Tag Continuous Improvement

Seeking Constructive Feedback

Steve Keating Leave a comment

Not everyone wants feedback on their performance or behavior. Those people certainly don’t want negative feedback. When they receive it, they tend to be defensive about it or dismissive of it.

Sadly, those people are likely doomed when it comes to reaching their full potential. They may do “okay” in their lives and careers, but “okay” is their ceiling. They accept “good enough” as being good enough, even when better or best is well within their reach.

To truly reach our full potential, we need feedback. Positive feedback and negative feedback. Some of that feedback will possibly come from people who do not have our best interests in mind. It may come from people we do not like…at all.

The most successful people accept all feedback that is provided to them. Some feedback, like from people they admire, will carry more weight. Feedback from people they do not admire or trust carries much less weight, as it should. But they still listen to it. They consider its value. Then they act on it accordingly.

When highly motivated, successful people don’t receive enough feedback, they go looking for it. They know that seeking constructive feedback is an essential part of personal and professional growth. Here’s how you can seek feedback yourself.

1. Be Clear About What You Need Feedback On

• Specify the Area: Clearly define the area in which you want feedback, whether it’s a specific project, a skill, or behavior.

• Ask Specific Questions: Instead of a general “What do you think?”, ask targeted questions like “How can I improve my presentation skills?” or “What could I do differently in my approach to team collaboration?”

2. Choose the Right People

• Select Knowledgeable Individuals: Ask for feedback from those who have expertise or experience in the area you’re focusing on.

• Consider Multiple Perspectives: Seek feedback from a variety of sources, including peers, supervisors, and mentors, to get a well-rounded view.

3. Create the Right Environment

• Choose a Suitable Setting: Ensure the setting is comfortable for an honest and open discussion, whether it’s a private meeting, a casual chat, or a formal review.

• Show Receptiveness: Be open and approachable, signaling that you are genuinely interested in hearing constructive feedback.

4. Listen Actively

• Avoid Interrupting: Let the person finish their thoughts before responding.

• Take Notes: Writing down key points shows that you value their input and helps you remember details later.

• Clarify if Needed: If something isn’t clear, ask follow-up questions to better understand the feedback.

5. Manage Your Emotions

• Stay Calm: Even if the feedback is critical, try to remain calm and composed.

• Avoid Defensiveness: Instead of justifying or defending yourself, focus on understanding the feedback.

6. Ask for Examples

• Request Specifics: Ask for examples or situations where your actions or work could have been improved. This makes the feedback more actionable.

• Understand the Impact: Learn how your actions affected the project, team, or outcomes to grasp the significance of the feedback.

7. Reflect on the Feedback

• Take Time to Process: Reflect on the feedback before reacting or making any decisions.

• Consider the Suggestions: Evaluate the suggestions and how they align with your goals and values.

8. Create an Action Plan

• Set Goals: Based on the feedback, set specific, achievable goals for improvement.

• Implement Changes: Start incorporating the feedback into your work or behavior. The sooner, the better.

9. Follow Up

• Seek Feedback on Your Improvements: After some time, ask the same person for feedback on the changes you’ve made to ensure you’re on the right track.

• Express Gratitude: Thank the person for their feedback and let them know how it has helped you grow.

10. Cultivate a Feedback-Friendly Culture

• Encourage Regular Feedback: Make seeking and giving feedback a regular part of your routine.

• Model Constructive Feedback: When you give feedback to others, do so constructively, setting an example for how you wish to receive it.

Following these steps can help you receive feedback in a way that is both productive and supportive of your growth. I can virtually guarantee that you won’t like or agree with all the feedback you receive. But stay open-minded; ideas for improvement can come from surprising sources.

If your goal is truly self-improvement, you’ll soon discover that most feedback carries at least some value… no matter where it comes from.

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How to Build a Culture of Continuous Learning 

Steve Keating 2 Comments

The most successful people learn something new almost everyday. So do the most successful organizations. Building a culture of continuous learning within an organization is crucial. It is the bedrock or organizational growth. It is the engine of innovation and adaptability. 

