How Openmind Can Help You Accept and Learn from Feedback
I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand the incredible impact that Openmind, our psychometric assessment tool, can have on individuals and organizations. Feedback, whether positive or critical, is essential in any personal or professional development journey. Yet, for many of us, accepting and truly learning from feedback is easier said than done.
Let me be blunt: we all have psychological blind spots. We like to think we know ourselves pretty well, but the truth is, our self-perception is often far from accurate. This is where Openmind shines. By uncovering both your conscious (explicit) and nonconscious (implicit) attitudes, it provides a mirror that reflects not just how you think you feel, but also the deeper, often hidden, beliefs that drive your behavior. This depth of insight can transform your relationship with feedback and your ability to grow from it.
Understanding Feedback and Why We Struggle with It
Let’s get something straight—feedback is not about judging you; it’s about helping you grow. But most people struggle with feedback for two main reasons: ego and fear. Ego resists anything that contradicts our self-image, while fear worries about what feedback might reveal about our abilities or personality. These reactions are natural but limiting, and to truly benefit from feedback, we have to push past them. Openmind provides an objective look at our personality, bypassing the ego and fear responses that so often cloud our judgment.
The Explicit vs. Implicit Gap: A Key to Understanding Your Reaction to Feedback
One of the unique aspects of Openmind is its ability to reveal the gap between your explicit (conscious) and implicit (nonconscious) attitudes. Why does this matter for feedback? Because this gap often explains why feedback can feel jarring or surprising. For example, you might consciously believe that you’re an open and agreeable person, but your implicit scores might suggest a more cautious or self-protective nature.
When feedback confronts this gap, it feels uncomfortable. We think, “That can’t be true about me.” But here’s the blunt reality—those hidden, implicit attitudes are very real. They’re shaped by years of experiences, associations, and learned behavior. Openmind helps you uncover these attitudes so you can approach feedback with a clearer understanding of yourself.
The Big Five Personality Dimensions and Feedback
Openmind uses the Big Five personality dimensions—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuro Balance. Each dimension sheds light on specific areas where feedback might be particularly challenging or revealing:
Openness: People high in openness are naturally curious and adaptable, but even they can be resistant to feedback if it threatens a deeply held belief. Openmind can show you if there’s a discrepancy between your implicit and explicit levels of openness, which might explain why certain feedback is hard to accept. For instance, you might think you’re open to new ideas, but if your implicit scores show a lower openness, feedback about your rigidity may actually be spot-on.
Conscientiousness: Conscientious individuals often take pride in their diligence and dependability, so feedback that questions their competence or effort can feel like a personal attack. Openmind can reveal whether your high conscientiousness is matched at an implicit level or if there’s a gap, indicating that perhaps you’re trying too hard to live up to an ideal rather than genuinely embodying it. This awareness can help you accept feedback as a tool for growth rather than a threat.
Extraversion: Extraverts thrive in social settings and generally welcome feedback, especially if it’s positive. However, they can struggle with negative feedback, particularly if it’s about their behavior in group settings. Openmind highlights any discrepancies between your explicit and implicit extraversion, which can reveal whether you’re truly comfortable with feedback in these situations or if you’re unconsciously holding back.
Agreeableness: Agreeable people want to be liked, which makes them more likely to shy away from feedback that could cause conflict. If Openmind shows a difference between your explicit and implicit agreeableness, it could indicate that you’re more guarded than you realize. Knowing this helps you approach feedback without the constant need to please others, focusing instead on personal growth.
Neuro Balance: This dimension gauges your emotional resilience. If you have a high Neuro Balance score, you’re likely to take feedback in stride. However, a low score can make feedback feel like a personal attack, triggering anxiety or defensiveness. Openmind allows you to see whether your explicit self-confidence matches your implicit emotional stability, which can be invaluable for learning to manage emotional reactions to feedback.
