Filtering Out Feedback

It was an early career moment for me. I had an opportunity to take a new role - new to me, and also brand new to the company. It was essentially a blank slate - whoever took this role would be in charge of further defining and creating the merits of the role's success. There would be freedom to maneuver, but the details on accountability were fuzzy. 

But I was intrigued. A major shift could be good. I asked a few of my mentors what I should do. 

One of my mentors was undecided - he suggested I craft a pros and cons list, which I did and there was no clear winner. Another mentor thought it could be a good opportunity for me, a risk possibly worth taking. But the third was resolute - don’t take it. 

“Too many unknowns,” he said. “So much gray area, you’d be better off in a situation where you know what you need to produce.” 

So how does one know how to filter out feedback and decide which direction to take? It’s not just conflicting feedback that needs filtering, but also feedback that goes against what you feel is important to you, or doesn’t align with your values. What litmus test can we use to see if we’re being sensitive, or if the feedback misses the mark?

In my experience, I’ve generally looked at two things. First, where is the feedback coming from? I take into account the background, intention and understanding the person giving feedback brings to the table. Second, where do my own goals fit in? Are they aligned, or do they diverge?

Photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

I’ve had my share of feedback that didn’t always come from a good place. I remember clearly one example: I was a manager at the time and I received feedback from a senior executive that I was calculating and opportunistic, “too articulate.” The word “articulate” is laden with cultural baggage, and as an African American man hearing that my presentation was “too articulate” reminded me that we still bring our own biases and prejudices in the way we view others, and the way in which we give feedback. Ultimately, I decided this was feedback that didn’t express a flaw, just something that showed I was prepared. And I’ve always strived to be prepared - it’s part of my discipline, all the way back to high school and college when I was a student athlete. You don’t show up to class unprepared, just as you don’t show up on the field unprepared. I believe I do have to be better than the average person to succeed. That was important to filter through. 

As for the job, I knew all my mentors had good intentions for my career path. I’d asked for their feedback and they’d provided it honestly. But what I realized was that not all of them fully understood my own goals in the job shift. 

I am an ideator - I can create, I like to test and learn. Gray assignments, ones with fuzzy lines and undefined parameters are where I can thrive. This job fits into what I call “DeWayne’s sweet spot .” It may have been an undefined role, but I was up for the challenge. I ultimately accepted the job, and I’m glad I did. 

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

Part of being human is understanding that we change, and our self-awareness has to change too. As we all get feedback in our careers, I encourage you to keep in mind both the intention of the feedback and the awareness of what your own goals and purposes are. It’s what defines us as people, and will help us move forward on our career paths, whatever they may be. This will also help inform our ability to give better feedback to the people around us - which will be the topic of my next article, the third in the series on feedback. 

DeWayne Griffin is Vice President and Chief Data Officer at State Farm.