I wrote this blog for coaches, teachers and parents, to raise your awareness of the power of feedback, to get you thinking about how you can help others to accelerate their progress, and also get more of what you want by giving feedback today.
I love creating exercise sessions which people enjoy, get results from and feel satisfied with, so it was really good to hear this feedback from my members this week, “We really liked your class.” After thanking them for their kind words, I replied with, “What specifically did you like?” I wanted to know, because I like to listen to my customers and give them more of what they want.
Did they like the music, the pace, was there a certain format or order which pleased them? The answer to my question is irrelevant here, but the point I’m making is that, feedback and praise is underrated. It is a simple and easy practice which can have great impact. Feedback encourages us, it builds our confidence, it reinforces good behaviour and it can help us to become more aware of how to improve- whatever changes we are working on.
It can also help us in our variety of roles, for example; as a customer or reader, getting the service, product or information that you want. As a coach or parent, helping to develop skill, confidence and competency. And in the workplace, as a leader or manager, letting people know that you appreciate their hard work will improve motivation and commitment to change.
How often do you seek and give feedback? When was the last time you gave someone a genuine piece of praise?
Think about how you could give someone a boost with a specific piece of feedback today….
- Maybe a member of your team has been working really hard and you might want to let them know that you have noticed their efforts- even if their progress is slow or things are not quite there yet.
- Possibly your friend at the gym is making improvements in their fitness or weight lifting? Or has a family member has been working hard to change a habit?
- Or perhaps, like in my house, your 5 year old has been coming home with pictures of dinosaur drawings in their bag. Taking the time to ask Luke about his pictures and saying what I liked brought a massive smile to my his face. He dived into the cupboard, got his pens and paper out and drew and coloured with greater detail for another hour!
And as well as helping others, if you want to make improvements in any area of your life, take responsibility and have the confidence to ask for feedback too. It will give you valuable insights, saving you time, energy and money wasted on mind reading, which is pretty exhausting and unreliable. 🙂
