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10. Assured you’re doing a good job? Do it better. When you’re consistently meeting the required
standards of performance, it’s easy to get comfortable. Complacent. To get stuck in a routine of doing
what you’ve always done. And why not? After all, you’re doing a good job, right? While the answer to
that may be yes today, over time it is likely to become no. Don’t get left behind. Raise your personal
standards. Set stretching goals. Push yourself to the next level of success. Proactively find ways that
you can do an even better job. Challenge limiting beliefs about what you can achieve. Have the
courage to step outside your comfort zone. It’s where you’ll reap the biggest rewards.

11. Shy away from giving feedback? Learn the principles of constructive feedback. Honest
feedback lets people know how they are performing. It can confirm they are meeting the expected
standards. Or it can let them know they are falling short. Keep it factual. Talk about behaviors—the
things you have seen and heard the person do. Don’t make statements about their identity—who they
are or their values. Be specific about what has gone well and what needs adjusting. Guide them to
make midcourse corrections. Give the feedback “in the moment”—while the event is still fresh enough
for your comments to resonate. Don’t put it off for days or weeks. Point out an error before it becomes
a problem. Remember, feedback should be balanced when it makes sense. Catch people doing
something right. Make giving regular feedback a priority. Being accountable for giving feedback helps
others become accountable for their own actions.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Klobucher, T. (2011, October 24). The danger of complacency in the workplace. The Great
Workplace Revolution [YouTube].
Llopis, G. (2013, July 8). 10 Signs your employees are growing complacent in their careers. Forbes.
White, S. (2011, October 13). Overcoming work mistakes: Learn how to speak up and move on. The
Huffington Post Canada.
Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2014, January 15). Your employees want the negative feedback you
have to give. Harvard Business Review Blog Network.

Job assignments
• Put yourself forward to lead the resolution of a tough problem that requires help from others.
Recognize what others have to offer and how they can support you.

• Volunteer to present a proposal to a senior team that you know will provoke contention, raise
challenging questions, and encourage debate. Be prepared to fight your corner.

• Volunteer to lead the definition of SMART goals for a new or evolving project.
• Work on a project that analyzes performance and results and take responsibility for feeding back the
outcome to those involved.
• Design a set of formal and informal measures of progress for your current responsibilities. Share them
with your boss. Review your progress on an ongoing basis.

© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

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