[Flash] You’re Perfect and You Could Improve

There’s nothing wrong with us!

Yet the world constantly reminds us that we are broken and need fixing:

• Report cards: here’s your grade and where you fell short
• Commercials: here’s what’s wrong with you and how this product will fix it
• Feedback: here’s my “constructive criticism” to address your flaws

But if we start with the notion that we are perfect as we are, we could springboard from our strengths instead of flail from our flaws.

With “perfect as we are” as our anchor, we can eagerly and fearlessly seek suggestions, feedback, ideas, and input by asking ourselves and others:

“How can I improve from here?”

Without a need to protect our ego, we can welcome advice and perspectives, not as judgments or criticisms, but as contributions and building blocks – each block helping us to become bigger, better, bolder versions of ourselves… to be even more perfect.

So how do we find the “little improvement” that Suzuki recommends? Through a regular practice of:

• mentoring and being mentored
• reflecting on situations
• debriefing with colleagues
• attending classes and workshops
• reading (or listening to) a variety of books, podcasts
• collaborating
• using the words “Not yet”
• leading with curiosity

Now consider applying this concept while mentoring others: our mentees are perfect as they are, and they could use a little improvement.

Our job as a mentor is not to fix our mentees, but to add the building blocks that contribute to our mentees becoming bigger, better, bolder versions of themselves.

All by starting with perfect and improving from there…

© 2022. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.