Canyo: Are there things that you teach, or perhaps you do in your own life, to help you be more receptive when you're receiving constructive feedback? Collins: If i can adopt the mind set on the receiving side, that, you know what, i have some agency about. This is data. I i will kind of hear it from a place of curiosity and interest,. Canyo: The power of having the right approach and mind set can certainly make a difference.
Being a better listener has a lot to do with silence, says Collins Dobbs, a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “A lot of people are uncomfortable with the smallest modicum of silence, but learning often happens when we create distance for useful reflection.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Dobbs talks with host Matt Abrahams about the importance of “space, pace, and grace” when you’re receiving others’ feedback and handling the emotions that come out during tough discussions.
“There’s often a lot more focus on the skill set on delivering emotion than receiving emotion, but if the receiver of emotion can put themselves in a place of curiosity, agency, and openness. . . . opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”
Dobbs is an executive coach and teaches several courses, including Interpersonal Dynamics, and Leadership Labs.
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