The human tendency is to tell people what they want to hear. I think we tend to err on the side of caution — avoiding confrontation and not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings. When we do this, we become part of the problem, allowing unacceptable behavior to continue, marginal levels of performance to erode morale of those who work hard, and condoning the behavior of those who know how to “work the system.”
The process may be unpleasant and uncomfortable, but we need to learn to deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. If we wait too long, we accentuate the issue.
We also need to surround ourselves with people who will tell us what we need to hear.
As the sting of the truth wears off, the bruised ego heals, and we see wisdom in the feedback that is really designed to make us better. I challenge you to put your ego on hold and focus on accepting feedback in the right spirit.
About Hemant Rustogi