How can you combine feedback for better results?

1 Why combine feedback?

Feedback can come from various sources, such as your manager, your peers, your customers, or yourself. Each source can provide valuable insights, but also have limitations and biases. For example, your manager may focus on your alignment with organizational goals, but miss some of the details of your work. Your peers may have a closer view of your collaboration and communication skills, but not see the big picture of your impact. Your customers may have direct feedback on your products or services, but not know the constraints or challenges you face. And yourself, you may have a strong sense of your strengths and weaknesses, but also be influenced by your emotions and expectations. By combining feedback from different sources, you can get a more holistic and accurate picture of your performance, and identify areas of improvement and excellence.

2 How to combine feedback?

Combining feedback is an individual process, but there are some general steps to follow. Start by collecting feedback from multiple sources, such as performance reviews, surveys, interviews, or conversations. Organize the feedback by themes and look for common patterns or trends. Analyze the feedback for gaps and overlaps to identify areas of strength or weakness. Finally, synthesize the feedback into action plans using a simple template or a more specific tool. This will help you create meaningful plans that are realistic and relevant.

3 How to use feedback?

Combining feedback is not enough. You also need to use it effectively to achieve your goals and improve your performance. To do this, you should remember that feedback is a guide, not a judgment. It is a dialogue, not a monologue. And it is a cycle, not a point. When receiving feedback, don't take it personally or defensively; engage with it and seek clarification, examples, and suggestions. When providing feedback, don't just give it; exchange it and appreciate, acknowledge, and support each other. Furthermore, don't wait for or provide feedback as a one-time event; seek it and offer it regularly and timely. Finally, don't just act on or ignore feedback; review it and monitor it periodically and systematically.