Feedback Loop

In an earlier post, (I am too lazy to provide a link, and no one will follow it anyway, but it is under movies), I talked about the idea of having a feedback loop and listening to it.

We do it at work all the time with performance appraisals. I would imagine that normally it is done poorly. I have been lucky enough to have had a couple of colleagues who are good at giving insightful feedback, and one who is incredibly good at it.

You can't buy that kind of good value. Well, I suppose I psychologist should be a professional feedback giver, but they would normally be drawing info from you and reflecting it back.

So, who is best placed to be your feedback loop? Should it be your best friend, your partner/spouse, or is a professional the best way to go?

Often seeing friends you haven't seen in a while is a good opportunity to get feedback, the time lapsed and their knowledge of who you were often brings awesome clarity.

BUT... most of us in reality don't want honest feedback. We also don't know how to deal with it. And because most people are bad at processing feedback, other people don't give it. We also don't know if it is our `place' to critize or feel like it is the blind leading the blind. As such, normally we just keep our opinions to ourselves and don't say something unless it is positive.

I think I am becoming a `feedback junkie'... I want to know what people think. I want people to say things to me that make me feel uncomfortable and relook at the way I do things. Doesn't mean I will agree, but looking at the world only through my eyes doesn't seem a good way forward.