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Gaining A Positive Perspective On Feedback
Gaining A Positive Perspective On Feedback
Effective feedback is essential to let people know their current level of performance, and
what they need to do to do better. Though it's vital for success, getting feedback can
often be a difficult process. Adopting a positive mindset can make all the difference.
This course will teach you how receiving feedback is different from getting simple
praise or criticism. You'll learn how listening to constructive feedback with a positive
mindset can help you to manage your reactions and responses. You'll also learn how
applying feedback appropriately can support your professional growth and self-
development.
Table of Contents
1. Gaining a Positive Perspective on Feedback
2. Recognizing the Value of Feedback
3. Differentiating between Feedback, Praise & Criticism
4. Managing Your Reactions to Feedback
5. Responding Effectively to Feedback
6. Using Feedback for Professional Growth
7. The Art of Feedback: Let's Review
HOST: Many a times, feedback can be hard to accept. Many people dread giving or
receiving feedback because it can come across as offensive. Adopting a positive
mindset can make all the difference. Viewed this way: feedback becomes an
invaluable tool for improving your performance. In this course, you will learn the
value of constructive feedback and how it differs from praise and criticism. You will
also learn how to manage your reactions and responses to feedback and how to use it
for your professional development.
HOST: What is the first thing that comes to yoyr mind when you think of feedback?
You wouldn't be wrong if you thought about it as constructive criticism. Often
feedback takes the form of counteractive performance counseling, but that's not really
the whole story. Feedback can also be about sharing accomplishments, discussing
challenges, commenting on current projects; it can be about what people are doing
right as well as what they could do better. Feedback can reinforce the performance of
your people, your team, and of your entire organization. To be valuable though,
feedback must be given the right way.
Sally , Frank, Shelly, and Katy are in a meeting.] HOST: This is Frank. He has been
under a lot of pressure lately, so when Sally goes off on several tangents during a
meeting it makes Frank's blood boil.
HOST: Is this the kind of helpful, constructive feedback we’ve been talking about?
Of course not. Frank's feedback was critical, personal, and vague. Feedback like this
can anger or demoralize the recipient, and have a negative impact on your
organization. All constructive feedback has one thing in common: it focuses on the
future, it highlights what you are working toward. So what's the value of constructive
feedback?
[Katy and Shelly are having a conversation.] KATY: The way you reworked the
schedule, that was great.
SHELLY: Wow, thanks.
KATY: Adding a week between these two deliverables gives us enough time and
make revisions. You know it will work really well if you added a week to all the
deliverables, we might want to keep this in mind for next time.
HOST: As a final advantage, if it's given consistently, constructive feedback can help
people realize their full career potential. Feedback is what tells team members how
well they are doing at their jobs, and it tells them what they need to do improve and
advance. It's easy to stay motivated and engaged in a culture of open communication.
That's why constructive feedback is one of the secrets behind healthy, high-
performing workforces.
Constructive feedback isn't criticism, but it's not just praise either. Criticism and
praise are both personal judgments about a performance, effort, or outcome.
HOST: The end result here is destructive. Sally feels embarrassed and demoralized,
and nothing productive comes from that.
Criticism can be a way of establishing dominance over another person. Telling
someone they don't know what they are doing is like saying, I know more than you,
and I am at least in this instance, superior. Criticism can also be an expression or
frustration; for instance, you might snap at someone because you are upset about
problems on your own project.
Let's go back and try again, this time using constructive feedback.
HOST: In this version of the scenario, Frank based the feedback on factual
observations; noninterpretations, feelings, or personalities. He also addressed it to the
whole group instead of making it personal and attacking one individual. Good
feedback is specific, productive, and actionable, and it sets up future improvements.
So what's the difference between praise and constructive feedback? Praise is nice to
hear, but it's essentially unhelpful. Why? Because it doesn't point forward. It doesn't
address how a successful action can be applied to future successes. Praise is often
delivered in vague terms; nice work, or this is great. You can't do anything with these
phrases because they are not specific.
Like criticism, praise is based on opinions or feelings. Over time, giving too much
praise can even lower standards by conveying the impression that the work is perfect.
You are implying there is nothing to improve. So instead of…
HOST: Try…
SHELLY: This Graph does a great job at reinforcing our key selling points. Anytime
we can have this kind of visual support, it will really help. Great job Sally. [Sally
nods in satisfaction.]
HOST: This type of feedback is specific, constructive, and actionable, and paves the
way for future improvements.
Managing Your Reactions to Feedback
[Topic title: Managing Your Reactions to Feedback.] HOST: No one enjoys being
criticized; no one. And unfortunately many if not most people take constructive
feedback as criticism. They feel they are being confronted. This triggers a powerful
instinctive reaction; the fight or flight response. When this kicks in, people are prone
to kneejerk emotional reactions.
[Frank and Sally are having a conversation.] SALLY: What you said in the meeting
sounded very sexist.
HOST: Frank has a difficult time processing this feedback. It's a common reaction to
feedback that's negative. Intuitively you want to reject feedback, attack the messenger,
and defend your actions. Occasionally people have the opposite reaction. They admit
the fault and submit to feedback even if it's not completely fair or valid. Another
common reaction to feedback is to agree, but internally harbor resentment. This is
what is called passive aggressive. Frank knows how he normally reacts to criticism
and constructive feedback. Like Frank, you can learn what your own triggers are, then
make it a habit to take a deep breath and check in with yourself when receiving
feedback. Avoid rushing in and letting your emotional responses take over.
