So hello everyone.Welcome back to Corporate It Girl.Rise, shine, and make them remember you.Hi, I'm Fatima, also known as Fatje, an ICF certified coach with over 23 years of experience navigating the corporate world as a woman of color.
So today we are diving into the power of feedback. Yes, that's right.Actually gathering those positive comments, emails, and even messages from clients, colleagues, and managers that show the value you bring to your role. So here's the thing.
As a woman, many of us brush off compliments.Thinking is just part of the job, right?But let me tell you this.These pieces of feedback are actually pure gold.They are not just nice words.They're tangible proof of your impact.
They show your strength, your unique contributions, and they are also powerful assets you can bring to any review, to any meeting, even to any interview.So in this episode, I'll teach you how to build what I like to call a feedback portfolio.
Think of it like your personalized collection of testimonials that not only showcases the respect, but also the trust you have earned from those around you.
So we'll talk about how to ask for feedback in a natural, professional way and how to start seeing it as a reflection of your value and not just as a compliment to brush off.Okay?So grab a notebook.
Get some tea, coffee, anything, open a fresh new document on your laptop, because by the end of this episode, you'll be ready to create your own feedback portfolio that tells a powerful story of who you are and the difference you are making.Okay?
Let's start.So as usual, let's start why gathering feedback is so important. Well, when we hear praise or positive feedback, it's easy to downplay it.You know?Oh, it's nothing.Oh, I'm just doing my job.Right?Recognizing this?
But here's a reality check.Positive feedback is your value being recognized by others.It's an evidence of the trust you have built, the respect you have earned, and the impact you are making every single day.
So, what I want you to do is to shift how you think about praise.What if every compliment, every positive comment, is a reflection of your unique strengths?Right?Gathering this feedback is more than just a confidence boost.
It's about building evidence of your own value.It's about owning the impact you make in a way that's real. documented thank you portfolio, and ready to be shared. So maybe let me share a personal story.
You know, early in my career, I struggled with gathering feedback.I really do.I'd receive thank you emails from clients or even colleagues or even my management or other managers.But I never saved them, you know.I thought, hmm, that's nice.Hmm, OK.
But I'm just doing my job. But I didn't see the need of keeping them.So fast forward on that year, at the end of the year, I had my review where I needed to demonstrate my impact.And then I felt stuck.
I knew I'd made a difference, but I had no evidence to back it up to my manager and show him.So this experience taught me a valuable lesson. Feedback isn't just, you know, a pat on the back.It's a part of your professional toolkit.
So I start saving every piece of positive feedback I can have.I created a folder, you know, first in my mailbox, secondly, physically on my laptop, and each time I received a kind note or message, I added it. So, I built a collection over time.
A portfolio that told a story of trust, reliability, and impact.And let me tell you this, that portfolio became my secret weapon.
Because in reviews, meetings, even during project negotiations, I had a stack of feedback that showed, in other words, the value I was bringing. This wasn't just about feeling good, you know.Yes.Okay.You feel great when you read all these messages.
So I use it sometimes when I feel bad, just to read my portfolio feedback, and then I feel great again.But this is the most important thing.It was also a strategic move that highlighted my contribution.
And it's something really something I think that every woman can do and needs to do. So let's talk a little bit more in detail about this feedback portfolio and how you can start creating your own.
Think of it as a collection of testimonials, a go-to source of positive feedback that again highlights your strengths, achievements, and the respect you have built within your network. So let's begin with step one, gather what you already have.
Start by looking at what's already there.You know, go through your emails, messages, maybe LinkedIn and find any thank you notes, positive feedback or messages.It can be from clients, colleagues, other managers. anyone.
This could be a simple thank you email praise for a project well done or acknowledgement of your problem solving skills for example.Save each one.I recommend creating a feedback portfolio right now on your computer or a physical file if you prefer.
Step 2.Don't be afraid to ask for feedback.Okay, here is where I want to be a little bit more intentional.So if you worked on a project or collaborated closely with someone, ask for feedback.
