The Feedback Formula: How Criticism Catalyzed My Career Growth
Early in my career, I was thriving at a consulting firm specializing in assessments. When offered a leadership role, I declined. A senior advisor's response? 'You're not leadership material.' No explanation. It completely crushed me.
Fast forward: I'm co-founding an HR tech company. My new co-founder's feedback shocked me:
'I don't care about assessment correlations with job performance. Prove to me that better assessments mean more money for our clients.'
Harsh? Yes. But it ignited me. It pushed me to quantify our value, find ROI formulas, and create metrics that won over clients.
3 lessons on transformative feedback:
- Target specific behaviors, not the person
- Provide concrete examples, not vague statements
- Set clear goals for improvement
Harsh feedback can be devastating or empowering, do it right!
#feedback #growth #informedecisions