Receiving Feedback 101!

It’s that time of the year again! When emotions run high amongst us employees, and everyone is scrambling to put their best foot forward.

You guessed it right. The most awaited (as well as dreaded) appraisal season is about to commence soon!

While I have been reading a lot on the best ways to give constructive feedback, one key element in that equation is how to receive feedback in the best possible way.

I have struggled with this in the past and my conversations with peers reveal similar themes.

Here are some tips on making the whole nerve-wracking procedure of receiving feedback a bit easier

1. Prepare Beforehand - Everyone likes an employee who is well prepared and the same goes for a feedback session as well.Keep notes on your improvement points, reflect ??on’ what went well’ and specifically on ‘What didn’t go well.’Learn to articulate both the points in a story format so that the rationale, challenges, and triumphs can easily be understood and acknowledged. This shows commitment to your career growth as well as makes the conversation less awkward. You might be (pleasantly) surprised at how similar your own critical analysis is to what your manager thinks
2. Action and Reaction - Every feedback conversation is a tight rope walk between balancing your reactions and translating them into tangible actions! In a conversation which might spring some (unpleasant) surprises, always resist the urge to react / defend immediately and instead focus on the more constructive ‘What next’ part of it.Ensure that each of your improvement points has an action item attached to it agreed upon with your manager. The conversation should always focus on 3 points-Problem, Solutions and the timelines needed to achieve that. This saves us from falling into the trap of doing’ busy work’ as opposed to work which will ?take us to the next level.
3. Open Mind - This may be the most challenging tip of all but try to be open-minded towards the entire process. Think of it as an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, better yourself and progress professionally as well as personally. You could go even one step further and solicit feedback from your peers as well.The beautiful thing about working in an organization with a diverse set of people is the varied perspectives and thoughts they bring to the table.
4. Feedback Loop - I once had a friend in one of my past organizations who used to maintain a running google sheet of all the feedback (formal as well as informal)) he has received in his life till date. On being asked the reason he simply said, ‘Life is too short, and I am not the smartest person out there’.?Great advice to follow and emulate for life :) Feedback is indeed a gift if taken in the right spirit and can definitely help us reach our professional goals. Do let me know your thoughts on how to make the best use of this mechanism!