Discussions often focus on giving feedback; the barriers and risks associated with giving feedback; the courage required to give feedback and more. And I agree that these are all important conversations that need to be had. We often don’t associate receiving feedback with barriers and risks, and with the courage required to receive the feedback. Just like giving feedback, receiving feedback is a skill.

To support people to receive feedback, it’s important to:

• Have a shared understanding of the benefits of receiving feedback 
• Challenge and change mindsets with respect to receiving feedback
• Increase the receptivity and skills to receiving feedback
• Inspire people to receive feedback with an open mind and heart

insium’s “Courageously Receiving Feedback” Workshop draws on the work of world-renowned thought leaders Brené Brown, Adam Grant, Ethan Cross and James Pawelski.

In our workshop we start with a courageous (debate) on the following topic:

“When people don’t hesitate to give you feedback, it’s a sign of trust.

They have faith that you’ll take it as an opportunity to grow,

not as a threat to your ego.” 

Adam Grant 

Whilst this 1-day workshop can be run as an effective stand-alone workshop, it also forms part of a programme that has been designed to create a feedback culture in workplaces.  Want to know more? Let’s connect! 

Learning to Rise

a key courage-building skill that develops your wellbeing and resilience and increases your ability to bounce back; to pick yourself up should you find yourself face-down in the dust in the arena.

At a recent Heng & Hurst HR Networking Lunch at which I presented, I had the absolute delight to share knowledge and experience in developing wellbeing and resilience. Over the course of a highly interactive hour, we explored the following:

Wellbeing and resilience is about:

• How you recharge (not how you endure)
• Stopping, resetting and refreshing
• Your wellbeing will ebb and flow … it’s part of how you learn, adapt and grow
• Caring for yourself will provide the tools and resources to remain well during the ebbs and flows

Don’t underestimate the enormous impact of (what might, on the surface appear to be) perceived small approaches/tools to learning to rise

We discussed the importance of easily accessible approaches and tools that do not take a lot of time to action; the perceived small approaches and tools that can be accessed:

• 10 minutes before that meeting in which you need courage to speak up, or  
• Immediately after courageously delivering a difficult message regarding change to your team

These are the same small approaches that help you to create or amplify positive emotions, and to manage the negative ones. 

We shared ideas about these small approaches to learning to rise and the positive impact that the attendees at this networking event had experienced themselves. 

We focused specifically on the following positive practices:

• Connection
• Playfulness & humour
• Savouring
• Gratitude & appreciation

Again, you may be thinking, “nothing new”. My challenge to you: How often are you practising these positive approaches? Do you intentionally, proactively and regularly use these positive tools to build wellbeing and recharge—not to endure, and not after you’ve found yourself face down in the dust?

Each of the tools mentioned above does not take long to implement … it’s up to you how often you access them. 

Speaking of not taking long, the presentation in this session* only took 1 hour; again not a long time but time spent valuably exploring what people could do to build their wellbeing. Do you have 1 hour for insium to work with your team on this key skill? Let’s connect!

* The rest of this networking lunch focused exactly on that … networking and connecting with others … a key positive practice. Thank you to Sophea Heng & Nicola Hurst for providing this opportunity for all of us to connect and to learn together.

“… people who have strong connections with others are happier, healthier, 

& better able to cope with the stresses of everyday life.”

Dr. Brené Brown, “Atlas of the Heart”

Reading

What we’re reading:

“The Age of Outrage: How to Lead in a Polarized World,” by Karthik Ramanna. An “Author Talks” can be found here.

“Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection,” by Christian van Nieuwerburgh & Robert Biswas-Diener. You can find an interview by Andy Kaufman with both authors here.

We’re also re-reading:

“The How of Happiness,” by Sonja Lyubomirsky. We are reading this again as it offers a guide as to what happiness is and what it isn’t. It also provides a self-assessment tool to measure your happiness with targeted happiness-increasing strategies based on the results of your self-assessment. Find out more here.

Two Final Thoughts For You

Remember, the difference between knowing and doing is courage. “I may know that I should (insert the phrase that’s right for you here: courageously receive feedback/intentionally work on building my wellbeing and resilience/read more), but am I courageous enough to do so?”

Of what you’ve just read, what’s of most interest to you? To your organisation? How will you apply it? For you? In your organisation? 

I’m always available for a coffee, a coffee and a walk, and an in-person or virtual meet. Let’s chat about what you’ve read in this Newsletter.

Let’s connect! 

Dina

(@CourageChick)

Thank you Kevin Smith … you know what for …