The value of feedback

In my first year of operating as an independent personal, professional and business coach I have learnt many lessons that have helped me to gradually mould my business into something that accurately reflects me, my experience and my ‘product offering’. The ‘lessons’ tend to come neatly packaged in some form of feedback.

As a coach I encourage others to continually adjust their approaches based upon paying attention to short term outcomes and I think this is equally relevant when setting and then implementing my own business plans. I have found that it’s OK to ask for feedback and to be quite specific in my requests in order to check out that the image I am giving matches the image I want to give.

Being part of the TW Spa BNI has given me an incredible source of people to give me this feedback, as well as some great referrals. A further thought I have is around what I then choose to do with this feedback, and it’s not always a case of my changing direction in a significant way, sometimes just a minor adjustment is enough.

I am acutely aware that the way I look at me is not the same as someone else’s interpretation of me, and that is always going to be the case – so sifting the feedback I get sometimes brings up some interesting reactions, ranging from “oh – that’s interesting” to “oh no – perhaps I had better re think that one!’

It is said that feedback is a gift, perhaps not always recognised as such, but a gift nevertheless, and is one that perhaps in business we need to appreciate more often!

Susanna Way is a Personal and Business Coach at Way More Than.  She is also member of the BNI Royal Spa based in Tunbridge Wells.  (www.bni-royalspa.co.uk)

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