‘I would like direct feedback or have someone tell me if they have an issue.’ Do you?
While we may believe we are open to direct feedback, it is too frequent that this is not the practice of many organizations and individuals. Instead of openness, we cloak the approach with idle compliments, silence, or unclear messaging where others who are close to us refrain from sharing their perspective. For someone to share information with us, it requires them to find courage, deliberate how to share their view, and then seek an appropriate time to have a conversation.
As a culture, we are generally reluctant to receive critical input, even for our benefit. Instead, we react negatively, harbor grudges towards the messenger, and wonder what gives them the right to share their opinion.
How much simpler it would be if we invite feedback and input to support our cause, avoid mishaps and result in better performance and output. Stopping that is misaligned pride and false delusions of importance. It truly does not matter if we think we are correct when we are not.
Suppose we can instill an open environment and share a standard view of open discussion results in better outcomes. In that case, we will go a long way to creating cultures of collaboration and teaming, and ultimately happier ones.
