Imagine someone came to you after you’ve worked hard on a project and said “I don’t like the work you did”, how would you feel? Feedback is a powerful tool that can shape growth and development in every aspect of your life, whether personal or professional. However, giving and receiving feedback effectively is not so simple, it requires tact and sensitivity. Constructive feedback, in particular, plays a key role in helping people improve themselves while maintaining positive relationships. In this article, we share some tips on how to give and receive constructive feedback gracefully.
What is constructive feedback?
Constructive feedback is a form of feedback that aims to provide guidance, support, and suggestions for improvement positively and respectfully. When giving constructive feedback, the focus is on specific behaviours and actions while suggesting actionable insights on how to do better. Constructive feedback is given to help a person grow, develop, and learn, rather than just finding faults with them or their work. It emphasizes communication, collaboration, and mutual understanding between the giver and the receiver.
Importance of constructive feedback
Giving and receiving constructive feedback is one of the ways to grow and improve both personally and professionally. It gives you insights on your strengths and shows areas you need to develop and improve on. Constructive feedback also helps to encourage open communication, trust, and collaboration among individuals. It is a way to build a work culture that’s committed to continuous learning and development, where you can feel supported to strive for excellence.
Constructive feedback vs destructive feedback
Not all feedback can make you improve or grow. Unlike constructive feedback, destructive feedback is dangerous to your mental health and can make you feel down instead of looking to improve. The goal of constructive feedback is to provide guidance and support for you to improve with. On the other hand, destructive feedback undermines your morale, damages your relationships, and impedes growth. It often involves vague criticism, personal attacks, or negative remarks without offering solutions on what could be better. While constructive feedback promotes a culture of trust and collaboration, destructive feedback makes you feel less confident, builds resentment, and even hinders progress. Does this mean that you would always feel good whenever you receive constructive feedback? No, but at the end of a good feedback, you should feel motivated to improve and not feel attacked and undermined.
How to give constructive feedback
Be specific
When providing feedback, be precise about what you’re addressing. Vague statements like “You need to improve” are less helpful than specific points like “Your presentation lacked a clear structure, this is how you can make it better.” Being specific makes it easier for the receiver to note the particular aspects to improve on.
Focus on behaviour
Instead of criticizing someone’s character, focus on their actions or behaviours. For instance, say “Your report lacked thorough analysis” rather than “You’re lazy.” Don’t attack a person. By shifting the focus from their personality to a particular action, they can disassociate themselves from the criticism,
Use the “Sandwich” approach
The sandwich approach helps you start with a positive comment, then deliver the feedback, and end with another positive remark. This helps to soften whatever impact the criticism might have on the person and maintains motivation during and after the conversation. It tells the receiver that you’re trying to help and not attack them.
Offer solutions
Don’t just highlight the problem; suggest solutions the person can do to improve. For example, instead of saying “Your communication skills need improvement,” offer tips like “Consider using more concise language in your emails.” If you think something should be improved on, mention those specific improvements that’re needed.
Choose the right time and place
Where you provide feedback is as important as what you say. Ensure you’re giving feedback in an environment where both parties feel comfortable and free from distractions. Don’t give feedback in a place when the receiver would feel embarrassed or humiliated. Timing matters too; don’t give feedback when emotions are running high, you’re not likely to view things objectively.
Encourage conversations
Feedback should be a two-way conversation. Encourage the person receiving it to also share their perspective on things and ask questions. This helps you to mutually understand what’s going on and how to improve your work together going forward.
Be genuine and respectful
You should deliver feedback with sincerity and empathy. Respect the other person’s feelings and viewpoints, even if you disagree with them. Don’t make them feel less or disrespected. You can give feedback without hurting the other person.
How to receive constructive feedback
Stay open-minded
One mistake people make when receiving feedback is being defensive. It blocks your mind from the goodwill of the person giving you the feedback. Approach feedback with a willingness to learn and improve. Avoid becoming defensive or dismissive, as this can hinder you from learning what is needed.
Listen actively
Pay full attention to the feedback being given without interrupting. You can paraphrase what you heard to ensure you understand what’s being said. Remember the goal of receiving feedback is to improve. Listening helps you know what aspects of your work need improvement.
Ask questions
If something is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. This shows your commitment to understanding and acting on the feedback. Assuming about something unclear may lead to confusion about some things.
Don’t take it personally
Separate your self-worth from the feedback you receive. Remember that feedback is about behaviours and actions, not your intrinsic value as a person. It’s more a reflection of an action or behaviour and not your personality. Don’t get unnecessarily defensive or offended.
Look for patterns
Another tip to note is that if you receive similar feedback from multiple sources, you should take it seriously. Patterns are one of the easiest ways to recognize what needs improvement. When you identify areas for improvement, you’re able to implement changes more effectively.
Express gratitude
Thank the person for their feedback, regardless of whether you agree with it or not. Acknowledge the effort they put into helping you grow. This ensures there’s no animosity afterward.
Reflect and act
It’s not enough to just listen to feedback, take time to reflect on it and consider how you can apply it to improve. Set specific goals and action plans based on the feedback received and start implementing them as soon as you can, The goal of every feedback is to inspire change and improvement.
Conclusion
As a creative professional, mastering the art of giving and receiving constructive feedback is important for your personal and professional growth. By following these simple guidelines, you can create a culture of continuous improvement and mutual support in any environment, and make your collaboration journeys enjoyable experiences. Remember, constructive feedback is not about criticizing or finding faults; it’s about building each other up and striving for excellence together.
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