Slow Learner

Receiving feedback can be uncomfortable but it’s critical to success in our lives and careers.

When we interact with others, they provide us with feedback (whether intentionally or unintentionally) about their perception of our strengths, flaws, mistakes, and vulnerabilities. This type of feedback often assumes the giver knows the “truth” about the recipient, that learning is simply the transfer of information, and that excellence can be predefined. The reality is that learning is unique to each person, and the way feedback is delivered has its own strengths, flaws, mistakes, and vulnerabilities.

We don’t always interact with people at their best, but even in those moments, valuable insights can be found in what they communicate. How can we take their feedback into account while being mindful of their biases? Learning to discern, accept, and apply feedback constructively is both an art and a skill that can be developed and refined, but it takes intentional effort.

Self-awareness is uncomfortable work, but it is tremendously valuable and a key to growth in our lives and careers.

I’ve learned late in my career to leave space for reflection. I no longer view feedback strictly as criticism and may occasionally determine some assessments to be inaccurate or unhelpful. Incorporating helpful feedback and leaving unhelpful criticism behind is a learned skill, and one I practice regularly in an effort to continually strive for improvement.

With time and patience, I’ve learned to be self-reflective rather than self-critical. Perhaps being a slow learner isn’t such a bad thing after all. It seems that all traits are simply tools to help us understand ourselves better—our strengths as well as our vulnerabilities.

In summary, I encourage you to be self-reflective not self-critical.