I USED to be part of an organization where feedback was expected and comments on my work was essential to ensuring the team delivered as expected. When I moved into a more conservative organization, I noticed that people gave feedback as if walking on eggshells and worded it in such a way as to make it sound like an afterthought rather than a well-considered point for improvement. The recipient, on the other hand, wilted in embarrassment as if they had never done anything right. I realized that just as much as people need to know how to provide feedback, they also need to know how to handle feedback to take full advantage of it.
Feedback is an integral part of an organization that seeks to engage the collective minds of its workforce, and to tap into innovative ideas and solutions for problems and issues within the organization. On a team level, feedback is important for members to be aligned with their managers in terms of timeliness and quality of work output. If your team is to benefit from giving feedback, it needs to start with you as their leader. You need to set an example on how to receive feedback.
The first thing you need to do is to welcome feedback from people. People will not give feedback unless they know you are willing to listen to them. Being open to feedback means understanding what people have to say without taking it against them. You show this by what you do after receiving the feedback. Once people see how you handle feedback, they are more likely to give it to you freely. Of course, there are people who mean ill and would say anything to throw you off your game or are just insecure with you, so you still need to filter what they are saying and get whatever you can to improve yourself and your work.
Being open to feedback also means to stop being defensive. The most common source of feedback is your direct manager. They are there to guide you and ensure whatever comes out from their team reflects the quality of work that is acceptable to them. Their team’s output is a reflection of their leadership. So, stop taking it personally and focus on how to improve so you can do better next time, especially if you are leading a team. Your manager is there to help ensure your team delivers to clients as expected. More often, no feedback means you are doing well. But when they sit down with you and give feedback on how you manage your team, that means you still need to work on your people management skills. And if you intend to be a better leader, you will listen and look for better ways of managing your team rather than taking it against them.
Just as much as you need to stop being defensive, you also have to stop apologizing. There are times when a leader provides feedback, the recipient would apologize profusely even if the leader has not even finished. The best apology is the one where you listened and developed an action plan to improve. Apologize if you must but do it after the person has finished giving their feedback.
If the feedback is vague, ask questions or other examples to clarify what they meant. By asking questions, you are showing that you are intent on improving, and that you will do better the next time. Actively listen and ask follow-up questions especially if you think they have misinterpreted your actions. Receiving feedback also entails that the one giving feedback also understands where you are coming from so both of you are aligned in terms of what to do moving forward.
If possible, take down notes so you can document the feedback. Do this so you can develop action plans to address the feedback, and for you to create a holistic plan to address recurring feedback. This is especially helpful when the feedback is about your behavior and how you deal with other people. By documenting these instances, you can objectively evaluate yourself and formulate steps to effectively address the issues raised. You can even consult your mentor, or trusted friends, on what you can do to improve how you deal with colleagues and clients.
Once you develop an action plan, set a time to follow up on the results. This closes the feedback loop and lets the one who gave the feedback know that you have already addressed their concerns. Again, this lets people know that you are open to feedback because you are intent on improving yourself and your output. You can update them through a simple e-mail letting them know of new developments, or in the same meeting where the feedback was given. Just make sure you let them know how their feedback has helped you improve.
There are cases when the feedback is harsh and unfair. They say that a broken clock can still be right twice a day, so take whatever you can from their comments and use it to improve yourself. People can sometimes lose control of their emotions and lash out unnecessarily. Take whatever you can from what they are saying to help yourself and then ignore the rest. If the feedback is personally motivated, try to discover where it is coming from so you can address it appropriately. If there are things outside your control, inform your supervisor as soon as you can so they can protect you.
And, lastly, thank people for their feedback. It is not every day that someone takes the time to explain and provide you feedback to improve your work. It shows they care enough for you and your team to help you do your work better. You need to reframe your mindset and look at feedback as insights on improving your work and your output because, if you are intent on growing professionally and personally, you need to take advantage of all the help you can get from others. n
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