6 Rules to Handle Negative Feedback

One of the most crucial thing in a career is handling negative feedback because that determines how well we bounce off career setbacks and how well do we improve our weaknesses which are invisible to us.

None of us is perfect and everyone’s boss sometimes or the other criticizes him. The difference between the guy who grows and the guy who languishes forever in the neutral is how they take it when someone tells them their work sucks.

Let’s look at 6 rules to take negative feedback like a pro and tide over it with your pride and performance, both boosted.

~Ask clarifying questions:

Vague feedback isn't helpful to either party involved—the recipient doesn't know how to act on it, and thus the critic won't see the changes they expect. When accepting feedback, make sure you understand the critic’s true intent. If anything is unclear, ask questions to shed light on what specifically you can do to fix the issue or improve your performance.

~Know that negative feedback isn't a personal attack:

Good negative feedback is about your actions or your behaviour, not about who you are as a person. Don't let difficult feedback lower your self-confidence because your self-worth isn't related to someone else's opinion of you.

~Take time to process your emotions:

It's easy to have an emotional reaction when hearing negative comments. If your knee-jerk reaction is anger or defensiveness, take a deep breath, remain calm, and keep your feelings in check. As long as your critic delivered their feedback in a gracious manner, you should show them the same respect. Once the feedback process has concluded, it's then okay to release your emotions in private or vent to a loved one so that you don't keep your feelings bottled up inside.

~View the feedback from your critic's point of view:

To avoid receiving feedback in a negative way, put yourself in the shoes of your critic. Seeing the situation from a different perspective often helps you realize that what seems acceptable to you may not be to others.

~Determine whether the feedback is constructive or destructive:

Take constructive feedback to heart, but be wary of internalizing destructive feedback. How do you tell the difference between these two types of criticism? Constructive criticism intends to create positive change, provides specific suggestions on how to improve, and comes from a place of clear good intentions. On the other hand, someone who gives destructive criticism might not provide a reason behind their criticism may have ulterior motives and may use demeaning language. If your critic doesn't seem to want to help you in the first place, the bottom line is that it's probably not worth letting their negative criticism affect your actions.

~Ask for help:

Ask the boss what you should have done differently. Ask him for ideas about how to solve the problems this negative feedback session brings up. Involve him in the solution. This will help you discover your hidden problems and their solutions and also convey to your boss that you are a mature professional and do not have low self-esteem issues like an insecure teenager.