Sales & Marketing Management - November/December 2008 - (Page 14) MANAGEMENT STRATEGY [By Joe Takash] RESULTS THROUGH SELF-KNOWLEDGE The free flow of feedback can be a huge boon M ark is a savant in product knowledge and a gifted vocal communicator. His ability to articulate value to clients succinctly and accurately over the phone is superb. Yet upon meeting him live, many find his nonverbal impression is in direct opposition to his verbal skills. Handshake? Dead fish. Eye contact? Shifty. Common perception from clients or prospects? “Untrustworthy.” “Lacks confidence.” Or, as one client abrasively stated, “Mark’s kind of creepy.” People are generally uncomfortable with providing critical feedback, and most subordinates may never be brutally honest with their managers because they are in positions of authority. What does Mark think about this feedback? Nothing— he’s never been told! You can point to the managers who hire him, the clients who don’t and even Mark as the owner of such perceptions, but let’s look at the reality of human nature: We don’t typically get feedback or know how to give it. Consistent research reports that 97% of unhappy customers or clients don’t complain. If you’re in a leadership position, did you know that the higher you go in an organization, the less honest feedback you are likely to receive from your employees and clients? Consequently, most of us operate on autopilot, uncertain of our blind spots or barriers that may well be preventing us from elevating to that next level. Put your self-assessment cap as you explore the following five tips, then ask yourself two questions: “Do I do this well?” and “Where can I improve?” Next, get feedback from others and provide the same to them. 1. Increase your self-knowledge. Many of us are self-aware, but we lack self-knowledge. What’s the difference? Self-awareness is knowing what you do right or wrong. Self-knowledge is knowing what you do and why you do it. The difference between these two creates NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 context to remove barriers that may be success stoppers. The fastest, most efficient approach to gain higher self-knowledge is to constantly discover the “why.” That said, there is a caveat: People are generally uncomfortable with providing critical feedback, and most subordinates may never be brutally honest with their Joe Takash is president of Victory Consulting, a performance management firm in LaGrange Park, Ill. 14 istock photo SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
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