Handling Critical Feedback at Work

"If you receive feedback at work, it's only a matter of time until you receive some critical (negative) feedback. How you handle it can make the difference between an ultimately positive experience and one in which you feel angry, hurt, or demoralized. Here are five questions to ask yourself in the face of critical feedback. 1) Is the feedback credible? That is, does the feedback come from someone in a good position to provide it?"

"Part of credibility has to do with intentions. Is the feedback provider offering this difficult conversation genuinely for the sake of your improvement, or does it seem as though their motives may have more to do with looking good, feeling superior, or needing to make you look bad? If their intentions are genuine, then this critical feedback could be viewed as a gift, and one that was likely difficult for them to deliver."

Critical feedback at work is inevitable. Handling critical feedback effectively differentiates professionals and supports development. Evaluate whether feedback is credible by considering the provider's knowledge of the situation and their intentions. Useful feedback is actionable and focuses on specific behaviors rather than vague personality judgments. When feedback is vague or non-behavioral, ask clarifying questions to identify concrete actions to change. Consider whether the provider's motives aim at improvement or self-interest. Treat genuine, difficult-to-deliver critical feedback as a potential gift that can inform performance improvements and alter how others perceive you.

Read at Psychology Today