Receiving Feedback Doesn’t Have To Be Scary. Here’s How You Can Get Most Out Of It
Receiving feedback can often feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Embrace it as a tool for growth and improvement. Learn how to navigate through the process and extract the most value from it, turning apprehension into opportunity.
Feedback is just information
We think any bit of information is meaning we are less than as a person or that we are unworthy or unfit or incapable
- Feedback is information, and you have the power to decide what you do with it
- Stacy-Marie Ishmael seeks to create a culture where giving feedback is constant
- She thinks annual reviews are the worst because nobody should be hearing something from you for the first time in a formal environment
Ask for time and take notes to review later
Ask plenty of questions and ask for time if you need it so you can process the feedback you are getting.
Practice active listening
Check in as feedback is coming by repeating back and affirming what you’ve heard.
Remember that you don’t have to use every bit of feedback that comes to you
Take full ownership of what you do with that information and have a plan on what you’re going to do
- You don’t have to take it in, just use it
Stay OPEN
Observe, probe, express how you feel, and then decide on the next steps
- Check in on how your body is feeling
- Ask follow-up questions that can clarify the path forward
- Express how you genuinely feel
- Decide what the next step are for you
Remember the acronym SIFT
SIFT: Consider the source, impact, frequency, and trends of the feedback before making a decision about how you want to incorporate it
- Source: consider if the person giving you the feedback is someone whose opinion matters to you, or if it’s somebody whom you don’t have a lot of context about
- Impact: scale of feedback
- Frequency: how often you are hearing the feedback; trends: where is the feedback coming from