Here are some of the most important steps to take if you’re trying to establish such a culture of continuous learning in your organization.

  1. Begin by securing commitment from senior leadership to prioritize and promote continuous learning. Let me be perfectly clear on this. If you’re a Training and Education Leader without total commitment from your senior leadership then you didn’t have, don’t have, and will never have a culture of continuous learning. When leaders emphasize the importance of learning, it sets the tone for the entire organization.
  1. Clearly communicate the value and benefits of continuous learning to everyone. Help them understand that learning is not just about personal growth. It is also about improving performance.  It is about enhancing job satisfaction. It is about staying competitive in a rapidly evolving world.
  1. Encourage your people to set individual learning goals.  The goals should align with their professional development and organizational objectives. These goals can be tied to specific skills, knowledge areas, or competencies. They should be relevant to their roles, or perhaps to roles they one day hope to fill.
  1. Ensure that all team members have access to a variety of learning resources. This could include internal training programs, workshops, online courses, mentoring, or coaching. Consider offering a diverse range of options to cater to different learning styles and preferences.
  1. Encourage your people to allocate regular time for learning within their work schedules. This could be in the form of dedicated “learning hours” or flexible work arrangements. These should allow individuals to pursue learning initiatives without hindering their productivity.
  1. Create an environment that encourages curiosity, experimentation, and knowledge sharing. Encourage people to ask questions, seek feedback, and share their learnings with others. Recognize and reward those who actively engage in learning activities.
  1. Promote a culture where mistakes and failures are seen as learning opportunities rather than sources of blame or punishment. Encourage people to take risks, learn from their experiences, and share their insights with others.
  1. Provide regular feedback to team members on their learning progress. Offer consistent guidance on areas where improvement is needed. Encourage managers and team members to have open conversations about learning and development.
  1. Encourage collaboration and cross-functional learning by organizing group projects and team-based learning activities. Create an environment where employees can learn from one another and leverage their collective expertise.
  1. Seniors leaders want to know if the education programs are working. Establish metrics and evaluation methods to track the impact of continuous learning initiatives. Assess the effectiveness of training programs. Gather feedback from participants, and use data to refine and improve learning opportunities.

Organizations that learn more also tend to earn more. The same can be said for people. Earn comes before learn in the dictionary but in life it’s the opposite. Ya gotta learn before you can earn. 

Building a culture of continuous learning is an ongoing process. It requires consistent effort, reinforcement, and adaptability to changing needs. By encouraging a learning mindset throughout the organization, you can create an environment that encourages growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.


Want more of LeadToday? I’ve changed things up on my Twitter feed for subscribers. I recently began publishing two or three videos each week focusing on an element of Authentic Leadership. I’ll post these videos each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Sometimes a bonus video pops up at other times during the week. They will be about 10 minutes long so we can get into the topic in a more meaningful way. The investment for subscribers in still only $4.99 a month. That’s for at least 80 MINUTES of quality video content on leadership a month. 
If you’re interested in taking a look, head on over to my Twitter profile page. If you’re not a follower yet just hit the follow button. It will change to a subscribe button and once you hit that you’re on your way. You can cancel at any time you’ve decided you have nothing left to learn about leading the people who you count on for your success. 

Here’s the link to my Twitter… https://twitter.com/leadtoday 

If It’s Worth Doing Then It’s Worth Doing Poorly

Steve Keating 1 Comment

“Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” Those words were penned by Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in a letter to his son back in 1774.

The 4th Earl of Chesterfield knew was he was talking about. There is no purpose in doing anything worth doing unless you intend to do it well. 

At least eventually. 

Successful people are willing to do something poorly until they can do it well. Often very well. There was a kid who lived in North Carolina and loved basketball. He wanted to play for his high school team. He gave a mighty effort to make the team but he wasn’t good enough. The sophomore at Laney High School didn’t make the varsity team, instead he was sent to the Junior Varsity to develop more. 

