Feedback, whether positive or negative, is essential at work. It is a way of your manager to tell how you can improve your performance. That’s why it is crucial to learn how to handle feedback positively. Some may take it negatively and do not take the chance to become better at work and personal development. Once you receive feedback, the best thing to do is to listen, ponder, accept, and use it for improvement.
Tips on How to Handle Feedback
Usually, a company provides performance appraisal regularly. However, if managers do not do such a system, then employees should not be embarrassed to ask for feedback. Open communication is always the best way to get feedback and utilize them for the business. You can also set a meeting with your boss, primarily if it deals with an important or urgent matter.
The following are effective tips that will help handle feedback from your boss and other members of the organization.
#1 Ask questions to make things clear
For some people, feedback can be a sign of criticism, and unfortunately, not everyone can accept that well. Little did they know that feedback and comments are an integral part of being a part of an organization. It helps them to create bigger things and decide better to achieve more. Thus, employees must learn how to ask questions to make things clear and avoid misunderstandings and confusion. Issues can get bigger when questions are not asked, and feedback is disregarded.
Asking questions is an aid in finding the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities in on-going or future projects. It’s also crucial that in every report or update, add a comment such as “Let me know your thoughts,” or “Any feedback from you will be appreciated.” It’s a great thing to suggest to have effective communication, so every member of the organization will be productive.
#2 Learn to listen.
Listening is vital to be able to handle feedback. Do not be afraid of hearing some comments and criticisms from your boss because of those, and you can learn more. To promote good listening, maintain eye contact and let the speaker finish his statements. Do not interrupt or distract. This will help concentrate on what your boss is telling.
#3 Summarise what your boss has said.
There can be several points in the feedback given by your boss. You might not understand all of them at once, so summarize them first. Summarizing all the details will help ensure both parties to make all facts and information clear and understandable.
#4 Takedown notes.
To avoid forgetting or missing minor details of the feedback given, writing down notes will be helpful to take down notes. This is crucial to remember everything and give you the chance to reflect on them later. Creating a list will also be beneficial.
#5 Be grateful
Every feedback must be deemed as a way of improvement. Always be thankful for the comments, as well as the criticisms. Use them for you to be stronger. Consider this as a chance of giving you another opportunity to work on your performance. When feedback is given proper attention, this can lead to enhancing yourself for a better potential.
#6 Do not apologize too much.
You will not be happy to hear too much apologizing instead of taking action. Apologize with all your sincerity. Don’t get disheartened; each of us can commit a mistake. But all of us can be capable of doing better, learn, and improve our performance.
#7 Follow up.
Feedback isn’t just a one-time thing. It is a two-way street leading to career growth. It is a great idea to follow up or touch base with your boss. In that way, they can update you with your progress. They will be able to point out your improvement and the areas where you still need to work on. Once feedback is given, and you have pondered on them, it’s time to take action and prove that you can be a great asset in the workplace.
The tips mentioned above are for employees to help them handle feedback positively. Since we have indicated that the effectivity of feedback is a two-way street, managers or bosses must also make sure that they are correctly given.
Some Tips On How A Boss Should Give a Feedback To People in the Workplace
Below are helpful tips for managers and bosses to effectively give feedback to their employees.
#1 Turn the negative into positive. Every leader in the workplace wants to create a positive experience—something that will instill motivation to employees. The management must utilize the proper platform to share such feedback. They should also learn how to convey negative feedback into positive ones. This will be helpful because instead of lowering the employees’ credibility, it would be a channel to perform better. The objective should not be only to give feedback. It should be giving feedback to become better with the tasks assigned to them.
#2 Do not take feedback personally. Be professional in providing feedback. It’s imperative to take aside personal views and feelings towards the person. There are the right instance and place for that. Wh en feedback is given in a professional manner; then respect can be gained.
#3 Perform in-depth research. Before giving comments and criticisms to the employees, make sure to perform first thorough research. The employee’s performance must be carefully checked and evaluated. If you’re not 100% sure of something, you can discuss it with the rest of the team or the management, so the basis of your feedback is valid.
#4 Be clear about your objectives. Sometimes, a person to whom you will convey feedback gets confused with things. This is why it is essential to be clear with the aim of why you’re giving feedback. Ask questions and give suggestions if employees have some doubts or clarifications with the feedback.
#5 Create a list of actionable items. When feedback is given, it will be also helpful if you can give the person a list of things to do. Explain to them thoroughly the advantages of those items on the list. Give them a list of things you can change and explain to them as thoroughly as possible why some solutions just won’t work.
#6 Offer other alternatives. When things can’t be changed as per the feedback provided, it will be great to offer one or two other options. Having different options will be beneficial. It can also be an excellent opportunity to discuss with the employee the possible steps on how to improve performance based on the feedback given.
#7 Respond promptly. When there are questions from the employee regarding the feedback given, make sure to respond promptly and professionally. Do not let them wait for too long because they may feel that it is not important to receive such feedback. Strive to provide answers quickly and accurately. This is another way of showing that you value the efforts given by the employee to become amazing in the workplace.
Final Thoughts
Receiving or providing feedback is an important part of being in the workplace. It’s an experience that will both benefit the boss and the employee. This will be effective if the feedback is given and handled professionally.
It is crucial to make sure that open communication is present in the workplace. Ask questions if there are clarifications and ensure prompt action and responses.