indicator of success in your business and personal lives than any other any other measure, including your IQ or superior technical knowledge of a subject.

Emotional Intelligence is broken down to 4 distinct personal competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Relationship Management. Notice the first two competencies start with the word “Self”. Yes, it all starts with you.

Emotionally intelligent people know that the story we often tell ourselves may not be an accurate reflection of the true situation we find ourselves surrounded in. It is virtually impossible for a person to be successful without seeking accurate and unbiased feedback from the people around them.

So how do you solicit feedback in a quest to boost your self-awareness? The ways are boundless but the secret is that you need to be intentional in your efforts to obtain feedback. I don’t care how good you think you are in reading body language…that only leads to you adding fiction to that story you tell yourself.

Feedback can only be obtained thru the art of intentional conversation. You really hit the feedback jackpot when you are able to get the intel from participants who are willing to be non-judgmental, open-minded and willing to communicate. When you ask (I can not stress enough the need to intentionally ask) for feedback try asking direct and open-ended questions.  Encourage people to be honest even if it means that they have to tell you something unpleasant about yourself. Face it, if you are unintentionally giving someone heartburn, wouldn’t you want to know it? If the facts supporting a business decision were different than you believe, wouldn’t you really want to know that?

Peers are a great source of feedback. There is a reason Vistage Worldwide has over 20,000 members with average member tenure of 7 years. CEO’s who are Vistage members don’t spend one full day a month out of the office for social networking; their time is too valuable for that. They commit the time to receive direct feedback and counsel from their fellow Vistage advisory board members. The result in incontrovertible, the feedback makes them challenge their assumptions and beliefs, leading to a better result in their personal and business lives.

So don’t be shy. Actively seek feedback from those that you interact with. You might be surprised what you learn, and remember, whether you agree with the feedback or not, it’s the story others are telling themselves about how you are showing up that matters. Pay close attention to what you hear and be sure to thank them for their feedback!

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David Galowich is the Founder and CEO of Terra Firma Leadership LLC and a Vistage Chair for CEO private advisory boards in Chicago, IL. David can be contacted at david.galowich@vistagechair.com