HOST: Just the act of analyzing his physical and emotional state helps him regain his
composure, and when he is ready…
FRANK: Go on.
SALLY: I’ve heard you say girls before, it didn't leave a mark, but this time in front
of the new client it sort of said, "This is what we think of women around here."
HOST: Frank recognizes that the feedback isn't personal. Like him, you will handle
feedback better when you remind yourself it's not about you.
[Frank thinks.] FRANK: She is not calling you chauvinist. She is saying your words
could be perceived that way.
HOST: Constructive feedback is about some work or process or action that can be
enhanced for better results.
[Frank and Sally are having a discussion.] FRANK: Do you think there is someone I
should apologize to in particular?
SALLY: Yeah, I do.
HOST: Frank asks himself some questions to remind himself this isn't the end of the
world, and to put the situation in perspective.
FRANK: I apologize, and I’ll find a way to share this with the others. Thanks for
having the courage to share this with me.
[Katy and Shelly are having a conversation. Katy is angry.] KATY: You can't hang
on to the work for so long, you just have to deal with the fact that it will never be
perfect. We lose a lot of credibility with the client when we deliver late. It's frustrating
to them and it's frustrating to me.
SHELLY: Okay. Thanks.
HOST: Shelly listened without interrupting, and that's good. You might get a
feedback you strongly disagree with, but even if it's delivered poorly or uncalled for,
don't argue; just say thanks. Then instead of coming across this unreceptive, you will
begin building a relationship. What you are communicating is, "Thank you for caring
enough to offer insight."
[Shelly and Katy are having a conversation.] SHELLY: So what you are saying is
that I should make sure we make the deadline next time even if it compromises
quality?
KATY: Yeah, basically.
SHELLY: So you feel in the future that I should turn something in on time even if
improvements need to be made?
KATY: Yep.
SHELLY: Okay. So in the future I’ll make sure we get something out on time. I will
tell the client we are still polishing details, but we have something for them, and that
we will roll out any suggestions they have into future deliverables.
KATY: Perfect.
SHELLY: Okay.
HOST: Shelly successfully turned this exchange into a dialog. He didn't agree at first,
but he asked clarifying questions and summarized to make sure he understood the
feedback. That helped him manage his reaction.
Meanwhile Sally has just been criticized by her team leader for slowing down a team
meeting.
SALLY: Fine.
KATY: Frank told me that you had a difficult conversation the other day about our
meetings. How are you feeling about it?
SALLY: Yeah, I have been thinking about it, and yes, he could have handled it
differently, and I know it's not true. I don't always derail meetings, but that didn't
come from nowhere. You guys are always giving me a hard time about turning a 10-
minute meeting into an all-day seminar. So I get it.
HOST: Sally's response provides a good model for processing feedback. Take time to
think about it. You shouldn't reject feedback out of hand, but you don't have to
mechanically accept it either. Instead, take a deep breath and consider the feedback
and its validity.
Sally also modeled a second positive response to feedback. She looked for
opportunities to improve. She took the time to figure out if there was something she
could learn from what was said. At the end of the day, feedback is a valuable means to
an improved end. If you know how to respond appropriately, it can help you build
relationships and improve your professional skills.
Responding to feedback in the right way can drive your professional growth. First,
claim feedback and work at it. When you accept constructive feedback and commit to
change, you are embracing a challenge, a belief that you can learn and improve.
Go beyond just treating and acting on feedback casually; instead, use it to grow.
[Shelly is sitting on his chair with a laptop in front.] SHELLY: Well, they get what
they get whether it's ready or not.
HOST: Shelly's boss asks him to prioritize meeting deadlines ahead of getting every
single feature into the deliverable. Shelly has taken a very limited view of Katy's
feedback.
[Shelly speaks as Katy walks in.] SHELLY: Got another one out of the door ahead of
schedule, boss.
HOST: Shelly needs to change his concept of success. What does success mean? Is
the point to simply appear efficient to your boss or to truly learn and grow? Let's
rewind a bit and give Shelly a chance to receive the feedback he got in a more
productive way.
SHELLY: It does. Next time I’ll tell the clients we are still refining the user-interface,
but the core functionality is in place and ready for testing.
HOST: Here Shelly figured out how to apply the feedback in practice. But there is
still more he can learn.
SHELLY: Do you feel that my fighting to make the deadlines is reducing the quality
too much? What do you think? Are you happy with my approach?
KATY: Oh, I think the way you balance the two is great Shelly. And you know, if
you expect to lead your own team one day the questions you are asking now, the way
you are thinking right now, those are the tools you will need.
HOST: Like Shelly, you can use feedback to better understand your position in your
organization. He engaged in dialog and got a better sense of what's expected of him
and his future possibilities. When you actively seek information about your
performance, you may find significant expectations that you didn't completely
understand before, and that can help you grow professionally.
Going forward, Shelly can make other connections of the feedback with his overall
performance. He realizes his tendency toward perfectionism has affected his entire
team. This has an adverse effect on work flows even throwing entire project schedules
off. He begins to correct this through increased feedback with his team and his boss.
And by doing this he improves those relationships in addition to his performance.
And that's a final tip; think of feedback as a relationship-building exercise. Use it as a
chance to bond and learn. Get feedback whenever you can. Consider finding a mentor,
someone who will help and support your career. In the case of your boss, realize that
part of their job is to help you develop. When you show progress it makes them look
good.
As for Shelly,
HOST: it's taking some time. Using feedback isn't the solution to every problem, but
he is gaining a reputation as someone who can adapt and grow, and he has a much
clearer picture of his place in the company.