Find and Fix Your Blind Spots

“If one person tells you you’re a horse, they are crazy. If three people tell you you’re a horse, there’s conspiracy afoot. If ten people tell you you’re a horse, it’s time to buy a saddle.” —Jack Rosenblum, author ofManaging From the Heart.

No one is perfect. We all have blind spots that may be derailing our careers or sales performances. Communication? Overconfidence? Prioritization? Perfectionism? 

Does your manager tell you you’re doing a nice job and you’re not clear about what “nice” means? Does the feedback leave you wondering if you have blind spots you need to work on? Here’s an easy way to consistently get actionable feedback from your manager or colleagues.

Give this tip a try Here’s how to Identify and overcome your weaknesses.

In a 1:1 meeting with your manager, ask, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank me as [insert your title (sales associate, account executive, account manager)]?”

It doesn’t matter what score your manager gives. The next question is the most critical one to ask: “What do I need to do to be a 10 in your eyes?” And then listen—really listen.

It may be a little difficult and unsettling, but refrain from disagreeing, offering explanations, or justifying. Listen actively, and ask for clarification and/or express gratitude by saying one of these three things:

1. “Thank you.”

2. “Can you tell me more?”

3. “Can you say that in a different way?”

Ask the same two questions of colleagues and professionals in your network. Once you get feedback from five or six people, look for commonly mentioned gaps or themes. Come up with a game plan, take action, and begin developing the skills or building the knowledge you need to close one or two of your gaps or blind spots. Or buy a saddle!

When I do this exercise, I’m frequently told that I interrupt and could listen better—something I mindfully work on every day.

One final suggestion this is an excellent tool to use with your family and friends: “How would you rate me as a mommy?” (partner? wife? friend?)

Here’s to selling Mastery. 

-Cherilynn

Head of Education and Growth, Sistas In Sales

Executive Coach/Managing Partner, CGI

Cherilynn Castleman, Executive Coach/Sales Trainer, has been a sales executive for 20+ years. With a natural talent for teaching and a drive to sell, Cherilynn uses her skills to coach and train other executives and sales professionals.

You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.- Toni Morrison

An American novelist, essayist, editor, and professor emeritus at Princeton University, noted for her examination of the black experience (particularly black female experience). She was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1993.