You can say like, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my contribution to the project.Was there anything that stood out? You know, keep it casual, genuine.Don't be afraid to ask for specifics.
Many people are happy to provide feedback, but they won't know unless you ask.Okay?So step three, track patterns. Once you have several pieces of feedback, start looking for patterns in all those messages.
Do people, for example, consistently mention your attention for detail?Maybe your leadership skills? Maybe your reliability.These patterns reveal your strengths, the qualities others see in you repeatedly.
Highlight these patterns in your portfolio as they showcase the areas where you can consistently add value.Step four, connect feedback to impact. This step is about adding context.
Take each piece of feedback and ask yourself, hmm, what impact did I make here?
For example, if a colleague thanked you for taking on a challenge or maybe something like a challenging task, you know, and then write down how your work contributed to the team's success.
Another example, did you help reduce stress for your colleagues?Did you help complete a project faster or solve maybe a client's problem?
These impact statements add depth and context to each piece of feedback, showing why it matters and showing why you matter. Okay, so I want to share another story of one of my clients that I'm calling Nadia this time.
So Nadia had been working in finance for several years.She was talented, dedicated and always willing to help her colleagues.But when it came to reviews, she really struggled by articulating her strength.
She felt awkward talking about her achievements and often left out her impact thinking it was just part of the job. So when Nadia came to me and we started working together, I encouraged her to create this feedback portfolio.
We went through her emails where she found messages from clients thanking her for catching, for example, errors.She had like mails from teammates appreciating her support.
And she even has had like a mail from her own manager recognizing her proactive approach, which he forgot about. But she added this to her portfolio.And together, we really analyzed it and we highlighted the patterns that emerged for her.
For her, it was reliability, attention to detail, and something amazing is she was really committed to deliver quality. So the next time that year, when Nadia had her review, she brought her feedback portfolio with her.
And she didn't just say she was reliable, she had the evidence to back it up with specific examples and testimonials that showed her value in other words.
So first things first, her manager was impressed and he forgot about his own meal, not only by her work, but by her ability to articulate the trust and respect she'd built.And for the first time, Nadia felt truly seen by her management.
And I think she was promoted kind of shortly after, but she told me she continues to update her portfolio still, till today.So. I know that this is kind of new maybe for you.
And I know, for example, that gathering feedback might feel a little bit uncomfortable at first.So many women that I know, especially women of color, are thought to be humble and avoid drawing attention to ourselves.But here's the truth.
And this is something I really want you to remember. Receiving praise is not a bad thing.It's a reflection of the value you bring.Okay, so I'll repeat it again.Receiving praise is not a bad thing.It's a reflection of the value you bring.
So if you feel uncomfortable with compliments, Practice receiving them with grace.When someone acknowledges your hard work, try responding by, thank you, I appreciate that.So acknowledging praise doesn't make you arrogant at all.
It makes you self-aware.And when you save this feedback, you're not just collecting compliments.No, no.You are building a case for your impact. Okay?So incorporating feedback into your professional toolkit is about empowerment.
It's about showing up fully, recognizing the difference you make, and allowing others to see it too. So as we wrap up today's episode, I want you to remind that feedback isn't just an optional add on.
It's a valuable resource that reflects your strength and contributions.So when you build a feedback portfolio, you are creating a living document that tells a story of who you are, the trust you've earned and the impact you have made.So this week,
or for the next days, I want you to take some time to gather the feedback you already have.So start your feedback portfolio, add those thank you notes, messages, testimonials, and begin recognizing them as the gold they are.
This isn't just about getting a promotion or a raise.It's about owning your own value in a way that's grounded in evidence and celebrated by others. So thanks for tuning in again.
If you're looking to take really charge in your career and make your yearly review a total win, I made like a great free guide specially for you calling Corporate It Girl 10 Steps to Master Your Yearly Review.It's like over 20 pages.
So it's a roadmap for you to standing out and making waves.So go to my website. Get it now and really, let's make some magic happen.And remember, you are building a career that reflects your worth.One piece of feedback at a time.
Lots of love and see you next time.
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