Hey Reader!

Last week I shared a lot of quick and easy ways to get started on your self development and self-care. I know you’re a hard working busy professional and even sitting down to think of what to do for yourself feels like extra work. That’s why I want to make it easy for you. 🙂

Another simple thing you can do for your self-development is let go of perfection. Of always feeling like you have to say the exact right thing at work or look/perform a certain way to everyone. That false belief of needing something to be exact or perfect is what is causing you anxiety more than the actual activity.

So how do you do it? Embrace the beauty of feedback! Once I realized that feedback not only could help me improve faster, but it released me from the pressure I was putting on myself. The pressure that I had to figure everything out on my own. The pressure that I had to know the right thing to say at the right time. That I had to always be on top of my game and never make mistakes.

The truth is, when your coworkers know that you’re working on something - they’re happy to give you constructive feedback. They actually give you more grace to make mistakes and implement changes. They open up to you in a completely different way.

The best part is - getting feedback doesn’t take very much time at all! You’re already doing these activities each day. Quick feedback/follow up convos need only take 5-10 minutes a few times a week. It could be as simple as a Slack/Teams message, an email, or a quick convo on the fly.

This week find a coworker you trust. Someone you already have rapport with that you interact with regularly. Meaning they need to be around you enough to be able to observe whatever you want to improve on. Let them know what you’re working on right now. Maybe it’s speaking up in meetings more often. Maybe it’s coming across better prepared. Maybe it’s your facial expressions on the zoom. Whatever it is, share that with them and ask them to kindly point out to you when they see you slip up.

Check it Out!

In the meantime, spend a few minutes to check out these helpful resources about getting feedback.

1. ​Watch my video about Crucial Convos at Work
2. Or this video to help you understand Why Convos are Difficult
3. Make sure you read my article: I don’t agree with my feedback

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What Would Jovita Do?

I actually had someone tell me once that I wanted too much feedback. Isn’t that funny?? I went from completely avoiding it, to asking too much and too often for feedback. Now every person is different, but what I needed to understand is that the feedback relationship is reciprocal. If I get someone who offers to provide me feedback on my self-development then I need to make sure I’m doing the same (if they want it) so it doesn’t feel one sided. So they don’t feel like I’m always asking them for something and giving them nothing in return.

When you talk to your feedback partner about giving you feedback, make sure you ask them if they want you to do the same. Don’t push them - they may not be ready just yet. Figure out what you can contribute to the relationship. Once they see how it helps you improve, check in with them again to see if they have something that you can help them improve on as well.

Pro Tip

The frequency of the feedback will depend on how often you're able to demonstrate whatever it is you’re trying to improve, and how quickly you’d like to improve it. For instance, if your boss tells you that you need to be better prepared for meetings, that’s something you'd want to prioritize and practice as often as possible. However, if you’re working on sounding more composed and confident in high stress situations, that might be something you’re getting feedback on less often.

You decide your comfort level. Remember, feedback is a tool and you shouldn’t add extra pressure on yourself or anyone else to get the feedback. If you set it up right with the tips and tools I’ve explained then it will just happen naturally throughout your work week.

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Make today great!

Jovita