Professional feedback is a powerful tool for growth, but accepting it — especially when it’s critical — can sometimes be challenging. Whether you’re hearing praise that makes you glow with confidence or constructive remarks that cause a moment of self-doubt, how you respond to feedback makes all the difference. Learning to receive feedback with grace is a talent that reaps endless dividends. Not only will it provide you with the guidance you need to strengthen your skills, it also enhances your professional reputation as someone open, adaptable, and eager to grow.
Receiving and Analyzing Feedback
How you process feedback can have a lasting impact. When a meeting is scheduled where you anticipate feedback — such as an annual review or a call to resolve a specific issue — take time beforehand to reflect and prepare. Approaching the discussion with poise can make a significant difference in the quality of your conversation.
“Poise is about holding feedback with neutrality and grace in the moment you receive it….What does this mean in practice? Step into a feedback session with neutrality — neither enthusiastically agreeing with the feedback nor forcefully rejecting it,” says HBR’s Cameron Conaway. This enables you to “be a better listener instead of simply trying to hear the other person with an intent to respond.”
Here are some additional tips to help you receive feedback effectively:
- Practice Active Listening and Take Notes: Listen without interrupting. Notetaking is a great tool to help you to stay focused on the other person’s words rather than planning for what you want to say. It also shows you value the speaker’s input and captures key ideas for later reflection.
- Ensure Alignment: When the person giving feedback is finished, try paraphrasing what they said and asking them to confirm your understanding. This can help to ensure you understand their expectations. If anything is unclear, ask clarifying questions.
- Reframe to Build a Growth Mindset: To stay positive during difficult conversations, consider mentally reframing constructive feedback as an opportunity for development. Feedback is a gift because it provides clarity on obstacles to your growth and how to remove them. You can use it to make changes that will supercharge your career.
- Receive Feedback with Gratitude: Even if the feedback isn’t what you hoped for, don’t let the meeting end without thanking the person giving it for taking the time to coach you. Let them know you will process what they said and come back to them with any questions.
- Pause and Reflect Before Acting: After the meeting, take time to think about the feedback you received. Then, develop a plan to effectively incorporate it into your work. Consider following up with the person who gave you feedback to let them know what changes you implemented.
Asking for Feedback
In every career, there are times when feedback is needed outside of formal reviews or project evaluations. Some organizations may not have an established review process. This makes it even more important to seek feedback proactively. While asking for feedback may feel awkward initially, it gets easier with practice. Requesting feedback strengthens professional relationships and ensures you get the information you need to exceed expectations.
Here are several tips to help you ask for feedback:
- Be timely: Request feedback immediately after completing a project or task, while details are still fresh in your manager’s mind.
- Be specific: When you set up a feedback session, let your manager know the projects or tasks you’re interested in evaluating in advance. This gives them time to gather their thoughts so you can have a more productive discussion.
- Be prepared: Don’t expect your manager to lead the conversation. Preparing open-ended questions can help you to get their thoughts on key topics. You can follow up as needed to get more detail if feedback seems vague.
- Be strategic: When appropriate, consider asking other leaders, peers, and subordinates whom you interact with frequently for feedback. They may be able to offer unique insights into strategic areas where you are looking to grow.
Why Does Feedback Matter?
Many people believe they can assess the quality of their own performance. However, it can be hard to get enough distance to see ourselves clearly. A manager or a peer may have insights into aspects of your work that you may have missed. Even though it’s hard to hear, critical feedback is crucial to positive growth. “If you look at the data, one of the biggest drivers of success, if you account for how motivated you are and you know how talented you are, is your ability to seek and use negative feedback,” says Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, author, and professor at the Wharton School. “Because that really determines how close to your potential you become. If you never get criticized, then you never really get challenged to improve.”
Feedback can highlight areas for growth that continuous learning can enhance. For instance, you might identify an area for development where you can take a course to build your skills or find a mentor who can coach you. Implementing changes as a result of feedback you received can increase your chance for advancement. If you embrace feedback as a catalyst for transformation, how you receive, process, and act upon it will positively impact your professional growth. Gracefully receiving and applying feedback can unlock new opportunities and propel your career forward.
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