How to Receive Feedback Effectively at Work | Advice & Tips

Your hands are clammy, you've got a pit in your stomach and you've been nervous all day at work because of your upcoming review, but you don't need to be. Getting feedback is a normal part of all work environments, and what's most important is how to receive feedback and the ways to respond.

A survey of millennial employees found that one in four employees had called in sick to avoid an annual performance review. Yet the same survey found that almost 9 out of 10 people would feel more confident in their work if they had more frequent performance reviews.

So the problem isn't feedback. We need feedback to grow. The problem is how many people are not taught how to receive feedback, and how to respond to criticism and performance reviews by the time they get into their professional careers.

The differences between feedback, advice, and criticism

Feedback

Feedback is a collaborative exercise. Even if it looks at past behavior, it is future-oriented. When done right, feedback is meant to help inspire and motivate you to want to do better. At its core, the message is positive and should be received as such.

Advice

Advice on the other hand is direct recommendations. Advice is also focused on how to improve, but instead of being a collaborative process, the person giving you advice tells you what to do. This doesn't mean that advice is always condescending or autocratic. It's actually a great tool for employees who want to get ahead or want to tap into knowledge of their more experienced coworkers. But when feedback is too vague, the person requesting it may want to pivot into asking for advice.

Criticism

Criticism is pointing out errors. Criticism is when someone provides feedback on what you did wrong in their opinion. While some criticism can be useful, it's often too vague to help and can be seen as hurtful in its delivery.

For example, telling someone that the cake you bake tastes terrible, criticizes their work without providing tips on how to improve, while the cake that you baked tasted terrible because you used too much salt explains precisely what went wrong. When dolled out thoughtlessly, unfairly poking at somebody's weaknesses without considering their potential to evolve can foster a toxic work environment that favors blaming over collaboration. This is not the type of work environment you want to be involved in.

With these definitions in mind know that if you're given proper feedback with steps to take that you can follow to improve your performance, there's really nothing to be afraid of. Your supervisor should be there to help you and want to give you the proper feedback to grow your career.

However, sometimes we are not given this luxury. Unfortunately, we may not always get proper feedback to help us grow into our career. Feedback, advice and criticism can be hard to receive when it's unsolicited. But just remember that those feelings are human.

How to remain composed when you receive feedback

Stay grounded

Take a deep breath. You always have a choice, and at the end of the day, you can do whatever you'd like with the information you have been given, including doing nothing. Take time to process how you feel. Acknowledge if you're angry, upset, or defensive, and remember that those are totally normal reactions. Then do your best to not let those emotions lead your response.

Check your feedback

Think about where your feedback is coming from and what's actually being said, as opposed to how you are interpreting it. Your boss, for example, is in a position to give you feedback whether you want it or not, and you shouldn't be afraid to ask for any clarifications if you need it.

If it's coming from elsewhere, think about whether you trust the attentions of the giver or if the information will be useful for you in future scenarios. Sometimes it's great to get a second opinion from a trusted mentor, advisor or an objective friend.

Stay curious. Ask yourself if any of this information might be true, what serves you and if it provides opportunities for learning and growth. Perhaps you're unknowingly making mistakes or heading towards a negative outcome, and the feedback giver is only trying to lend a helping hand.

Lastly, ask yourself how you want to proceed. Don't forget that it's always within your power to set healthy boundaries by choosing how you prefer to receive feedback and how you'd like it to be communicated.

The benefits of receiving regular feedback

Receiving feedback is anxiety-inducing, but it's also very uncomfortable to give. It can be challenging at times to give the right feedback, but at the end of the day, the feedback, even though it's hard to give at times, lets us build our working relationships and that leads to the benefits of getting regular feedback that you can think back on when you inevitably come into this situation.

It helps you improve your performance

When you ask someone how you can improve your work performance, they can give you honest advice and steps you can take to meet your goals. It also develops open and transparent dialogue.

Seeking regular feedback may help you to develop professional relationships that are honest and focused on improvement and developing career competencies. If you're seeking to get a raise or a promotion, asking for regular feedback can increase your chances. You show that you're dedicated to your work and you're willing to put in the effort to grow and fix any mistakes. It also improves your ability to fix mistakes quickly.

Provides an opportunity to learn from colleagues

Receiving feedback from colleagues may help you to understand areas of your performance that require improvement. Your colleagues can give you guidance about how to solve your workplace problems effectively and efficiently.