He was told that his shooting was okay but his defense was mediocre. Plus, he wasn’t nearly tall enough at 15 years old to be guaranteed a spot on the team. He went home after hearing the news and cried alone in his bedroom.

Lots of people would have given up at that point. He could easily have been one of them. He could have decided to switch sports and give his second favorite sport, baseball, a try. But he persisted. He was willing to play basketball poorly until he could play it well. 

He worked and worked. Made bad shot after bad shot, until most of his shots weren’t that bad. He worked especially on his defense. He began to enjoy denying other people the opportunity to make a shot almost as much as he enjoyed making his own. Oh, and he grew a bunch too. 

But it was his willingness to play poorly (keep in mind “poorly” is a relative term) until he could play well (well is a relative term too) that made him into the player he turned out to be. He became a good enough player that he actually played for a bit in the National Basketball Association. He even contributed to his team winning some games. 

Less successful people often give up when they are right on the cusp of making most of their shots. They become demoralized with doing something poorly so they stop trying. They likely have a lot of “help” in becoming demoralized as the people around them continue to reinforce the notion they that aren’t very good. 

If you want great success then you must be willing to do something poorly until you improve enough to do it well. Few people succeed on their first attempt. 

But, here’s the caveat. You must be honest with yourself while attempting to move from a poor performance to a great performance. You must have some form of measurement in place to objectively evaluate whether or not you are making progress. Once you objectively make that determination you’ll know what to do. 

But whatever you do, don’t quit. Perhaps stop trying to make the basketball team and go out for the debate team. Trying something else is NOT quitting. It is redirecting your efforts to an area where your chances of success are greater. That’s called being strategic.

Oh by the way…that high school basketball player who couldn’t make the varsity…his name is Michael Jordan. You can Google him if you’re interested in knowing more about the guy many people consider the GOAT. 

Sticking With What Works

Steve Keating 3 Comments

Ya know, there are “things” that just work. But some people insist on trying to make them work better. Why can’t they leave well enough alone?

I vaguely remember, at least I think I remember, seeing an old washing machine in the house where I grew up. Attached to the top of it were a couple of rollers. I don’t remember ever seeing it work but apparently when the washing machine was done you put the clothes through the rollers and it would squeeze all the water out of the clothes. I think those were around for a while so they must have worked at least okay.

Yet somebody decided they didn’t work well enough. So they made the washing machine “better” by adding a cycle where the tub spins around real fast and that somehow forces the water out of the clothes. As I have no experience with the old machines with the rollers I can’t say from experience if the new way is better or not. 

Now most of you are thinking at this point the it’s obvious that the new way of washing clothes is much better than the old way. But here’s my question for you.

If we were back in the day of the old fashioned washing machines how many of you would have taken the initiative to make it better? How many of you would have complained about it every time you washed clothes? How many of you would have said, “somebody ought to do something about this?”

How many of you have ever stopped long enough to realize you’re somebody?

The most successful people don’t ask why. They ask why not. They don’t say “somebody” ought to do it. They say, “I’m going to do it.” The most successful people act on their thoughts. 

Here’s an idea, the next time you see a problem don’t complain about it. Don’t hope “somebody” does something. Make the decision to do something about it yourself. Even if you see something that appears to be working well look a little deeper and ask yourself if it could work better. 

Then do something that most people won’t do…TAKE ACTION. 

Sticking with what works makes sense right up until somebody makes something that works better. Why not be that somebody today?

On a completely different subject…I’m trying something new out over on Twitter. It’s called “Super Followers.” For $5 a month people can follow a part of my Twitter steam that is for subscribers only. It features primarily short videos of me talking about the kind of things I tweet and blog about. But the best part is I’m assuming there will be far fewer Super Followers than regular followers. That will give me the opportunity to answer questions more throughly than I can on regular Twitter. Most of the answers will come in the evening cause we all have day jobs, right? Think of it as ”mentoring on demand!”

