RE: Startup Blabber #006: The Importance of Feedback
I don't know if this is just a current german thing or an overarching theme, but I find that people living here have a super hard time dealing with feedback.
I for one appreciate feedback of all kinds and I use every opportunity I can get for collecting some. Others are very prone to taking feedback in a bad way, feeling offended quite easy.
Because of that, Feedback is usually being met with defenses, excuses and reasonings as for one should not change thyself and continue moving on the way one did before.
Since I like to get a lot of feedback, I love giving it just as much. People have a hard time taking it to heart, but in the end, be it a matter of minutes, hours or months, they all come to the conclusion that they would have been better off listening to my advise.
Actually, last week, I had someone listening to advise given to me. That felt good. Rewarding, even.
You might be one of the special people out there. I guess I'm like most Germans, I'm horrible with feedback, I'm getting used to it because I do it so much, but I'm still struggling right now. Hopefully, it will get better with time.
At TMON, we would each prepare one thing we liked about Person A and one thing Person A could improve. I mean essentially, it is "Person A, you really suck at this, and hope that you can think about this in the future", but trying to tone down the manner better. I think communication skills are crucial when it comes to feedback.
That is true, Whenever I give feedback, I usually coat a negative in two positives.