They say feedback is gold. And sincerely, how do you know you are not doing a good job if you are so enamored with your own plan, and you never hear it from others?
But to get criticism when we need it the most, not only should we be able to withstand it, but we must welcome it even when we think we don’t need it just yet.
For this, we need to establish a culture and ask for feedback frequently. Show people that we care about what they think and that there is no retaliation when they speak up.
I know that even if I haven’t snapped back before, if people have not experienced that they can safely criticize my actions, they stay silent when the stakes are high. Unless I ask.
Free speech works like a muscle, we have to flex it often.