Five months ago, my annual blood test revealed an unexpected result: I am now pre-diabetic.
Wow!
I exercise ~4x a week, and have a healthy BMI.
I eat healthily (or so I thought), and have an only mildly sweet tooth.
I don’t smoke, and drink alcohol ~2x a month.
Yet, there it was – my blood sugar level was now just north of a healthy range.
My takeaway?
Perception is not reality.
My perception that I live a healthy life is great – it does drive healthy habits – but perception is not reality.
The same is true at work. We may feel that we are doing a great job of leading a team, or of servicing a client. But perception is not reality.
Feedback is the only way to confirm that we are on the right path.
Practically, I like to ask stakeholders (clients, colleagues, partners) variations of these two questions:
👉 How am I most adding value to you?
👉 And where am I falling short?
These 2 questions often expose a blind spot, just as the blood test did.
I used to dread feedback. But feedback is a gift. So now I seek it, and offer it.
Have a great week everyone.
PS: a life of less white rice for a pre-diabetic rice-lover is tough!