I’ve been at home more than usual of late – mainly due to a bout of illness so I’ve not been in the thick of the workplace momentum and general frantic-ness for a little while.  It’s been perfect for reflection and a process of spotting lessons embedded in unusual places.  Which has prompted this week’s area for us to ponder further …..

“Which movie would you like to give to your boss (or significant other) that has powerful messages they would do well to see, hear and learn from?”

This is an interesting area.  In the workplace, I’ve previously undertaken management training which has relied heavily on the medium of the classics, Shakespear’s Julius Caesar and Henry V spring to mind with huge messages on how to influence effectively.  It’s not to everyone’s taste, but I loved it and learnt from it and have implemented what I learnt to good effect.

So this week, something more accessible to everyone, films.  Which ones have contained stories and lessons which have resonated with you personally, and ……

“Which ones would you like to share with your boss and why?”

Share your insights, for bosses or just people who have significant influence in your life, via comments please.  If you know of anyone with a similar story to tell, encourage them to contribute too if you would?

Thanks!

One of the best proven ways to learn and develop is by hearing others’ reflections on our own actions.

“When was the last time you heard and acted upon, feedback?”

Since feedback is simply any kind of response to the work you do you receive feedback all the time, in many different forms, probably every single day. For example:

• an academic reacts to a question you raise in class;
• a colleague disagrees with you about an issue in a team meeting;
• someone praises you for getting something completed much earlier than them;
• the comments section on any blog, or Facebook status, or response to a tweet; or
• your annual appraisal.

You’ll notice that many of these instances of feedback occur regularly in your day-to-day activities, and it’s important to recognise that you have a personal choice to make in what you do with this feedback.  You could:

• ignore it;
• file it for future attention;
• disagree with it; or
• Reflect upon it, accept it, and act upon it.  This is the most powerful developmental choice you can make in this set.

Formalised feedback is a communication you can potentially learn from, just like all the others, and it is like any genuine communication: it requires a response in order to add value. You will only make the most of feedback by working to turn it into ideas for future action. You can reflect upon what the feedback you receive tells you, whether you’ve learned the right things in the right way, and how you could better have gone about this learning. So this weeks reflection is to think about:

“When was the last time you heard and acted upon, feedback?”

Aresko can now offer junior, middle and senior management 360 degree feedback exercises for individuals or whole teams.  Give us a call if you want to find out more about undertaking this for your own developmental purposes (o7932 641313).