How to handle negative feedback at work
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Nobody likes receiving negative feedback or criticism, especially in the workplace.
Feedback should be constructive, factual and delivered appropriately. However, most of us at some point have been on the receiving end of unhelpful, critical feedback from our manager or boss. Whilst your immediate reaction may be to become defensive, be disappointed, express frustration and anger – all of this will be counterintuitive to helping you to learn and grow.
Here are 10 steps on what you should do when you receive negative feedback at work.
1. Be open minded and listen
You may dislike the person giving you the feedback. Give them the benefit of the doubt, as they may have some valid points.
Let them have their say and listen to what they’re saying so you can evaluate whether they’re being fair or not. Try not to jump in and counteract when they’re sharing their feedback – as tempting as it may be. Let them fully finish and then address each point, one by one.
2. Think before you react
It’s natural for your emotions to be high when hearing negative feedback about yourself. Some are more predisposed to reacting emotionally than others. Take a deep breath, a pause, a moment or whatever helps you to temper your emotions before you respond.
Think about what you say, how you say it and how you react will impact your working relationship with the feedback giver and your reputation at work, before acting on it.
3. Don’t take it personally
It’s human instinct to want to protect ourselves especially if we perceive threat. Receiving negative feedback can be seen as a form of threat – a threat to our reputation, character and our abilities.
Ultimately, the bigger picture is that you’re receiving feedback, albeit negative, about a small moment in your life about you in the context of your job. You are more than your job.
However, it is important to take the feedback at face value in the context it’s given to you. Place more emphasis on what’s being said than who or why is saying it or whether they have a hidden agenda.
4. Gracefully acknowledge the feedback
This is tried and tested. The first thing you should say after receiving your negative feedback is “thank you” to the person giving it to you. Try and thank them authentically, even if you’re seething inside.
This doesn’t mean that you need to agree with the negative feedback. Showing appreciation for them taking the time and effort to help evaluate your performance and share their thoughts with you is important.
5. Confidently ask clarifying questions
Once you’ve received your feedback and have understood it, if there’s anything that you don’t agree with or understand, do ask questions to clarify what was said. Ultimately, your conversation should be a two-way thing and it’s up to you to take ownership of your performance and job future.
You could ask questions like:
“Could you provide me with an or a couple of examples where I…..”
“What can I do to address this and show improvement going forwards”
6. Document next steps
For point of reference and your development, especially if you have an end of year performance appraisal as part of your job, write up the next steps in an email and share them with the person who provided you with negative feedback. If this is not the norm, explain it to the person that you wanted to ensure you captured it, so you don’t forget.
This will help keep you focused on addressing the negative feedback.
7. Track evidence of improvement
This will help keep you focused on addressing the negative feedback, so that you have evidence to show you’ve improved. This way, your performance is not called into question on the same points.
8. Schedule a check-in
It’s better to be proactive than reactive and laid back in checking in with the person who initially provided you with the negative feedback. By scheduling a check-in, you can take control of following up to get further feedback to ensure you’re on track to showing improvement. This way, you can avoid any surprises in your next formal appraisal.
9. Present your improvement case
Further to steps 7 and 8, prepare for presenting your case showing your improvement in the areas originally covered in the negative feedback. This should clearly show examples of your individual contribution.
10. Seek help
Being on the receiving end of negative feedback, especially if it’s on a regular basis, can be overwhelming and affect your self-esteem, as well as your mental wellbeing. Do seek help and the support of a therapist if needed.
If your environment is constantly negative and critical towards you, ensure you document all instances and report this to your HR department, after you’ve followed any policy procedures your employer may have in place.