Using Feedback Loops In A Career Development Plan

My best career acceleration tip is to create an AI feedback vault. It’s my all-time favorite way to use Claude. Here's what I do: Create a Claude project called "[Manager's Name] Feedback." Google doc comments, Slack suggestions, revision requests - I drop it all into the project knowledge. Then, the magic happens BEFORE I send over new work. I upload my draft and ask Claude:  "Based on the feedback patterns in this project, what changes would [manager] likely suggest? Draft recommendations so I can improve before sending." It's like having your manager's brain as a preset filter. The setup is simple: 1. Create a Claude project named "[Manager's Name] Feedback" 2. Add a description. Here’s what I use–feel free to copy it: "Review [manager's] feedback on my docs and identify themes in their suggested changes, so I can write better first drafts in the future" 3. Upload any historical docs + feedback you have - before & afters work great here Six weeks from now, your manager will either give you the same feedback again, or wonder how you got so good at reading their mind :)

Obsess over the feedback loop. All the learning you need is in the feedback loop. Most people don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they lack a system for learning from failure. Every success story rests on a foundation of failures that were properly ↳ Analyzed ↳ Iterated On ↳ And Improved Most of us don’t hit these important marks. We move move past failure too quickly, avoiding the embarrassing discomfort of reflection. We take failures personally instead of treating them scientifically. We assume trying harder is the answer when we need to try harder to design a better approach. I focus on one core truth: Learning more from failure is how we ultimately win. Failure is a feedback loop, and if yours is broken, you won’t just fail, you’ll repeat your failures over and over. Here’s how to fix that. 👇🏼 1️⃣ Pause & Reflect ↳ Before you move forward, stop. ↳ What went wrong? ↳ What did you assume? ↳ What was unexpected? 2️⃣Capture Data ↳ Write everything down. Future-you needs this information. 3️⃣ Remove Your Ego ↳ This isn’t about you, it’s about the process. ↳ Failures are feedback, not character judgments. 4️⃣ Get External Input ↳ Find people ahead of you who will tell you the truth. ↳ No sugarcoating. ↳ No yes-people allowed. 5️⃣ Identify the Root Cause ↳ Surface-level problems aren’t the real issue. Dig deeper. ↳ What’s the pattern behind your failures? 6️⃣ Make One Small Change ↳ Not everything needs an overhaul. ↳ Start with one adjustment and test the impact. 7️⃣ Test & Observe ↳ Don’t make assumptions. Run your new approach. ↳ Measure the results, and see what actually works. 8️⃣ Iterate with Consistency ↳ One correction doesn’t fix everything. ↳ Keep adjusting, keep improving, keep refining. 9️⃣ Build a Culture of Learning ↳ Winners review their losses more than they celebrate their wins. Every failure contains data. Every mistake contains insight. Are you learning? If you’re not, you’re setting yourself up to fail the same way again. DO. FAIL. LEARN. GROW. WIN. REPEAT. FOREVER. What do your feedback loops like? Which of these ideas might be most helpful to your work? Drop a comment below to share your experience. 👇🏼 _____ 🔗 Subscribe to The Failure Blog via the link in my profile (💯🙏🏼) ➕ Follow me, John Brewton, for content that Helps (💯🙏🏼) ♻️ Repost to your networks, colleagues, and friends if you think this would help them (💯🙏🏼)

From being a mom to my unsure first experiences with leadership to working in human resources onboard at Disney Cruise Line, I’ve learned how critical feedback is for maintaining relationships and cultivating growth. Which is why this is part of the series: Become an Aligned Leader in 2024 - Strategy 18 of 21: The Feedback Loop is a cornerstone of continuous improvement. Here are the 5 key steps that make it a game-changer: 1.     Provide Role Clarity: Clearly defining roles lays the foundation for success. When everyone understands their responsibilities, it creates a roadmap for achievement. 2.     Measure What Matters: Metrics guide progress. Focus on key performance indicators that align with goals, ensuring efforts are directed towards meaningful outcomes. 3.     Timely Feedback: Waiting for scheduled reviews is a thing of the past. Timely feedback, especially when veering off course, corrects the trajectory promptly, preventing detours. 4.     Recognize and Reinforce: Positive outcomes deserve recognition. Acknowledge achievements, big or small, to motivate and reinforce behaviors that contribute to success. 5.     Check for Understanding: Effective communication is a two-way street. Regularly check for understanding to ensure that messages are received and interpreted as intended. Repeat as needed, because effective feedback is an ongoing, organic process that adapts to the evolving needs of the people in your teams. But wait, there’s more! Here are some quick, but important bonus items: -         In the Flow, Not Stress: Timing matters. Avoid providing feedback when stressed, ensuring that the message is delivered constructively and received with an open mind. -         Document for Clarity and Growth: Documenting feedback provides clarity and serves as a roadmap for growth. It transforms insights into actionable steps, fostering development over time. -         Be a Mentor: Guide others through the Feedback Loop as a mentor, not a manager. Share experiences, provide constructive feedback, and inspire a culture of continuous improvement. Do you have any experiences with the feedback loop? What would you add to this list? Feel free to share in the comments below. Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow for strategy #19! #leadershipdevelopment #feedback #feedbackloop #focusonwhatmatters #effectiveleadership #careergrowth #professionaldevelopment *** Follow me for more content on becoming an Aligned Leader and join our growing newsletter community “Align & Thrive” for tips and strategies on becoming the very best leader you can be.