You can find more information by clicking the Super Follow button on my Twitter profile page. http://twitter.com/leadtoday (You may need to refresh the page to see the Super Follow Button) Give it a try if you’re so inclined, I can’t promise it will last for a long time but I can promise the content will be helpful as long as it does. 

Being the Best Isn’t Good Enough

Steve Keating 3 Comments

If you’re not getting better you’re getting worse! Even if you’re already the best improvement is still a possibility, not just a possibility but a requirement.

Tony Gwynn, the Hall of Fame baseball player said….”The minute you’re satisfied with where you are you’re not there anymore.”

As soon as you stop trying to improve the inevitable slide towards mediocrity begins. No matter how good you are at something the moment you lose the drive to improve is the moment you’re no longer the best.

Some people will say they are “satisfied with where they are at and have no need to be the best. They are good at what they do and “good” is good enough. What they don’t realize is that when they don’t try to improve they also begin the backwards slide to being less than good.

The most successful people never stop trying to be better. They never stop trying to learn more. They never stop looking for a better way. They have no idea what their potential is because they are always working to accomplish more. They know that where they are today is only a starting point.

Where you are tomorrow matters far more than where you were yesterday.

If you’re not doing something, learning something, or making something that will help you be better tomorrow than you are today then you’re short-changing yourself. You very well may be costing yourself the future that you deserve.

Stop making excuses about why you can’t______________, (the blank is for you to fill in) and just start doing it. Stop settling for less than you deserve and push yourself to earn what you want.

You’re not too old to learn and you’re not too young to accomplish great things. In almost any realistic goal you can think of accomplishing the greatest obstacle you face is your own self-doubt.

So the heck with the doubts, to heck with the people who have told you that you can’t. You absolutely can be better tomorrow than you are today. You absolutely can know more tomorrow than you know today. You totally can do more tomorrow than you did today. You only have to make the decision that you will.

Never settle for being the best, you can be much better than that!

The Flames of Discontent

Steve Keating 5 Comments

The most successful people know that good enough really isn’t. In fact, they know that good enough is just a mirage and accepting anything as “good enough” merely puts you on the path to mediocrity. 

 

Tony Gwynn, the San Diego Padres Baseball great said that the minute you’re satisfied with where you’re at you’re not there anymore. In that same vein, the second you believe what you’ve done is good enough it isn’t. 

 

Authentic Leaders do not accept good enough from themselves or their people. They fan the flames of constructive discontent until the desire for improvement burns hotter than the comfort of the current.

 

Those leaders take a humble pride in their accomplishments but ensure their future success by realizing that they can do better. They drive towards continual continuous improvement and bring their people and organization along for the ride. 

 

Introspection is a key for constructively discontented leaders. They evaluate their performance and then reevaluate. You’ll never hear them explaining that the reason they do something is simply because they always have. They know exactly why they do what they do and they know that one day they will do it differently…. and better. 

 

Leaders who long for improvement learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. They realize that if they aren’t trying something new from time to time then they simply aren’t trying at all. They accept the risk of failure as the price for continual success and are not afraid to take a path that others didn’t even see. 

 

They are careful not to “read their own press.” They accept the recognition that comes with success but have pretty short memories and they use their past success only to guide themselves even higher. 

 

The most Authentic Leaders use their own success to help their people achieve uncommon results. Sometimes they push their people towards success, sometimes they pull them and oftentimes they come along side of them to bring them on a common journey. 

 

They fall at times but that only slows their climb, it does not stop them. 

 

The most successful leaders, and the most successful people, know that continued success lies in finding contentment in constructive discontent. They are never fully satisfied but that in its own way is uniquely satisfying to highly successful people. 


If you’re satisfied with where you’re at or with what you’ve accomplished then get yourself unsatisfied as soon as possible anyway you can. Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and your success will know no limits.