Seek Feedback

We say ‘practice makes a man perfect,’ but relying solely on practice is never enough. In many business settings, we often encounter individuals who have devoted considerable time to a particular domain but struggle to excel. If practice were the sole key to success, these individuals would have been shining stars in their fields. But reality tells a different story.

So, what’s the missing ingredient? I believe it’s feedback.

Imagine someone on a team is diligently working on a critical project for an extended period but gets no feedback. What happens? That person will likely think everything is okay and potentially never improve.

In contrast, there are some of those who actively seek reassurance about their actions, craving regular feedback. They use feedback as fuel to improve and grow.

As professionals, we must all actively seek out feedback.

Our initial source of feedback is often internal- our gut feeling- as we instinctively gauge our performance. Our intuition serves as a robust feedback mechanism. By tuning into this internal feedback, we can often find the answers we seek.

Beyond our internal feedback, we must look for some high-quality feedback about our actions from our supervisors, colleagues, mentors, and other well-wishers.

Practice truly perfects us and fosters improvement only when a consistent supply of high-quality feedback complements it.