Much energy goes into teaching how to be a good giver of feedback, how to be a good coach. Which is all well and good, but just as we as a society tend to focus more on speaking skills than on listening skills, there is a lot to be said for making an effort to be a good RECEIVER of feedback.

“The key player is not the giver, but the receiver of the feedback. Even if the giver has been well trained in giving feedback, if the receiver is unwilling or unable to accept the feedback, then the feedback is useless.” (Thanks for the Feedback)

There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve had to breathe deep (repeatedly!) and tell myself “Ok, there are some gold nuggets in there in all that dirt, a pony in that manure, I need to stay calm and find it.” The secret of growth, the goal of every life-long learner, is to utilize ALL feedback “even when it is off base, unfair, poorly delivered, and, frankly, you’re not in the mood.”

Closing Quotes:

“It takes humility to seek feedback, it takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it, and appropriately act on it. Each of us guard a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside.” – Stephen R. Covey, 1932-2012

“I love being coached. I ask a lot of questions and appreciate any insight and feedback. If you ever stop listening to coaching or stop asking questions, you probably need to be doing something else.” – Peyton Manning

“It is actually the receivers who are in control of how much of the feedback they absorb and whether they choose to change. The ability to accept feedback well is a learned skill that anyone can develop.” – Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen

As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier