How do you handle feedback and criticism as an organizational leader?

Feedback shouldn't be a four-letter word. I think it is the most effective tool for continuous learning and improvement. While sometimes shrouded in negativity, constructive criticism is valuable in that it will help you to hone your skills, to make better decisions, and to ultimately improve your performance. Improving individual performance leads to a better ability to perform your duties and helps prepare you for the next level of responsibility.

As a military service member, I wholeheartedly agree that feedback and criticism are invaluable in our line of work. Being in a leadership position requires constant self-improvement and a willingness to learn from others. Constructive feedback helps me identify my strengths and weaknesses, enabling me to focus on enhancing my skills and addressing any areas of improvement. Receiving feedback and criticism not only benefits me as an individual but also positively impacts the team and mission. By actively seeking and embracing feedback, I can ensure that my behaviors and actions align with the expectations of my superiors, peers, and subordinates.

In the decision-making process, even when all our intentions are right, sometimes we get them wrong. And in these moments, it’s important to stop, acknowledge, and listen. But criticism is hard, and deep down inside, nobody really likes criticism. When it approaches, it activates the same physiological changes in our bodies as if we were preparing for a physical altercation. We can receive a year’s worth of praise, and 30 seconds of criticism, and those 30 seconds of perceived negativity will dominate our memories of the entire experience. Despite the initial feeling, on both ends, criticism is a critical part of leadership, and it truly makes us better.

It's natural to be defensive when someone gives you negative feedback, but that defensiveness sends the wrong message. It tells that person, and the entire organization, that improving is less important than seniority and status. Instead, leaders should use this as an opportunity to deepen trust and reflect the importance of honest communication even when it may be uncomfortable. Often times, the feedback we receive comes with examples that lack important context, and the criticism may not seem fair. It may even be based on false information. Feedback is rarely perfect, however, so it's important to find the opportunity to improve - even if it's just a matter of perception.

We have failed to figure out how to create an environment where all employees are able to give honest and supportive feedback to each other. Although we may see small pockets of trusting teams or radically candid leaders, we have not been able to create the technology that allows us to deliver effective feedback at scale across an entire organization. Does this mean it is impossible to fix this problem? Or do we just need to take a radically different approach to the way we design feedback systems?

The first thing leaders should do is thank them for the criticism. It’s not always easy to provide feedback upwards. Being that, feedback needs to be considered. Aristotle wrote, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Finally, leaders need to follow up or even get a vector check. My practice if the feedback is valid is having that person become either my subject matter expert or point of contact to continuously follow up on improvements.

Additionally, once prepared and in an appropriate setting it is my practice to ask permission to provide feedback and to focus on the delivery and sincerity of the response. If someone truly asks for or authorizes feedback, they will be much more open to receiving it when it arrives.

Interesting points from everyone. Amy Allen, I enjoyed reading your perspective. I do wonder… Can you be a leader without the presence of feedback and/or criticisms. As a leader I would want my employees/team to be great critical thinkers, identifying issues and bringing me potential solutions. I would not only want my team’s feedback, but encourage it. Having strong Emotional Intelligence and interpersonal skills allow strong leaders to sift good feedback and criticisms away from criticism that may come about through conflict and emotional reactions (such as an employee that received a poor performance review) Process improvements cannot happen without feedback and critical thinking results. Great post!

To make feedback work, we basically have 3 different options to choose from: Option 1: Work tirelessly to hire exceptional individuals who all can instantly trust each other. Build a perfect culture that maintains that constant trust and eliminates any competitive feelings between employees. Then make sure nothing changes. Option 2: Conduct extensive psychological training to test, reprogram, and reinforce every employee's brains to no longer feel exclusion when interacting with their coworkers. Option 3: Change the process we follow for requesting, delivering, and evaluating feedback to eliminate every opportunity where your brain could intercept feelings of exclusion and trigger an emotional error while working together.

In general, it is incumbent on the leader to create an environment where our folks are not afraid to fail. This is how we can make sure they will try new things and generate new ideas. The leader can give feedback and then ask for it as well. Sometimes, you can give feedback and criticism in the form of questions to the employees ("What do you think could have been done better?"). Not only can you use these questions to get them thinking about something they tried, but you can use these questions as a way to get feedback about something you did as well. Always remember, the way you ask for and receive feedback really does set the tone for how your people will follow suite.