Everything that you will do is for the business even if you are working for yourself. You will put endless hours and effort into a project so it will naturally feel more personal than it should be. That is where you will get into trouble if you cross that line and make it personal. By making it personal we generally tend to be less objective. The ability to be open and detached, especially in light of criticism, will be very valuable to your future.

As a project manager you need to be actively searching out feedback on your performance during the entire lifecycle of a project. You need to know (not assume) how you are doing given the important and visible role that you play. In receiving feedback, make sure to get both qualitative as well as quantitative data so you can determine where you stand as clearly as possible. Quantitative data is very valuable because it generally is viewed as more objective.

In most cases, you are looking at data points around a project manager’s ability to deliver on time, on budget, with high quality and, maybe most importantly, with high client satisfaction. In organizations that don’t have quantitative data, I would suggest you take the first step and introduce it. You can start with a client survey to see how your they view you project management services.

Get feedback from a cross section of your team as well as management. You want to make sure that you are providing yourself with a full and honest view of your performance. Search out feedback from those you believe are not fans or seem very demanding. These folks generally will provide good insights into your performance (if not good then at least honest). It is possible their comments will be over the top―especially if there is personal bent to them―but I guarantee there will be a nugget or two to help you improve as a project manager. You will find people are willing to give good, honest feedback so long as they know two things: you are willing to hear it; and that you will act on the feedback.

In the event you have issues getting people to participate, or that culturally the process of getting feedback is not accepted, you can look to your manager as a go-between. Your manager can provide a buffer zone for those that would rather not speak to you directly. You need to show people that you can receive honest feedback―good or bad―and not take it personally.

It is important to keep in mind that if you go through the process of searching out feedback that you also take action on items that legitimately need to be changed. Create a plan for each item you are looking to change and stick to it. Just don't bite off more than you can chew. You want to make sure you successfully change what needs to be changed. There are only so many things that you can change at one time.

Given that you were public about seeking the feedback to determine what if any change should be made, you should also be public about your plan and which items you will be looking to work on as part of your change. This will accomplish two key things. The first is gaining the support of your team. The second is to alert those who provided items that are not being acted on until a later date. This public course of action will build trust with the group whose items are not being immediately acted upon because they know they were heard.

Change is not easy but the more you can both be open to it and successful at it, the more you will be thought of positively. You will get on the radar for having the desire to become the best you can be. You will also build your credibility by actually making meaningful changes that are successful in helping improve your performance, the team’s performance, and by default that of your company.