Your colleagues, especially your managers and leaders, have an abundance of information to share with you regarding your workplace competencies, skills or processes. Feedback meetings can be seen as a big opportunity for you to receive potential advice and wisdom. Feedback can be a really useful tool to help you advance in your career.

The best way to ask for feedback

First, is finding an appropriate time to ask. You'll want to find the right time to ask another person to meet with you so they can give you useful and detailed feedback. The right time of course will vary depending on your unique workplace situation.

For example, asking for feedback at 4:45 PM, not realizing that your coworker normally finishes at 4:00 PM, may cause them to feel pressure to jump on after work hours to help and respond. They will most likely feel rushed and would not appreciate it if you ask for help at that time.

A good time to ask for feedback is after learning a new skill or taking on a new role. That way your colleagues can give you insight into your development. It's also best to ask for feedback when the person that you're asking is not busy or preoccupied. Find the time to bring up the subject when you're both working at an easy pace. You'll also want to make sure to give them time to prepare, to meet you, and to give you detailed feedback. Try not to ask spontaneously for immediate feedback.

You may wish to bring up the request for feedback in person over email, or another appropriate place of workplace communication. Some companies may even choose to use websites and software that help facilitate the feedback process. You may be able to use one of these services to request feedback if your workplace uses them.

Prepare Questions

To make the most of your meeting together you may wish to write down important questions to ask your colleagues in order to gather essential information.

The following are examples of some questions that you may consider asking to receive feedback.

• How can I get better at supporting the mission of our team?
• In what ways can I improve my time management?
• What skills should I develop to improve my work performance?
• What advice can you give me to improve my communication?
• How can I be prepared for our upcoming projects?

Take the time and develop questions that will be the most useful for you and your unique situation. The best questions for useful feedback help you discover your strengths and weaknesses, which can help you overcome workplace obstacles. You may choose to address specific issues that impact you from performing at your best.

Remember: this is your opportunity to get the information that you need to advance in your career.

Take notes

It's professional to come prepared. Open up a notebook or your laptop to write down key concepts that come up in your conversation. Taking notes show that you value the information that you're receiving and that you wish to remember the feedback.

You can even consider using the notes as a handbook to help you get better at your job. In the future, you can reference these to evaluate how you have performed.

Learn how to improve from your feedback

Receiving feedback is only useful if you can use it to improve your work performance. Take time to reflect on the conversation and consider the most essential things that you need to change.

Give yourself the time to develop a plan to implement specific improvement methods. You may find it helpful to make a list of goals inspired by your feedback meeting.

If a coach tells you to improve your stance, what are you going to do in order to improve? Incorporate that feedback into your routine. Consider writing a checklist, writing it down, or developing goals that help you in manageable steps. You'll need to implement it into your life somehow. Part of getting feedback is actually implementing that into your life and trying it out.

We recommend that you also say thank you. Show your gratitude after a colleague has given up time to help you show that you appreciate them.

Try telling them in person or following up with them in an email. Following up is important as it helps you foster beneficial professional relationships. Showing gratitude will likely make your colleagues more open to meeting again and giving you feedback in the future, which is what we'd like.

Ask for feedback regularly

Every company will have a different pace at which they make evaluations and prepare for performance reviews. You'll want to find a time that works the best for you.

It's a good idea to ask for feedback from your employer before you get officially evaluated. Asking for feedback on a monthly basis is usually an appropriate amount. As your meetings become regular, you can begin to develop reciprocal relationships that help you improve.

Shift your mindset

When it comes to feedback, it's important to cultivate a growth mindset as well as a positive one. While some of us have a hard time receiving negative feedback, there are those who thrive on it.

This group of individuals have what's known as a growth mindset. They focus on their ability to change and grow. Those who have a fixed mindset and are not able to see feedback as an opportunity for improvement.

Take credit for your mistakes

Acknowledging your mistakes will help you continue to grow. It's easy to take credit for our successes, obviously, but failure is something that we don't like to admit to.

For example, we're a lot more likely to blame failure on external factors than our own shortcomings. It's easier to say "My coworker was not able to do their part, so that impacted my performance." However, we would advise you to refrain from that approach and embrace your mistakes no matter why they happen. Take a page from the Embracing Failure Movement and treasure the opportunities you're given to continue to learn and grow.

While it can be difficult to deal with how to receive feedback in the workplace, it's not impossible. There are resources out there to help you on your journey because the road to Career Success is full of ups and downs. But good news! Uvaro is here to help.

Download our Career Success Catalog to learn how our Career Coaches help equip you with the tools and strategies you need to thrive in your career.