How Feedback Can Restrict a Focus on Your Strengths

The phrase for the week is "Play to Your Strengths”

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the importance of feedback, but no one ever focuses on the good feedback, just the negative. The term” plan for improvement” annoys me too. We are hard-wired to focus on the negative. Our brains respond so differently to compliments and praise. It energizes us in a way improvement plans don’t. What inevitably happens is that the employee abandons their strengths to focus only on their weaknesses. If the news is a surprise, they wonder, does everyone know I have this weakness and aren’t telling me? Are they having secret meetings where this is discussed? It’s like getting to the end of the day and finding out that you had spinach stuck in your front tooth all day.

I’m not suggesting that you ignore negative feedback. Not at all. We can all grow and become better humans when we are made aware of our behaviors or work product that are not meeting the mark. What I am suggesting is that you are clear on what you do well. Find ways to capitalize and build on those strengths. In the meantime, you determine how you will address the noted “weaknesses.” This is a great topic of conversation for you and your mentor or coach.

I always play to my strengths.

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