It’s not good enough, yet
Just spend a few seconds thinking about that title. If someone said this to you, would you take it positively, or negatively? Is it likely to dismiss someone or something, or is it suggesting there’s a way forward? Remember your reactions, as we’ll explore them later on.
How many times have you had a door slammed on you, figuratively?
This is all about feedback. That moment when someone receives a response after putting something out into the world. It could be an idea, a suggestion or a piece of work.
It’s easy to dismiss someone’s commitment or ideas though. Feedback is often imbalanced and completely overlooks the investment someone has made in what they’re doing. Ego and agendas can sway things as well.
As we often see on social media, it’s easy to say something negative. Often something personal, that elevates the person saying it. In many respects, it fills a hole. Think about that.
So let’s go back to that title, ‘it’s not good enough, yet’. It’s the bit at the end I’d like you to focus on. For me, the word ‘yet’ is like an open door. There’s the reality right now, and then there’s the future. It’s no coincidence that this is often the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset.
Hopefully, the right person saying this would be focussed on where things could lead. This sentence is crying out for someone to help and guide someone. To provide the missing pieces to the puzzle.
It’s always important to remember that when you’re asked for feedback, you have the opportunity to help someone. To make things better.
Going back to the questions I asked at the start, did you respond positively or negatively? It goes both ways, as the person asking for help or an opinion can just hear that first part, and focus on the door closing. The now. They may not see the road to where that simple word ‘yet’ leads.
So let’s all do what we can to make things better when we’re connecting with each other. Let’s do these three easy things:
Really think about how we give people feedback
Look for the positives and think about the future
Focus on what we all need to do to make things right
I hope this helps and that your feedback can open doors and lead people to what they’re looking for. Let’s make things better for everyone.