How to Get Better at Receiving Feedback

"Feedback" by giulia.forsythe is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

How to Get Better at Receiving Feedback 

by

Shelia A. Grady, SHRM-SCP
Division Chief, Human Resource Services
BLM-National Operations Center

As both a leader and a follower, I view feedback as one of the most important tools that I receive to do my job well. Feedback from my leadership helps to ensure that I meet their expectations. Feedback from my staff helps me to be a better manager. Feedback from my customers helps me to hone my skills and provide better service. At times, feedback is delivered in a manner that challenges my ability to absorb what is being shared without getting defensive. I’m sure that I’m not alone is this. Do you ever get defensive when someone give you feedback? 

I recently ran across an article titled How to get better at receiving feedback. In the article the author, David Burkus, gives four simple steps to help leaders receive feedback and grow from it. 

1. Start with thank you! The very first response to give when someone gives you feedback should be a response of gratitude. Don’t get defensive. Don’t offer to explain what they might not understand. Instead, take time to offer your thanks for the gift you just received — the gift of feedback. 
2. Restate what you heard. Whether it’s praise, criticism, or some other type of feedback, take the time to restate to the person giving it what you heard them say. Just a quick “What I hear you saying is _____” can have a powerful effect on your conversation. 
3. Mention what you’re changing. Listening to feedback alone doesn’t bring about growth; it’s only when feedback is used to figure how to act differently (or start or stop acting) that growth happens. You don’t need to tell those who give you feedback what you’re changing right away. Once you’ve figured out how to apply the feedback, be sure to share it with those who gave it. 
4. Seek out more feedback. Feedback isn’t a one-and-done intervention; it’s a process. You’re growing, changing, and improving all the time — and to do that you’ll need more feedback.

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Shelia A. Grady, SHRM-SCP, is the Division Chief, Human Resource Services at the BLM-National Operations Center. All opinions are those of the author.