Feedback; It's Worth More Than You Think

So, most of us have probably worked on a major project or been responsible for producing an important deliverable.  We go to a meeting, we’re told how important the project is, we’re given a deadline, everybody’s excited, and away we go to get the task done.  Then...time passes, the deadline arrives, you submit your deliverable, and wait to get feedback from stakeholders.  In fact, some of you reading this are probably waiting for feedback on a project right now.

I think it’s safe to say that when we don’t receive feedback, it can be pretty frustrating.  After all, we’re striving to exceed expectations and build upon past experiences, right?  We’re constantly working to increase our value and improve our performance.  This would pretty be difficult to accomplish without hearing directly from the stakeholders we impact.  

Feedback is one of the most vital pieces of input that we receive, because it facilitates improvement. Nevertheless - as much as we desire feedback from others because we recognize the value it contains, it’s also true that many of us don’t take the time to provide it ourselves.

Sometimes we simply assume it's a given that those who provided us with our deliverable(s) will know we liked their work.  There are also times when we're not as satisfied with a project or service as we would like to be; we feel that certain aspects of the product or service we received could have been better.  Either way, if we don't take the time to provide comments or direction then we lose the right to expect better performance in the future.


The reach of constructive feedback is infinite.  Know that it has the power to improve a process, service, product; improve performance, increase customer satisfaction, contribute to personal and professional development, and strengthen relationships.  Most importantly feedback builds understanding, and closely aligns the product/service provider with needs and desires of the customer.