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In The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, philosopher Alain De Botton explores the “intelligence, peculiarity, beauty, and horror of the modern workplace, and, not least, its extraordinary claim to be able to provide us, alongside love, with the principle source of life’s meaning.”
His observation:
"The strangest thing about the world of work is the widespread expectation that our work should make us happy. For thousands of years, work was viewed as something to be done with as rapidly as possible and escaped in the imagination through alcohol or religion. Aristotle was the first of many philosophers to state that no one could be both free and obliged to earn a living. A more optimistic assessment of work had to wait until the eighteenth century and men like Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin, who for the first time argued that one’s working life could be at the centre of any desire for happiness. It was during this century that our modern ideas about work were formed—at the very same time as our modern ideas about love and marriage took shape…"
Like De Botton, we at Ferrazzi Greenlight are obsessed with the question, "When does a job feel meaningful?," and interestingly, we arrive at a similar answer. De Botton's answer: "Whenever it allows us to generate delight or reduce suffering in others." It's not easy to find such work, as De Botton makes clear, and many companies tend to make it harder. But we can change; our organizations can change. More of us more of the time will be engaged in labors of love as we reorient our thinking about work from tasks to tribes and from colleagues to confidantes.
If you want to hear more, hear Alain De Botton speak to with Brian Lehrer:
Everyone, give a cheer and a word of support to Martha Heinze! Pairing up with another woman during Keith's talk, she was able to take a hard look at her life and make some life changing decisions. Training suggestions, anyone?
Do you find that your colleagues and acquaintances would rather do ANYTHING than give you truly candid feedback (when it's critical)? Meanwhile at home, you can't get your family to lay off with the candor?
A friend was griping about that the other day, and there were lots of nods and laughs from the group. How can we get our coworkers to up the candor - and get a few more kudos from loved ones when we do things right?
Obvious but worth stating: If you want it, you've got to ask for it.
To make getting and giving candor a bigger part of your life, here’s a list of things to keep in mind.
1. Find People You Respect
We can’t be candid with everybody—nor would we want to be. Which is why we need to hand-pick the people around us whose opinions we value. When you think about it, we respect people for their kindness, their friendliness, their intelligence, their wisdom, their drive. It’s important to find someone we respect before even attempting to engage candidly with them. What do I mean by respect? It comes down to acknowledging another person’s uniqueness, value, perspective, and wisdom. If you don’t respect someone, believe me, they’ll sense it, and it will be impossible to establish a safe place between the two of you.
What about those people who may not have the business acumen you would like to see in an advisor, but whom you respect deeply as a person? These people can be great lifeline relationships in your life, but they’re probably not the ones who should be advising you on specific business issues that require particular expertise. Make sure you’re asking the right people the right questions—but in all cases, you’ll need that backbone of mutual respect.
2. Create the Opportunity
To open up a dialogue with another person and ask for his candid feedback, you might need to tee things up in advance of a meeting with an e-mail, so your friend has time to ponder what he might say beforehand. Here’s an example: “Jim—I was hoping you would do me a favor. You know I’m gunning for that promotion. Frankly, I could use all the advice I can get. I really respect your opinion. You see me every day—would you be willing sometime to give me a half-hour of candid feedback about what I do well, and what I am less strong on, from your perspective? Whatever you tell me will be deeply appreciated.”
If you’re after someone’s honest feedback, let him know you’re looking for real, objective criticism—not compliments or half-truths. To do this, first be honest with yourself. Ask yourself, Why am I approaching this person? Toward what end?
3. Make It Clear Any Feedback You Get Is a Gift
Express your gratitude when you receive feedback. What you’re asking for is a gift—of time, honesty, and thoughtful feedback. Here’s an example: Even in my dealings with Greg Seal, I sometimes have to remind him I need tough, objective feedback! When he delivers, I always convey my thanks that once again, he’s reminded me of the meaning of true friendship.
4. Acknowledge Your Faults
Don’t try to pretend to be something you’re not. Most of us know, deep inside, what’s holding us back. By acknowledg-ing that you have things to work on, you make it much easier for others to be honest with you. You might begin: “Listen, I know I’ve got plenty of stuff to work on, but I hoped you might be able to point out a few things in particular that I could focus on.” By acknowledging up front that you’re imperfect (who isn’t?), you pave the way for another person to be honest with you.
5. Tell the Other Person What You Plan to Do with the Advice
You’re not asking for advice to put the other person on the spot, or to “test” her. You’re certainly not going to get angry or defensive. You’re simply gathering information. Tell the other person honestly, “I’m hoping to collect enough feed-back from a bunch of people I respect, to prioritize what I should focus on first. I’ll certainly get back to you on this, if you want. I will appreciate anything you have to tell me. Don’t be shy—please tell me exactly what you think.”
6. Don’t Tell Them What You Want to Hear
My advice is to begin generally and wait for the other person to make the first move by coming up with something specific. If she hems, haws, and otherwise resists giving you targeted feedback, say something like, “Really—I mean it. I would be deeply appreciative.” Then pause. A pause is a very effective way to encourage others to respond—most people will do anything to avoid an awkward or embarrassing silence.
Be sure you don’t start by leading the witness—by identifying your faults and asking the other person to confirm them. You’re after candor here, not an echo effect. Let yourself be surprised.
7. Ask Specific Questions
Once the other person has given feedback, it’s okay to bring up specific examples about yourself that you want to get reactions to. For example, you may say, “I think I may come across too strong. What do you think? Do you recall any specific examples?”
8. Take It or Leave It—but Deliver on Safety
Remember that asking for criticism doesn’t mean you have to act on it. Criticism is what it is: candid feedback from someone you respect and whose opinion matters to you. Ultimately, you decide how or whether you use or act on that feedback. When I disagree with someone’s perspective, I simply say, “Thank you,” or “I appreciate hearing that.” If I’m confused, I’ll ask for clarification—before thanking the person once again! Remember, you have nothing to lose—you are ultimately in control.
9. Paying Them Back
Ideally, candor should be mutual—but it doesn’t have to be if that person has no interest in your candid feedback. That’s his choice. Remember, most people get a tremendous amount out of helping others. If you are truly thankful for their input, they will be paid back instantly by the good feeling they’re getting from helping you. For me, the pinnacle of generosity is allowing other people to help us—particularly when they care about us.
I'm taking a break from the tour beat to launch the Relationship Masters Academy today in beautiful, rainy New York -- a big thrill and a gigantic step for FG.
A great quote from a member of the class, during a discussion on vulnerability, which I call the courage to be yourself:
"So often people love you because of your imperfections. We don't realize it's really the perfect bits that frighten people off."
