Give and Receive
Feedback is one of those things we have to be able to give and also need to be open to receive. Not only as designers but also as professionals. As designers, we are more familiar with feedback as a mechanism to make our work better. We have all gone through design critiques. Sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn’t, but either way, the feedback we receive is filled with guidance to make our design work better.
The ability to give and receive feedback is the same muscle we must exercise as professionals. Carving your path implies that we must also be on a journey of constant improvement. The first part of being able to improve is to be willing to listen to our peers offering feedback so that we can uncover the ways in which we can improve our performance. Being open to feedback is difficult and I have often found that my ego gets in the way of me truly listening to the people that were sincere about helping me be better. In order to bypass my ego, I have developed a practice of asking questions about the feedback I am receiving. By asking questions, I am forcing myself into a curious mindset allowing me to listen more effectively and get more value from the feedback being given to me.
It is said that feedback is a gift, so if you receive a gift then it is only right to be prepared to give a gift in return. Giving feedback is crucial to help your colleagues improve just as you are on your journey of improvement. However, delivering feedback can be awkward and sometimes just feels weird. The concern I hear the most and one I share is not wanting to make one of my colleagues feel bad. It is good to recognize that sometimes feedback about work performance can be confused with sentiments about the individual. This is why I have become a fan and practitioner of direct feedback. When delivering feedback I name the behavior, give the most concrete example I can and then leave room for questions to be asked or continued discussion to brainstorm how to help my colleague through continued support. Offering support after delivering direct feedback lets someone know that you are operating on positive intent.
The giving and receiving of feedback is a key part of our growth as we continue down our career paths, so make sure to embrace it and participate in a culture of feedback by engaging in the conversations that will help everyone improve, including you.
