What do you do if your functional training feedback is less than positive?

The reality is that we aren't perfect. We do not know everything. We are going to make mistakes. We will not be able to please everyone. That's okay; we aren't mean to serve everyone. All criticism whether negative or positive is good feedback. All feedback will help you grow and learn. I love to use feedback, especially the negative feedback as a roadmap to deliver the best results to my clients and be the best version on me.

Listen attentively, seek clarification, reflect on feedback, identify areas for improvement, seek additional support or resources, and demonstrate commitment to growth and development.

Processing and acting on negative feedback is not always easy. It can make us defensive, angry, and self-conscious, which subsequently impairs our effectiveness. What’s more, we can’t take all feedback we receive at face value. While critical feedback can frequently be given objectively and with the purest of motives, it can also be inaccurate in nature: a coworker who wants to throw us off our game; a boss who has completely unachievable expectations or an employee who is scared to speak truth to power. It’s hard to know what is real and what should be filtered out. Here are the steps I like to follow to deal with this: Don’t rush to react, get more data, don’t be a lonely martyr and remember that change is just one option.

- Seek constructive feedback from peers, mentors, and clients. - Reflect on feedback to identify areas for improvement. - Develop a growth mindset to embrace feedback as a learning opportunity. - Take actionable steps to address identified weaknesses or areas of concern. - Communicate with stakeholders to understand expectations and concerns. - Continuously strive for improvement and monitor progress over time.

I would look at the goals of the clients. Deep dive and what their needs are and if the programming is suitable and achievable for the client and is aligned with their goals. Tap into resources available, talk to colleagues & mentors. Carry out research, adapt my learning and make it relevant. Implement those changes and then demonstrate changes and see how it goes.

Seeking clarity is necessary to learn and grow from feedback. If you do not fully understand or assume you understand you risk the chance of allowing history to repeat itself. Be sure to ask questions if you are unclear of any part of the feedback you receive. It is also a great idea to summarize the feedback , to ensure the other party you understand. If they feel you do not, they have the opportunity to express what they mean in a different way. Also, talk about feedback you receive from your peers, coworkers, etc. It is great to get a variety of different views and options on how to respond to feedback so you can access accordingly .

Remember feedback is an opportunity to learn and grow. Now that you understand the feedback what are you going to do about it going further? Brainstorm different ways you can get the results you are looking for. The solution may be as easy as restructuring the training program you have designed or switching out particular exercises. The solution may involve more time dependent things like getting more education or attending a seminar, etc. Come up with a plan where you can easily take action and achieve progress.

A great driving factor is to tweak the training material as per the latest demands .Training guidelines should be crisp & clear, training material should be re assessed regularly as per corporate demands .Goal driven planning with upgraded training resources can definitely escalate the training outcome.