Constructive Feedback that Transformed My Career

In Math Terms: Honest Feedback + Real Support = Actual Growth. This equation proved true for me during one memorable performance review.

Years ago, I sat in my boss Jim's office, anxiously awaiting my performance review. I was a manager at a large corporation, leading a team, and asking for a promotion. I wasn't nervous because I expected bad feedback; speaking to authority figures always sent my heart racing.

Side note: This Jim was the first of three Jims that I would eventually report to at the same company on my journey up the ladder. Jims must be excellent climbers.

Back to the fateful day in first Jim's office. The company provided a long, complicated template for performance reviews that no one ever looked at again. Jim, however, gave me a single printed page with strengths, opportunities, and core values. This simple structure provided me with information - not too much to overwhelm me, but enough to work on.

The Moment of Truth

Jim delivered the feedback, calmly and kindly:

"Rachel, your communication skills are holding you back."

As Harrison Ford says in Shrinking: Woof.

At the time, I was starting to give more and more presentations, and I knew that trend would only continue. Any time that I had to speak in front of people, my heart raced, my palms sweated, and coherent thoughts flew out the nearest window. I stuttered, stammered, and lost sleep before big meetings. I knew communication was not on my "strengths" list. But no one had ever said it so plainly.

If the story stopped here, I'm not sure what would have happened. Maybe I would have tried to improve on my own. Maybe I would have let shame creep in and quietly accepted that public speaking "just wasn't for me."

Thankfully, our story doesn't end here.

Because Jim didn't just give me feedback, he gave me a resource. He offered to sign me up for a three-day communications workshop with an expert. The workshop provided tangible tips, but more importantly taught me a life-changing realization:

Anyone can be a good presenter. You just have to practice.

What a simple, profound truth for this 30-year old introvert who thought confidence was something you were born with. I too could be a good public speaker if I learned about it and worked hard. Growth mindset applies here too!

That epiphany launched a series of events I now call: "Rachel heard the feedback, worked hard, saw results, and eventually got promoted."

Cue the montage.

After the workshop, I joined an online community to practice weekly. This included videoing myself speaking, a necessary form of torture. The instructor said, "if you want to get better at being more comfortable in front of an audience, take improv comedy classes." Is there a scarier recommendation? I'm not sure. But I was so motivated that I signed up and paid before I could chicken out.

I put in the work. And slowly, I improved. My confidence grew, my sweaty hands were less-sweaty, and I began to find my voice. I realized that if I wanted to leave a positive impact on the world, I would need to use my voice to do so.

This was one of the many moments that taught me, again, that courage is practiced. We have to feel the fear and do it anyway. I still get to revisit that lesson frequently.

Public speaking with sweat-free palms. It's possible.

Constructive Feedback Paired with Real Support

Why am I telling you this?

Because the combination of clear, constructive feedback with resources and real support changed my life. Jim cared enough about me to name what was holding me back - and then cared enough to help me grow beyond it. All I had to do was step onto the path, learn, and work hard.

The benefits of this process far exceeded the original goal of promotion. I unlocked a powerful combination of self-awareness and my own agency. This experience became a foundation of my leadership philosophy: honest feedback, real support, and repeated opportunities to practice courage are essential elements for growth.

I ended up taking improv classes for a year, culminating with a performance onstage with my student group in front of a paying audience.

Watching beginner improv is not something that I wish upon anyone. - Rachel Mountin

Yes, and, in spite of my quote above, Jim and many others from my team attended the show, cheering me on. It meant more than I could express at the time.

Real feedback. Real support. Real growth.

What a boss.

How have you supported your team members with constructive feedback and resources?

How have you been supported like this by others? Do they know the difference it made for you? Consider taking a minute to send a note of appreciation. It's good for the sender and the receiver!

If you're curious about your own growth path, I'd love to share more stories and tools with you. You can learn more here.