Getting honest feedback from others is not easy. They are often too polite or they are afraid to be truly honest. How can we find out what others really think about us? How can we know what we are not doing correctly and what can be improved? The answers to these questions, published by management consultant, speaker and author Peter Bregman on the Harvard Business Review website, may be useful not only at work but also in your private life.
1. Ask for honesty
Openly say that you are looking for honest feedback and that the person will be doing you a favor by being honest. Do not be afraid to say something like: "Do not be polite, I want to learn as much as possible so that I could improve."
2. Speak about the future
Do not ask what you did wrong in the past. Rather try to ask what you can do better in the future. People will be more honest when asked about the future.
3. Ask more than once
When you ask for feedback frequently, people around you will get used to it and feel less uncomfortable when talking about what you could improve. Ask about specific situations, such as: "What could I do better next time on a meeting like the one we had yesterday?"
4. Accept both positive and negative feedback
First of all you should listen. Thank everyone who is willing to share opinions with you and listen to what is said. Once you begin to defend or advocate for yourself, the person will stop being honest and turn polite again. Write the feedback down so that you can refer to it later, this way the other party will see that feedback is really important to you.
What is your recipe for getting honest feedback?
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