• Recognize the important points of responding professionally to feedback
• Understand how to keep professional even when you’re upset with people or situations
• Understand how to write responses to feedback

Responding to Feedback

How you respond to correction, criticism, and negative feedback demonstrates who you are and contributes to how you are perceived by others in your work environment. Thus, it is essential to learn how to take criticism gracefully and treat these instances as opportunities to grow. If you immediately shut down and act defensively, you’re unlikely to learn and grow from past mistakes and you risk developing a reputation as someone who is hard to work with. 

Positive Responses

The first step in receiving criticism is to listen actively and make a concerted effort not to be defensive. Remember that giving criticism can be almost as hard as receiving it, so neither you nor your critic are likely to be entirely comfortable. Once your reviewer has given their feedback—whether in person or in writing—the following effective tools can help you respond:

1. Gratitude. Avoid extremes: don’t get gushy or pretend it doesn’t hurt. Just say thanks for your feedback.
2. Questions. Avoid statements until you’ve asked clarifying questions to clear up anything you are unsure about.
3. Restatements. “I hear you saying…”
4. Request for solutions. Ask for suggested solutions. Simple is essential; one or two is enough.
5. Happiness. Do suggested solutions make sense? Will you improve as a worker and improve your relationship with others when you alter your behavior? If the path forward isn’t inviting, you’ll avoid it.
6. Follow-up. Ask for a check-in meeting two weeks later for a progress report. Four weeks is too long. If your behaviors elicit negative feedback, solve them quickly.
7. Gratitude again.

Time

Sometimes it’s worth taking a pause and delaying your response, rather than responding with your first reaction (which could likely end up being an overreaction). Correction can be tough to hear. Listen, and if necessary, ask for some time to think it over. Be honest in your responses, and don’t be afraid to ask for time, “This is hard to hear. Could I have an hour to digest your feedback?”

Transparency

Include those who were impacted by behaviors that need change. Explain what you’re working on and corrective actions. You improve your credibility when others know where you’re going. In a few days, ask them how you’re doing.

Responding well to negative feedback builds character, increases influence, and strengthens connections. According to communications expert Jack Griffin, there is a six-step process that you can use to respond to negative feedback in a constructive manner.^[1]

Step 1: Accept criticism as an opportunity. All criticism, even unmerited criticism is useful to you. Criticism, after all, may actually point out things that you are doing ineffectively or poorly—things you could do better.

Step 2: Fight the impulse to respond defensively. Listen and learn.

Step 3: Realize that the criticism is a perception, nothing more.

Step 4: Do not meekly accept unjust or unfounded criticism, but don’t reject it. Learn from it.  Learn about creating more positive impressions.

Step 5: Seize the opportunity to respond to criticism, to communicate in a way that can strengthen and enhance your relationship with your boss.

Step 6: While listening to criticism, demonstrate that you are hearing the criticism.

Unproductive Responses to Avoid

Of course, while there are a variety of good ways to respond, there are poor or unproductive ways to respond to criticism. Here are examples of how not to respond.

1. “It’s your fault too.”
2. Making it personal.
3. Being too detached.
4. Minimizing.
5. Arguing.
6. Feeling attacked.
7. Finger pointing.
8. Excuse making.
9. Denial.
10. “I’ll never be good enough.”

Negative responses to feedback delay growth, impede progress, and result in loss of respect by peers.

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