This is the next blog in my series on how to increase your happiness at work. This blog focuses on feeling valued as a really important part of being happy in your job, and the role feedback plays in that.
Positive feedback
We all love to feel appreciated at work and to get positive feedback. It gives us a sense of pride, a feeling that we’re making a difference and that our contribution is valued. Of course you can’t always control when you get positive feedback as not all your colleagues may be great at remembering to give it! But don’t forget that you can always ask for feedback – including when you think you’ve done something well – so that you get that positive reinforcement.
And giving positive feedback generously is also a route to your own work-related happiness. There’s nothing like heaping praise and recognition on colleagues for building your relationships and for making yourself even more likeable. So make a point of letting your colleagues know when you think they’ve made a good contribution in a meeting, or celebrating with them when they’ve completed a project. Giving feedback, and making someone else feel good about themselves, is a great way to boost your own happiness at work – and it also makes it more likely that that person will take the time to give you positive feedback in return.
Constructive feedback
Receiving constructive feedback – given in the right way and in the right spirit – is also a fantastic way to feel appreciated at work. It speaks volumes about how valued you are when a colleague takes the time and trouble to carefully craft some feedback aimed at helping you to improve, learn and grow. We all know it can take a lot of thought, and sometimes bravery, to provide constructive feedback; so when someone has taken notice of your performance and taken the care to give you improvement feedback thoughtfully, that’s a real gift and a powerful way to make you feel valued. You know that that person is invested in your success.
Self feedback
Finally, the most important feedback and praise you can ever give is to yourself: so don’t wait to get praise from others – praise yourself when you know you’ve done something well. It’s really important to acknowledge and celebrate your own successes because the most powerful words you’ll ever hear, and the words which create the greatest impression on you, are the words you say to yourself.
So in short, giving and receiving feedback thoughtfully and generously is a great way to boost your happiness at work. It makes you feel valued and improves your performance and personal development.