Feedback and authenticity

Which one would you prefer a T-shirt with a logo of Adidas or a T-shirt with a logo of Adibas?

Both serve the same purpose, they are clothes. However, one of them is an original and the other one a copycat.

Being authentic when delivering a feedback is so important, especially in today’s world.

Authenticity

We are surrounded by Adibas everywhere, people who talk the same, think the same and behave the same.

However, the issue with that is there is only one Adidas brand, and that’s it, at the same time there are many Adibas providers and copy cats.

I have seen people who could define the rules of a good feedback and deliver amazing feedback.

An example for that is a phrase I heard recently: “You suck, because you did not have at least one filler word”. I won’t do it. But at the same time, the feedback was delivered with a humor and it totally served the person’s authenticity.

Authenticity is the new gold, rear and precious.

Another example that I had heard was the usage of a swear word when delivering feedback, and it still worked like a magic. I am not defending people using a swear words when they deliver a feedback, I won’t do it myself, just because my true nature is not of a person who swear, however if you can manage to not hurt the other person’s feeling and be authentic, why not?

The frameworks were invented to guide us, to deliver a great feedback and not to restrict us to be someone else.

The first rule of delivering a great feedback is to be authentic.

Only then we can create our own unique style and our own unique Adidas brand.

What actions you can apply today to be more authentic?

Aleks Vladimriov is a Senior Software Developer, recognized Project Manager and Soft-skilled trainer and a coach.

Aleks Vladimirov

Solution Engineering Manager at Thales | Senior IT Professional | Startup Mentor and Product Manager

Bio

Aleks is experienced Product Manager with an engineer background and over 10 years of experience as a software developer. He works with different governments and is responsible for negotiation features and requirements, understanding the customers’ needs and supporting the senior management with regular reports and analysis. He held various positions starting as a software developer, moving to a team leader and software architect.

He strives in waterfall and agile environment alike. He is certified Scrum Master and Prince2 Practitioner and he knows how to design business processes and help teams optimize their work.
During his tenure, he had to wear many hats, prioritizing business requirements, delegating work and mentoring team members, creating mockups with Balsamiq, providing MS Project plan to the senior management.

He had worked in many international teams, located in the same city or distributed in different countries and continents. He had been a team leader of cross functional international team of 8 people.

In his current position, he is very much client focused. He has excellent presentation skills.
He delivers training sessions on presentation skills and leadership and he had helped hundred of people to improve their presentation skills.

He is also interested in creating more positive changes in the workplace by using entrepreneurship skills.
He had won startup competition where his team had validated and develop a business idea from scratch.

In his free time, he writes in his blog about effective product development.