Reflecting on Feedback: Bridging the Implicit-Explicit Divide
Openmind doesn’t just tell you what your personality traits are; it helps you reflect on them. When your implicit and explicit scores align, you’re seeing a consistent version of yourself, which makes feedback easier to digest and act upon. However, when there’s a divide—say, your explicit openness is high, but your implicit openness is lower—it’s a signal that you might not be as receptive to new ideas as you think. This insight allows you to take a step back, reconsider the feedback with an open mind, and adjust your approach to personal growth.
Here’s a straightforward way to reflect on feedback using Openmind’s insights:
Acknowledge the Gap: Start by accepting that your conscious self-perception might differ from your implicit attitudes. This gap is natural, and recognizing it is the first step toward genuine self-awareness.
Identify Patterns: Use your Openmind report to identify any recurring discrepancies between your implicit and explicit scores, especially in areas where you often receive feedback.
Set Realistic Goals: Once you understand your implicit attitudes, you can set specific, realistic goals for improvement. For example, if you learn that your implicit agreeableness is lower than you thought, you might focus on being more assertive when responding to feedback rather than simply trying to be agreeable.
Case Studies: How Openmind Transformed Feedback Acceptance
Let’s talk about some real-world examples. I’ve worked with many clients who were skeptical about feedback until Openmind revealed the true nature of their implicit attitudes.
Case Study 1: The Conscientious Perfectionist
One client, a project manager, had a high explicit score in conscientiousness. She prided herself on being organized and efficient. However, her implicit score was much lower, which explained why feedback about her “overly rigid” approach frustrated her so much. Openmind helped her realize that her need for control was more about external validation than internal organization. With this insight, she worked on relaxing her standards slightly, allowing her team more autonomy, and consequently, she received more positive feedback.
Case Study 2: The Agreeable Leader
Another client, a senior executive known for his friendliness, had consistently high explicit scores in agreeableness. However, his implicit scores suggested he was more critical than he appeared. This gap explained why he sometimes struggled with feedback about his decision-making. He realized that his desire to be liked was preventing him from making tough calls. Armed with this knowledge, he started to prioritize transparency over likability, making him a more effective and respected leader.
Practical Steps to Accept and Learn from Feedback
Understanding your Openmind report is just the beginning. Here are some practical steps to apply what you’ve learned:
Reframe Feedback as Insight, Not Criticism: Recognize that feedback is a valuable tool for uncovering your implicit attitudes. Each piece of feedback is an opportunity to understand yourself better and align your implicit and explicit behaviors.
Ask Reflective Questions: Openmind provides scenarios based on your implicit-explicit scores. Use these as prompts to delve deeper. For instance, if your implicit conscientiousness is lower than your explicit, ask yourself, “Am I holding myself to unrealistic standards?”
Practice Self-Compassion: Accept that no one is perfect. Use your Openmind insights to understand that the gap between who you are and who you want to be is a part of being human.
Seek External Validation Carefully: It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeking external validation to bridge the implicit-explicit gap. Instead, focus on personal growth. Use Openmind as a benchmark to measure your progress, not others’ approval.
Focus on Small, Incremental Changes: Major personality shifts are rare and often unsustainable. Instead, target small adjustments. If your implicit agreeableness is low, start by practicing assertiveness in one area of your life rather than overhauling your entire personality.
Embracing Feedback as a Path to Self-Improvement
At the end of the day, feedback is about becoming the best version of yourself. With Openmind, you have a tool that goes beyond surface-level personality assessments, revealing the deeper beliefs that shape your behavior. By understanding the gaps between your implicit and explicit attitudes, you can approach feedback with a newfound clarity and purpose.
Let’s be clear: the journey of self-improvement is lifelong, and feedback is just one of the many tools along the way. Openmind doesn’t offer quick fixes or guaranteed transformations. What it does offer is a mirror, showing you the true reflection of who you are—both the parts you’re proud of and the parts that need work.
The real question is, are you ready to look in that mirror and accept what you see? If you are, then Openmind can be the key that unlocks your full potential, helping you not only accept feedback but actively seek it as a source of growth and learning. Because, in the end, the more we understand ourselves, the better equipped we are to navigate the complexities of life and work.