I once worked with an executive facilitator who insisted on feedback after every project, regardless of the outcome or stakes. She wasn’t satisfied with the suggestion that nothing could have been improved; she pressed you for something—anything—that could be done better next time.
Around the same time, I also worked with an ops professional who went out of his way to deflect blame and responsibility, no matter how delicately delivered. His goal in any feedback conversation was to clear his name and convince you that he wasn’t to blame.
Both of them eventually left their organizations, but only one of them transitioned of their own volition.
It’s perfectly valid to move through your organization avoiding the discomfort of having your work product critiqued—many people work in competitive, uncharitable, zero-sum contexts where shortcomings are weaponized—but you’re still likely to get more out of work by front-loading the conversations you least enjoy.
Willie Jackson is a talent strategist, facilitator, and speaker who works with organizations that invest in the human side of high-stakes change.