It was Ken Blanchard who supposedly said that feedback is the breakfast of champions. Here are 8 simple tips for receiving feedback
Above all else breathe! Move your body (significantly), avert your gaze momentarily, and then take two deep breaths.
Do not look at the person. Do not maintain eye contact. Look to the side and nod your head in acknowledgement to the rhythm of the other person’s speech. Despite everything you have been told to maintain eye contact it is actually counter-productive when dealing with volatile information. It will only male you tense and slow down your thinking and do the same for the other person.
Never argue; just say thanks. Remember, another person’s feedback is about their experience of you not about you.
Don’t let any clarifying questions you have turn into a defense of your position.
Think carefully and slowly about what they have said to you. Don’t immediately reject or immediately reject what the other person has said
Go ask someone else whom you know for their frank honesty with you about how they see the issue and be careful when doing this not to “lead the witness”. In other words, triangulate the feedback.
Look for opportunities to stop doing or start doing critiqued behaviors.
If you feel the criticism was justified and you are better off for it, don’t forget to close the loop and share your progress with the feedback giver.
If you don’t know to change the behavior then ask for help or seek a coach.
