June 24, 2009 01:52:21
Posted By Ted Baumhauer
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A couple of weeks ago I worked with a small group of manufacturing on the line trainers doing some interactive activities. The goal of this short program was to have the group take a look at themselves and how they were accepting or rejecting new members. After three-hours with the group it was pretty obvious that they were afraid. Alot of their joking around with each other served to set up a barrier to anyone not in their circle. A change was coming, they knew it and they were circling the wagons to protect themselves. Later I found out that they didn't really like my observations and questioned my opinion. In addition they wanted to know "who did I think I was?" All of this was just another defense mechanism. All my observations were validated by the HR Director and she thought that in three-hours I had a pretty good handle on what was happening in the group.
Okay, enough of that, here's the point. When someone gives you feedback, listen to it. They are not your enemy. They don't deserve, probably, to have their credentials, or parentage questioned. They are actually doing you a favor. I'm not saying you have to believe it or act on their opinion. Just listen to it, take it in and consider it. If we react in such a way that we drive them away they may never try to help us again. While it's nice to live in our own little world where we do everything right, it probably isn't reality. I could have been totally wrong about that group, yet to summarily dismiss my observations and attempt to discredit the messanger isn't the way to go.
"It's a rare person who wants to hear what they don't want to hear." Dick Cavet
It might be rare, but if we listen it will make us better people! |