How to Receive Constructive Feedback

Ho to receive constructive feedbackImagine a workday that starts normally. Then you get a sense that some constructive feedback is headed your way.

Do you cringe and try to head the other way?  Or do you fight back?  Or do you have the skills needed to get the most of situations like this?

Staying focused on what is going on in the moment and open to the information coming your way can be difficult. Here are three tips for setting yourself up for making the most of constructive feedback.

Tip #1

Plan for negative feedback before it comes. Consider things you could have done better and imagine someone telling you. Use this as an exercise continuously improve your work performance.

Tip #2

Rehearse a response ahead of time. The response could be something like this…

“This is important for me to understand. Tell me your perspective.”

When you listen and ask for more information it does not mean the person is right or that you agree with them. It just means the person has a perspective he or she is sharing.

Tip #3

Work toward receiving constructive feedback without blaming the person.

It may take time to process the feedback before a person can move past blaming. If that is the case, ask for some time to process the information.

Becoming skilled at feedback, both giving and receiving will lead to a respectful and more open environment.

Gather 510 px squareThe Wallace Centers of Iowa provides tips and tools for leading with civility in the workplace.

How to Respond when Someone Speaks Up

How to Respond

Consider a scenario where a conversation is taking place and one person speaks up and says, “I don’t see it that way.”

As a listener, this becomes an opportunity to respond with a genuine desire to understand. Skilled listeners learn to maneuver around the brain’s natural reaction to identify confrontation as a threat. A skilled listener recognizes the impulse to react and learns to respond with a question.

The practice of speaking up is a valuable civility practice. Respect emerges when differences are discussed and explored.

Gather Tips and ToolsThe Seeds of Civility is a blog that is created by The Wallace Centers of Iowa.  Here we gather tips for leading (and developing emerging leaders) with civility.