I’ve always had a deep appreciate and need for feedback. Word on the street is this is because I am a millennial… whatever. I fully appreciate having a coach in my life. I can provide the muscle to push myself to my goals but I want to make sure that I’m heading in the right direction. That’s where the coaches in my life have come in!
He talks about encouraging his team to use the audits and the auditors as an opportunity to learn. AKA: Creating coaches for his team. Ask how other organizations do things, how people handle constraints, etc.
Caveat: Unsolicited or unhelpful advice. I’ve liked this quote that I first heard from Rachel Hollis. “Don’t take feedback from someone who hasn’t lead the live that you want to live.” Does this person have the live, marriage, family, or job that I want? If so, heck yes actively search them out for their feedback and advice. If not, take it for a moment and evaluate it. Does this advice you become the person you want to become?
When it came to organizations, David Marquet had some additional advice “Embrace the Inspectors”. In his submarine, The Santa Fe, they treated the inspectors as a source of information for an area where they were struggling. What were the other ships doing? How could they improve? This created atmosphere of learning and curiosity versus defensiveness. He found that this was a way that his team was able to increase their competence.
Use input. Use feedback. It’s a gift and often a hard gift for a manager to give. Don’t be afraid to search out this feedback from those who have walked down the path you wish to go down.
Pigs and People 