The Power of Feedback: 35 Principles for Turning Feedback from Others into Personal and Professional Change

CHAPTER 7

Making Change Happen

The purpose of getting feedback, understanding it, and prioritizing the critical issues is to turn the feedback into change. Much has been written from many perspectives about how best to create personal change. However, different approaches work in different situations and with different people. So, rather than focus on one perspective, I present many different perspectives and approaches to change, and then you may use the approach that best fits your particular situation and personality.

 

Finding the Real Problem

Sometimes the root of the problem is not the obvious problem.

 

While reviewing the feedback she had received, Cheryl felt very confused. Her boss’s feedback indicated that she did not involve others in decision making and problem solving. But the feedback she received from those who reported directly to her indicated that they felt highly involved.

Cheryl’s first inclination was to involve her group even more in decisions. But, after discussing the issue with her boss, the real problem became clear: Her boss was the one left out of most decisions. Cheryl and her group had been making most of their decisions without involving the boss. With this insight, the problem switched to an issue of “how to manage her manager,” rather than “how to manage her work group.”

 

After people accept feedback, they tend to feel personally responsible for the resolution of problems. The first assumption they typically make is, “I need to change.” The following ...