Filtering Feedback

Created 8 years 361 days ago
by Rita Palmisano

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Categories: Small Business Sense
Views: 4058

by Mark McClanahan

Whom do you go to in order to get the most honest, objective feedback? Your manager? Your direct reports? Your peers?

I’m sure that with these folks you can obtain good feedback. However, at almost no time will it be free of subjective opinion. Your relationships with these people are influenced by the structure from where they are positioned. A good manager will want to provide you with advice that keeps you engaged and driven. A direct report will want to respect the influence you have on his or her career. And peers will typically desire to position feedback in a way to keep the playing field even. So, how do you access sage advice unrestrained from the subjectivity of these positions?

I have found that mentors are invaluable in providing some of the most objective and honest advice. The three steps to obtain and retain a mentor include 1) identifying the type of mentor, 2) asking the person and 3) actively engaging the mentor.

First I focus on gaps in my development. Whether it’s finance, operations or even industry insights, determining what type of mentor I need is critical. Second, finding the person and then asking this person to mentor me can be the hardest step. At this point, I make sure to let the potential mentor know about the time commitment – typically three to four times per year.

The last step is the most important and misinterpreted. I do all of the work in engaging the mentor. My mentor is strictly used to provide guidance and not to do my work. Mentors are like coaches. They don’t play in the game. They give you honest, objective feedback on how to play the game better.