Are You Truly Challenging Yourself?

Professional athletes aren’t afraid of feedback. In fact, they seek it out. Their daily routine involves setting up various feedback loops, in which their efforts are constantly put under scrutiny. Their work is assessed, measured, analyzed, and scored. They’re expected to take that feedback and do one thing with it: get better. It’s a part of the job. We can learn a lot from athletes and their dedication to increasing performance and results. In short, we need criticism in order to excel.

Are you making yourself vulnerable enough for feedback? It’s an uncomfortable situation to put yourself into, no doubt. But if you really want to improve in your current position and continue to find success in life, you need to seek out feedback. Then you need to take that feedback and grow. How can you get reliable measurements on your skills? Here are just some ideas:

• Just ask–even on the small tasks: For example, after you run an important meeting, send out a quick email to the group or to a trusted colleague and say, “I’m looking to improve my public speaking skills. Is there anything you think I could have done better today?”
• Get it on the calendar: If you’re only required to have an annual and semi-annual review with your manager, consider putting a quarterly meeting between the two of you on your calendar. While it may not be an “official” performance review, use it as a chance to assess your progress on your goals and responsibilities. Where are you lacking? Where are you excelling?
• Be real with yourself: We’re not advocating to be super hard on yourself, but let’s be honest–we know when we’ve messed up. We know when we’ve been slacking, and making excuses, and self sabotaging. Unleash your inner critic but focus on giving yourself actionable advice.
• Write it down: Keep track of your goals, your progress, and the feedback you’re getting and check in on it at least once per month. We can’t improve if we don’t have a starting point and an end goal. Set yourself up for success and then track that success each step of the way.
• Celebrate the good with the bad: Don’t lose sight of your strengths as you get feedback on your weaknesses. Remember that weaknesses are simply chances to improve and we should always be seeking to improve throughout our life.

Image via Toby Bradbury/Flickr.