Today, I am thankful for the power of feedback.
I learned a crucial lesson early in my professional career: Feedback is a gift. Whenever colleagues provide you insightful input on your work, a detailed assessment of your mid-year performance, or a casual comment on your leadership style, they are sharing a present. When we receive such feedback, we need to recognize several salient aspects. First, the notion of feedback does not necessarily carry a negative connotation. Most feedback that stakeholders provide accentuate positive attributes. These favorable traits, when perpetuated in a fortuitous way, help to create a virtuous cycle. Such interactions multiply our core strengths and talents. Secondly, even when stakeholders share critical elements, most are opting to publicly share their perspective with the intent of seeing improvement in your performance. The vast majority of people in this world are well intentioned; that is, very few choose to provide constructive feedback on another individual with the intent of inflicting pain or disappointment. Finally, the gesture of providing feedback is a subtle art. The ability to offer commentary on one’s performance is incredibly difficult for most individuals. So, we should acknowledge receipt of such input from another as an act of candor and courage.
The reason feedback is a gift is that, like most presents, you do not necessarily need to accept it. You should always acknowledge and express gratitude for the opinion, but you do not necessarily need to own it. Look upon this like a sweater you might receive from your mother-in-law on your birthday. You can choose to wear it, if you like it. You can even donate it to others who deserve it more. However, if it is not to your taste in fashion, you can always shove it in the bottom of your drawer or, better yet, exchange it at the store.
All this frank talk regarding feedback brings me back to my family’s recent trip to Washington DC. During our stay, we visited the National Archives, where many of our nation’s most cherished documents and artifacts are housed. In my humble opinion, the prized jewel of all our nations’ treasured documents – A Declaration of Independence – resides in the museum’s Rotunda. Please take notice how I said ‘A’, not ‘The’. At the time the document was written, the one-page pronouncement was not a be-all declaration, so the proper particle was a less-presumptuous ‘A’, not the definitive ‘The.’
The story behind the authoring of this celebrated proclamation is a fascinating narrative that is rarely told. After King George III vehemently rejected the grievances regarding ‘taxation without representation’ from the 1774 First Continental Congress, the colonists opted to meet again in the summer of 1776, especially as the brewing American tension against British imperialism was rapidly escalating. So, the 13 colonies sent its delegates back to Philadelphia in early May 1776 to convene the Second Continental Congress with the intent of determining the course of colonial liberty. After a few weeks of robust debate, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Congress that it establish a committee to author a broadside resolution outlining the rationale for colonial independence. The Congress founded the ‘Committee of Five’ on this day (June 11), with Thomas Jefferson (Virginia), John Adams (Massachusetts), Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania), Roger Sherman (Connecticut), and Robert Livingston (Connecticut) charged to author this decree. After much deliberation and some coaxing, Jefferson reluctantly agreed to lead the writing effort. Ironically, the young Jefferson was a last minute addition to the committee, as Richard Henry Lee, the preferred Virginian representative, left Philadelphia to care for his ailing wife. Known for his quick wit and eloquent stroke of the pen, Jefferson wrote the initial draft over the course of the next 3 weeks.
Now, here’s the kicker. Jefferson repeatedly shared early drafts with both Adams and Franklin. These elder statesmen made numerous changes throughout the text, including the choice of specific words (e.g., ‘self-evident’ was a Franklin recommendation). Each time, Jefferson accepted the feedback with grace and modified the text. Then, the revised draft was presented to the entire Congress on June 26, at which time more revisions were requested. Jefferson again graciously modified the document to meet those needs. Even in the few days prior to July 4, additional last-minute arguments led to further refinements. All the while, Jefferson pivoted with poise and proposed text that met the Congress’ liking.
Everyone receives feedback, even those designing text that would change the course of history. So, the next time you receive feedback on your work, don’t take it personally. Those edits might result in the development of the next great manifesto.
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