Chapter 1: An Accusation of Incompetence, Transparency
The day my leader informed me that her boss thought I was incompetent felt like a gut punch. My heart leaped from my chest to my throat and anguish flooded my body. I do not remember anything beyond her comment. As I walked out of the meeting room, flashbacks of my 27-year career…washed over me […]
Don’t Demonize the Messenger
A study conducted by Francesca Gino, a professor at Harvard Business School, revealed that people tend to move away from those who provide feedback that is more negative than their view of themselves. They do not listen to their advice and prefer to stop interacting with them altogether. When it comes to feedback, there does […]
The Make or Break of Feedback
How you respond to negative feedback can be the difference between success and derailment. The key is to not confuse feedback about your behavior with feedback about who you are. No one is good at everything. Consequently, we are all bound to get constructive feedback at some point in our lives. Of course, none of this […]
Open the Door to Feedback
“She said she wanted honest feedback. When I give her feedback, she gets defensive and shuts down the conversation.” These were the words of a frustrated leader whose senior leader opened the door to feedback and then quickly shut the door when the feedback was provided. While many leaders understand the importance of feedback, the sting […]
What are Your Triggers? – Emotional Self-Awareness
When leaders have a solid understanding of what triggers their emotions they can manage themselves and control the impact their emotions have on others. I once worked for a leader whose emotions could be triggered by something as simple as a question that he did not like. His aggressive and condescending response would silence the room. People became hesitant to ask questions or contribute […]
