Mastering Feedback: The EAT Method for Personal and Professional Growth

What if feedback wasn’t something to dread, but a tool for growth? In this compelling episode, we unravel the intertwined concepts of approachability, coachability, and feedback. We'll redefine feedback as valuable insights, perspectives, and observations, rather than a trigger for defensive reactions. By building a healthy relationship with feedback, and learning not to simply agree or disagree but to embrace it with emotional control, we can significantly enhance our professional interactions.

We introduce you to the transformative EAT feedback method—Embrace, Ask, and Tell. Learn how to express gratitude for feedback, ask for specific areas for improvement, and articulate your action plan for accountability. By conditioning your responses and disrupting negative psychological triggers, you can foster a positive and professional attitude toward feedback. Join us to master emotional control and leverage feedback for your personal and professional growth.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:37

So, when it comes to approachability and coachability, I also think we have to understand there's an interwoven connection with this thing called feedback. Feedback is a loaded term. I actually hate the word feedback. I like to use words like insight, perspective, observations. Feedback just triggers people, it just does. Yet what I would share with you is this. Yet what I would share with you is this At the foundation of what we need to do as really good employees is to develop a healthy relationship with feedback.

Speaker 1: 1:08

Now notice I did not say make sure you agree with all feedback. Yet that is at the foundation of where people get in trouble. We discount feedback based on our agreement or disagreement. So if a boss comes to me and says Tim, you were late for work again today and I know I wasn't late I want to argue that away. Yet I don't really think about it. I said well, where did you get the understanding I was late? Well, so-and-so told me. So it's not a factual representation and we get triggered emotionally when we hear things we don't like.

Speaker 1: 1:39

So one of the best things that we can do and I would encourage you, we have a whole course, we actually have a certification program for trainers is to do something called EAT feedback. Eat is embrace, ask and tell. Embrace thanks for the feedback. Ask where do you think I could specifically improve to get here in time for work or what I could do to clear up that reception for you. And then the T is let me tell you what I'm going to do with your feedback, which is accountability and ownership.

Speaker 1: 2:10

What it uses at its core is something called psychological disrupts, because if my boss says, tim, you're always late and I'm using a really bland example my first reaction is anger. What do you mean? I'm never late and, by the way, I'm never late. I'm never late for meetings. So if somebody said that to me, I probably would feel a little bit triggered. Yet if we become and I want you to write this down when we start to develop conditioned responses of emotional control, conditioned responses of emotional control, we start to embrace, we start to develop a more positive relationship and we start to utilize this thing called feedback much more plausibly and professionally.