No one likes to hear anything negative, especially about ourselves. We are all perfect, right? Far from it! Our ability to accept and process critical feedback is a key factor to growth and development. Listen, we don’t ever have to like the process but we all need to identify the huge opportunity that exists in allowing ourselves to be vulnerable enough to accept critical feedback.
Too often I work with agency owners who can’t move forward on strategies that will improve their agency’s sales, service and retention simply because they are frightened by the reaction of the team. The biggest hurdle we all have to overcome in accepting critical feedback is practicing getting it. When issues have been avoided due to fear, the other party believes things are going well. Releasing that critical feedback can often lead to a negative reaction. As agencies build in healthy routine feedback, the process becomes easier each time. The time is now to rip off the band aid!
Here are some tips for receiving critical feedback:
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- Recognize your emotions, but don’t react on them: Getting feedback can hurt and we often want to react, defend ourselves and potentially argue. Resist that urge and instead listen. Clearly, the other person is upset and something in your relationship has caused it. Be open and listen, don’t react.
- Give the other person the right to their feelings: As hard as it is to hear critical feedback, sometimes giving it can be harder. While you may not agree with the person, agree that everyone is entitled to their feelings and communicating it is a healthy way to change that feeling.
- Ask questions: Take a humble approach and ask questions to clarify the feedback. Ask how the person would prefer the situation to be handled? How did it affect them?
- Thank them for telling you: Whether you agree or not with the feedback, thank them for offering it to you. We can’t improve without hearing the good, the bad and the ugly.
- Ask them for a follow up conversation: Take a day or two to think about the other person’s comments. Once the emotions calm down you may let a cooler head prevail and be able to see the other person’s point of view.
If you are receiving critical feedback at work, take notes. Your employer cares enough about you to want you to thrive. You can choose to roll your eyes or blab to co-workers. Or you can take the time to invest in yourself and your career, listen harder and cycle the feedback into your work.
Finally, even if you disagree, try to change it. Be cognitive of the issue and try to be different. You may see a positive impact across your entire life. If you choose to start a war with the other person or not take their feedback seriously, you are choosing to hold yourself back from your true potential.
