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Hi friends, I tell my colleagues all the time that feedback is love. If someone is willing to take the time, thought, and courage to speak up and provide you feedback, that is a gift and an act of love. Yet, there are situations where someone points out a mistake I made or am about to make and my immediate response is “I know.” Driving is always the example that comes to mind. Every time a passenger points out that the cars in front of me are slamming on their breaks or that I’m about to miss an exit, it’s always met with the most annoyed, curt “I know” that I can muster. But…I didn’t know. That is why it was pointed out to me. So why is there such a contradiction between how I promote and accept feedback in a professional setting compared to my day-to-day life? Well, it’s hard to accept that we don’t know everything. Continuing with the driving example: I’ve been driving regularly for 12 years (with some gaps in college). I’ve never been in a car accident while I was the driver and I’ve never received a ticket. I consider myself a safe and reliable driver (but don’t we all?). Whether it’s warranted or not, receiving feedback on my driving feels like an attack on a project I’ve been working on for over a decade. If you don’t relate to the driving example, think of the situations where you aren’t willing or receptive to feedback. Is it your cooking? A creative project? Where can you find peace and power in accepting that you don't know everything? It’s obviously not easy. I started writing this newsletter six weeks ago and was hoping that by now I would have a solution — or at least be able to tell you I started accepting feedback on my driving. But I haven’t. So, I offer this as an opportunity for you to reflect and for me to practice acknowledging that I don’t know everything. Happy New Year, Emily
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