My attempt to apply recent feedback.

Feedback is a gift. That is what I believe. It is a gift that pays tremendous dividends for individual and team performance.

But feedback is often avoided because people don’t always experience it as a gift. Often it feels like a weapon used against them. That could be because people aren’t good at giving it or because a culture treats it that way or the person providing it is a jerk.

So what

I recently got feedback that sometimes I use too many words.

I am choosing to apply that feedback to this article by using fewer words (270 to be exact instead of the usual `1000).

Here is the process I used to decide to try using fewer words

1. I reflected on the feedback to find the shred of truth. The shred I found was that yes I write how I talk and sometimes that isn’t a good thing.

2. I asked for a second opinion to validate the feedback and the shred of truth I found. That person agreed I write how I talk using a lot of words.

3. I identified a way to apply the feedback. I will try using fewer words.

4. I looked for an opportunity to try the new way (This article has fewer words).

5. I will evaluate this new way and make additional adjustments as needed.

Conclusion

Feedback is a gift if you allow yourself to be open to it. The way to use the gift for your benefit is listed above. Try doing the above so feedback can be a gift to you too.

If you want an article on feedback with more words (details and stories). Check this one out.