Here's how you can navigate feedback you disagree with in Sustainable Design.

In sustainable design, embracing openness to feedback is crucial because it fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Diverse perspectives can uncover hidden inefficiencies or environmental impacts that a single viewpoint might miss. By valuing and integrating varied insights, designers can create more resilient, adaptable, and sustainable solutions that better serve both the environment and the community.

Often information can be left out in work settings. Sometimes depending on the position, there can be other analytics available to the person giving the feedback, that paint the full picture. The best way to approach disagreeing with something is to be honest and respectful. From my personal experience, there was many times I had disagreements with decisions from my superiors, I was informed additional information that made me understand the decision better.

It is important to understand the data behind the feedback, if there is no data then it is an emotional decision. You have to take emotions out of this and all base feedback that is supported by facts.

Build a strong culture within your team and lean on tried and tested frameworks when you set up rules for your collaboration. Rules can be good because it provides structure and clarity, and there are good frameworks also for giving and receiving feedback. The Johari window method is a good example.

Openness is imperative. Bite your tongue while receiving feedback and let your teammate know you will take time to reflect. Oftentimes, sitting with the feedback for a few days, or a week, can give you the space and clarity to reflect without ego. You'll be more prepared to respond appropriately and collaborate effectively.

Beforehand, make sure that you agree on clear specifications. I sometimes see that additional expectations are added that were not agreed on at the start changing the scope of the project.

It's easy to forget sustainable design can come from a place of emotion. That is at it's core, most people in the field got into it, because they care about the environment. When something that people care about is being compromised, it's easy to get personal and get defensive. If we are seeing the river in our backyard being affected, we can get personal and forgot to understand that an organization may be making decisions based on a holistic approach rather than directly picking up trash out of the river. Remember, in sustainable design, it's important to make decisions on what will make the biggest net positive.

Feeback, when given in the right way should be seen as something positive. When feedback is truly constructive it means someone has taken valuable time to help you grow. Keep this with you, be grateful for the feedback you receive and don't take it personally.

One proven method for soliciting feedback is to use a form that breaks down feedback into specific subsets based on sustainable design principles. If you have a shy team, consider an anonymous form.

If the feedback is in line with the specification then be thankful it is seen early in the development. If this feedback adds new targets to be reached, then engineering change orders should be made.

Use your leadership skills to foster a team dynamic that offers polite, professional and actionable feedback, rather than nitpicking one another. Shut down ineffective or personal feedback, while creating guard rails for effective feedback practices.

The best way to grow is to sift through what is constructive and what you have control in changing in yourself. If you are capable of making a change that would be constructive, than it's probably a change worth making. However, I would say it's important to trust your instincts. The world is full of different opinions and perspectives and that is a positive thing. If you have a difference in opinion about something, you can take the feedback and look at other patterns you can change and eventually you will grow in many ways, yet hold what is still dear to you.