Why feedback is important?

Imagine that you're a professional tennis player. The only way to improve your performance is to practice, get feedback from your coach, make improvements, and practice again. Getting feedback is an important and welcome method in sports, but it can also be used to improve other areas of our lives. Receiving feedback and giving feedback are two parts of the same coin, and it is equally important to know how to handle both situations.

One reason we don't like receiving feedback is that we perceive it as criticism or something very personal. The most important thing about receiving feedback is to realize that it's not a personal attack, but a process that will help you improve your work, continue what you're already good at, and build better relationships.

Conversely, it can be difficult to give feedback when you feel you don't want to offend the other person. But, If you focus on how people can improve, rather than what they're doing wrong, the experience will be more positive. Imagine again that you're a professional tennis player and your performance is stagnant. If you don't get feedback from your coach — you can’t make changes to improve your performance.

To overcome stagnation in your career, you would probably welcome and be grateful for feedback from your coach. You may feel a little disappointed that you need to improve, but that feeling is outweighed by your natural desire to improve win a grand slam.

It's no different in your personal or professional life. If you don't actively seek feedback, you run the risk of stagnating and not realizing your full potential because you don't know how you come across to others and what you can change to improve.