THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO SUCCESS
FEEDBACK TIPS TO HELP YOU BLOSSOM We spoke with Dr. Rebekah Cardenas, hands down one of the most impactful teachers we’ve ever seen, to get her best tips on mastering the art of feedback. Whether you’re improving your craft, excelling at your job, or sharpening any skill, feedback is a crucial tool for growth. Dr. Cardenas, a renowned coach and educator, has an incredible gift for breaking down concepts into actionable steps, making it easy to immediately apply what you’ve learned. She outlined for us some strategies for gathering feedback. These practical steps will not only help you blossom in your personal and professional life but also turn feedback into a powerful catalyst for growth.
REBEKAH CARDENAS Organizational Psychologist and Executive Coach
CULTIVATE SUCCESS: GATHER SORT SUCCEED REPEAT
HOW TO GATHER Ask often Asking for feedback often reduces our own defensiveness, helping us build a “habit” of wanting to hear from others so as to grow.
Avoid “stacking the deck” If we only ask people who will tell us what we want to hear we risk reinforcing ineffective behaviors and slowing our own development.
Specific in my ask When seeking feedback from someone new, asking for feedback on something specific creates a “safe lane” for them to offer input until trust is built (i.e. “do you think this has enough salt?” before asking “what do you think of this dish?”).
HOW TO RECEIVE
PUT IT TO WORK
Check your mindset
Feedback is information that has no power until we assign it power. Our job in the moment we receive it is not to accept or reject it - simply to seek to understand. One thing Nancy and Carla mentioned during their conversation was suggesting contestants accept feedback by saying “I hear what you are saying” which is a great trick to use to remember that you are listening and gathering data part of the process.
Stay calm/minimze defensiveness Writing down what someone says causes the brain to focus on capturing the information putting cognition in the drver seat and emotion in the back seat.
Active listening and asking questions
Asking the feedback giver follow up questions ensures that we understand the information so we are well positioned to change it if we decide to do so (i.e.“I heard you say that the bread pudding was dryer than you sould have liked it. Did it taste overcooked to you or do you think I need to modify the recipe?”).
After some time reflecting, determine one change you would like to make based on the feedback .
Expressing thanks
Showing appreciation for the time taken to give feedback signals to the brain that we are grateful to have received the information (whether we agree with or not or choose to act on it or not).
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