So when I used to work at Compassion I did something called a 360. We had to do it for all our managers. I had never heard of it before. But basically its an HR trope where people who work with you and for you (if you are a manager) get to anonymously answer questions about you as a manager and person. It was, to say the least, an eye opening experience and the things I heard that day changed me forever. There is something about being the fly on the wall when others are talking about you. Whether they be haters, or generally good people who have a bone to pick, or someone who is listing the reasons why they dont like you, if you ever get the chance to anonymously listen in on that conversation dont fret it could be a huge blessing. Theres is something different when you hear it but theyre not speaking to you. It is a good opportunity for you to really listen. It takes the confrontational aspect out of the conversation and makes room for development, growth and change. 360s can go horribly wrong when its not done in a circle of trust. Fortunately I knew every person who did my 360 may not have liked me but they certainly were not out to get me. And it really paved a pathway to my growth and development and allowed me to develop tools I needed to shore up shortcomings in my attitude, personality and performance. I got to learn what I excelled at (this is why I dont manage people but manage projects) and I got to learn what I really didnt like to do. Also learned how to truly communicate with people. And it was during this time of loss, turmoil, reorganization, high stress etc., that I adopted the motto They do not have to lose for me to win. It has been a mantra in all of my personal, professional and spiritual relationships and even in my athletic career. Adopting that simple change in mindset brought about by being a fly on the wall when others spoke of me has tremendously changed my life. Thanks Nikki C. Sterling for sharing. I dont watch daytime television and talk shows scare me especially when its a gaggle of women. But What Sheryl did in this video is a lesson for us all. We are human and by definition we are flawed. But being flawed doesnt mean being hopeless and we can use the criticism of others to help us grow as a person. One of my favorite verses is Romans 8:28 and basically its says for those who love Christ anything that happens happens for their good. So even if you got haters, their opinion, criticism whatever may be based on a grain of truth. And they could be doing you a huge favor by neon-lighting something in your character, spirit or process that is holding you back from your greatest potential realized. So dont internalize the hate, scrape off the kernel of truth, be open and willing to positive change and you can transform your life and soar like you never did before.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:19:02 +0000