10 Tips on How to Give and Receive Better Feedback
In the fierce business world, feedback makes all the difference. You can’t expect to get very far in any setting, be it corporate or educational if you can’t accept a few valuable assessments and apply them to your future output. The same applies to giving feedback to others. It’s helpful to provide constructive critiques, but delivering this message in the wrong way can backfire. Here’s what you should know about giving and receiving better feedback.
Remove Your Personal Bias
When you deliver feedback, strive to remove your personal biases from the situation. Feedback is, after all, not about what you would do if you were in their shoes, but an evaluation of the work that is presented to you. Be objective and approach things through a more editorial lens. Your goal shouldn’t be to infuse the work with your own personal touch but to help perfect it by sharing your observations and suggestions.
Don’t Focus on Negatives
It’s difficult for people to accept feedback when all they hear is negativity. It can be difficult to digest when they’ve worked diligently to do the best that they can. Respect their efforts while evaluating the content and quality of their work. Consider it as a whole — what can you say that highlights the positive attributes first? Then include information to help them improve upon an area that needs specific work. Finish with words of encouragement. This not only softens the tone but also creates more of a conversation that may be useful to the person in question.
Be Specific With Ideas
You can’t expect change if you don’t offer specific guidance about the situation at hand. If you’ve recently adjusted your workplace dress code without providing too many details to your staff, you can’t expect them to know if it’s okay to wear custom business casual attire in lieu of more professional clothing. Again, having a conversation is important — it creates a sense of balance and builds respect. Fill your commentary with actionable words that the person can put to good use for the benefit of the work.
Ask Plenty of Questions
It’s not always the case that you’re fully versed in the subject that you’re assessing. Instead of launching into a statement-filled speech about the work, ask leading questions so that you can better understand what type of information they seek. For example, a fashion designer in the process of creating stylish and practical custom uniform work dresses would probably love your feedback on factors such as silhouette, color options, and length. Be genuine and open as you ask questions so that you can better understand the person’s motivations. That information may allow you to provide more effective, meaningful feedback they can actually use.
Strive for Complete Honesty
It’s always helpful to encourage someone who requests your feedback, but you shouldn’t pad your words with overwhelmingly complimentary language. There’s a reason that the person wants your feedback, after all. Honesty is ultimately what they seek, so be confident in your words, whether you’re issuing generous praise or offering them some ideas about what they can change.
Ask Trusted Confidantes
How you accept feedback is just as important as how you give it to others. You can only expect to receive valuable information if you tap into the collective knowledge base of people who understand the subject matter. This applies to anything, whether you’re not sure you selected the most appropriate gifts for employees or you want an honest assessment of the song that you just wrote. Turn to people in your industry who are likely to have a firmer grasp of what you want your end result to be. Be open to everything that you hear; it’s often valuable information that can transform how you view your end goal.
Never Take It Personally
If you request feedback from the right people, you can trust that they have your best interests at heart. Yes, it’s difficult to hear critical words, but bear in mind that they’re offering an analysis of your work, not of you as a person. Separate yourself as much as possible from the critique and apply it directly to the subject matter instead. Are you launching your company’s new line of promotional products? Did you recently write a play that you hope to bring to the stage? These are very specific subjects, and odds are that the person providing feedback understands them very well. Accept their words and see how you can best apply them to the work at hand.
Make Sense of the Noise
At the same time, feedback can also come from other sources — people you didn’t necessarily ask, for example, or someone on social media who decided to offer their thoughts on your company’s line of custom company hats. Note that while some of this outside “noise” should be filtered out if it doesn’t appear to come from a place of honesty and good intention, you should also be mindful of its meaning. If you receive unrequested feedback en masse from your customers that your logo’s color scheme is too jarring or your font is hard to read, then it’s important to accept that as guidance you can apply to the project. Be grateful for what comes your way, but don’t put too much stock into words that seem more negative than constructive.
Don’t Attach to Your Ego
It’s your work, and you should feel a sense of pride and attachment in anything from a decision you make to something that you create. At the same time, you need to level the internal playing field so that your ego doesn’t take precedence over the feedback that you requested. Don’t convince yourself that your work is pure perfection — be confident, but not so much so that you aren’t open to valuable guidance that can help you fine-tune it even more.
Always Be Open-Minded
Remember that not everyone delivers feedback in the same way. Listen closely to the message behind the words. How can you interpret it in the most useful way possible? Think about whether there’s something you can use in the bluntness or the harshness. It’s not always pleasant to hear, but you might tap into a nugget of truth that ultimately helps you improve.