On Receiving Feedback
A lot has been said, by me in this blog, and by many others, about giving feedback, but there is precious little on the subject of receiving feedback. I would submit that to earn the right to give feedback to others, one must invite and pay attention to feedback from superiors, peers and employees.
The key about inviting feedback is to invariably say “thank you” for any that comes your way. Thank you and nothing else. Then you have to actually consider all feedback as important information asking yourself “what if this were true?” Even if you don’t respect the source, even if you don’t understand the feedback, even if you think the feedback can’t possibly pertain to you.
“What if this were true?” What would I need to think about? What might I have to change? How would I need to think about myself differently?
More on this next post.
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Hi, Madeleine!
Such an important topic.
To contribute to the dialogue, last year I summarized here my thoughts on receiving feedback:
http://weeklyleader.net/2009/5-tips-to-get-the-feedback-you-need-now/
Cheers,
Pam
p.s. I’m a huge fan of this blog. Really enjoy the combination of personal viewpoint from each of you and what I know to be tremendously professional practice.
Pam, thank you for the link. Feedback is an art form AND a science. So many people believe they are giving feedback when they are actually making a request. It is a subtle but important distinction!
Wonderful post! It’s a great way to consider feedback objectively. Too many people disregard things they don’t want to hear and that’s exactly the stuff we need to respond to! Nicely said!
Katy