By Patti Anderson
The road of evaluation has been on my mind. As we travel through our lives, many people will evaluate our performance: employers, co-workers, peers, parents, family, instructors, and friends. Sometimes we ask for it, and sometimes we don’t.
I’ve always been a person that asks for feedback, looking for ways to learn faster, improve more, and be better. That attitude of accepting evaluations has fared me well. By taking time to evaluate the road signs given to me, I’ve enjoyed some great shortcuts and a few detours that have enriched my life’s journey.
My Choice
One of the great things about receiving feedback and evaluations is that I can choose to accept it, or not. It’s my choice. Just like in Toastmasters, when an evaluator gives me their opinion of possible ways to improve my presentation, I get to decide if it fits my style or will improve my message. I get to do that in every area of my life.
Determine Value
Is the evaluation I’m receiving something that will bring value or help me improve some areas of my professional or personal life? If yes, jackpot! It’s like winning a speed pass, I don’t need to wait through the long line of life experiences to get that golden information. If it doesn’t bring me value, I drop it in the nearest recycle bin. It’s up to me to decide if the evaluation I receive has worth to me.
Be Open
The key to receiving evaluations is to be open to them. Is it possible that someone else sees something that I may not be seeing? If I applied this to my life, could something become easier? Could it make me better in some way? Could I be a stronger leader, better communicator, more supportive spouse, better friend, or parent?
Sometimes, especially when the information isn’t asked for, it can be difficult to stay open-minded to what others observe. I always write it down and thank the person for their input. If it didn’t resonate with me at the initial time I heard it, I will revisit my note and take a minute to think about it later. Is it something that is a constant or maybe a situational behavior? What do I think about it now?
Ready to Receive
I remember a supervisor telling me that I wasn’t good with change. I felt offended. The statement stayed with me. The next time a new procedure rolled out, I heard myself saying it was a bad idea before I even heard the whole plan. I guess that supervisor was right.
That one observance helped me learn how to be a better listener. That led to me not giving an opinion before getting all the facts, which led to more leadership opportunities. Had I not thought about if that evaluation had merit and just recycled it my life path would have been very different.
Yes, I have received some feedback that I thought was off the wall, or totally against my core style. I believe everyone has. However, what I have found is that when the information comes from someone with my best interest in mind, invariably, it has worth. I may not see it at first, but the nuggets always come back when I am ready to receive it.
The road to growth and personal development is paved with feedback and evaluations. Will you stay on course, or are you open to new roads?
Copyright 2020 by Patti Anderson