Your Feedback Isn’t as Impactful as You Think It Is. Here’s Why.

In this episode of How People Work, Jordan and Jason delve into various aspects of the feedback fallacy and its impact on personal and professional growth. The introduction sets the stage, highlighting the significance of managers in determining the health of an organization. The discussion then shifts to the common claim that everyone wants direct feedback, questioning its validity.

The podcast explores how well-intentioned attempts to help others learn might inadvertently limit their growth, raising questions about conventional wisdom that encourages working on weaknesses. Instead, Jason and Jordan argue to reject this claim and focus on strengths.

People hinder their own growth by fixating on weaknesses, and Jordan advocates for a shift in perspective. Great managers are highlighted as those who prioritize leveraging the strengths of their team members when building their teams.

Jason challenges the belief that others are more aware of our weaknesses than we are, emphasizing the of self-discovery over feedback, suggesting that personal exploration yields greater benefits.

Word of the Day: Rarefied

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro

(2:14) Managers determine the health of an organization

(4:02) Everyone says they want direct feedback. But do they really?

(5:30) 50% of your rating of someone else is really just reflective of your own characteristics

(8:23) Receiving feedback from someone you trust may help you accept and internalize it more, but you can only promote growth beyond that set point

(11:21) You could be limiting your people's growth in the way you're going about trying to help them learn

(12:06) Humans learning as an empty vessel vs. buds on a branch

(14:45) Conventional wisdom tells us to work on our weaknesses. Why we should reject that claim

(16:59) People are stifling their growth by focusing on their weaknesses

(18:25) Great managers focus on the strengths of their people when building their teams, not the weaknesses

(22:07) Others are not more aware of your weaknesses than you are

(29:59) We are hardwired to make up stories of why something might be when we don’t understand something

(35:18) Self-discovery is more valuable than feedback

Connect:

• Are you an HR/People Leader wanting to learn more? https://www.fringe.us/talk-to-our-team
• People Data & Insights Report: https://fringe.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#1U000000tSl7/a/4X000000ouMw/9lixakNDHeXoFyinZ5hmod6GeWRUmxBtAhVd3oCgDmg
• Jason’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonatfringe/
• Jordan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-peace-fringe/
• How Fringe works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NiAGyFut6E&t=2s