A 2019 Gallup study suggests that:

• 26% of employees say feedback helps them do their job better
• On the flip side, 30% of employees feel feedback decreases their performance.

Yet, when we have little or no feedback, a whopping 98% of people lose motivation, and 4 out of 10 employees feel actively disengaged.

In another study, I stumbled upon a fun fact: Hearing the phrase “Would you mind if I give you some feedback?” feels worse than paying a speeding ticket, handing over taxes, or even suffering from a really bad hangover…

So it seems we both want and need feedback, but we have this love-hate relationship with it.
Why is that?

Well, feedback sits right at the intersection of two fundamental human needs:

• To learn and grow.
• To be accepted just the way we are (and feedback inherently suggests that it is not an A-game).

Sometimes, just understanding this dynamic can be useful for us. Recognizing where that mixed feeling comes from can be quite soothing.

How do you feel about it?