We all have flaws.  Some are our secrets and unlikely to see the light of day. Some, known both to us and others, are old news. Others, those visible to everyone but unknown to us, hold incredible value. These are the golden nuggets. These are the insights that might lead us to see the world in a new way and shock us into changing our thoughts and behavior. These are the nuggets that might be our keys to greater success and happiness.

If these nuggets are so valuable, why are they usually inaccessible to us? 

There are many reasons we rarely gain access to these nuggets:

1. Fearing our reaction is a common reason; people just don’t dare tell us
2. Believing we must know is not an unrealistic conclusion if the flaw is obvious to others
3. Deciding we are simply jerks is easy and probably more common
4. Not caring one way or the other is another possibility
5. Trying and failing is also quite common; the fact that someone tries does not guarantee we are receptive

As a matter of fact, few care enough to try and those who try rarely have the skill to help us see what we don’t want to see. It is much easier to decide we are jerks and simply avoid us and our short-comings.

So what are we to do?

Hiring a professional coach to collect feedback and help you see truth and value in that feedback is one choice. Asking a simple question with all the sincerity you can muster is another:

What could I do to be better at my job?