Receiving Feedback Well

Receiving Feedback Well

Not all of us are fortunate enough to receive great feedback. We all do receive feedback, and some receive very little actionable feedback.

If you offer proposals, give presentations, make requests, or even just ask for a favor, you will receive some form of response. It often is just an answer to the call to action, and nothing more.

At some point, you may be ‘pulled aside’ so someone can provide you feedback on your behavior, your delivery, your ability or skill. It is this type of feedback that is essential to your improvement.

If you want to improve making proposals, presentations, or requests, you need feedback. Asking for additional samples for a reliability test 10,000 times will not help you improve unless you receive actionable and meaningful feedback that helps you improve the next request.

Here are a few tips to help you receive, understand, and take steps to improve.

Lower Your Shield

“We need to talk.” Will instantly cause you to be wary, guarded, and defensive. As will many other phrases that signal the person wishes to give you some feedback.

When you realize you are about to receive, what may be difficult to hear, feedback, the natural tendency for most of us…