Paraphrase: Paraphrase the feedback using neutral and positive language. Feedback, as they say, is a gift. Seek feedback on a regular basis, especially after you have identified development goals. 2. These are the steps you need to take to receive feedback with grace and dignity. Ask for examples and stories that illustrate the feedback, so you know that you share meaning with the person providing feedback. For example, if you are told, “Your recommendations were weak,” ask your manager what weak means. It puts a ding in our self-worth and ego. Negative feedback in particular can be valuable because it allows us to monitor our performance and alerts us to important changes we need to make. Not by a long shot. 18 Tips for Receiving Feedback. Executive Summary. 3. For starters, that would be impractical. While the holiday season may be behind us, the peak season for exchanging gifts and messages is not over. No one wants to offend the boss, right? Rather than clamming up after a negative reaction, take the opportunity to check in with her about what would be useful going forward. Gauge her reaction to determine how she likes to receive feedback and what topics are out of bounds. Try to control your defensiveness. And criticism, by definition, is letting us know that we still have some work to do. Providing feedback isn’t solely the team leader’s responsibility, according to Mary Shapiro who teaches organizational behavior at Simmons College and is the author of the HBR Guide to Leading Teams. Research bears this out, suggesting that it’s a key driver of performance and leadership effectiveness. You could do this over a meal, of course, but that’s not always possible. DO: 1. 18 Tips for Receiving Feedback. HBR Live: Giving & Receiving Feedback December 19, 2016 December 20, 2016 | by The Boda Group The Boda Group’s Director of Learning Deborah Grayson Riegel partnered with Harvard Business Review for an HBR Live presentation on giving and receiving feedback effectively. Not by a long shot. Just because a person gives you feedback, doesn't mean their feedback is right or widely shared by other coworkers and bosses. Business publications are filled with articles about feedback: how important it is for leaders, how leaders can both give and receive it, what happens when leaders don’t get it, and even what to do if someone is not open to feedback they have been given. For many companies, it’s salary and performance review time. Yet we must embrace feedback if we are to get better. Receive feedback as a gift that provides you with honest information about your perceived behavior/performance. Perhaps she doesn’t want to hear feedback about her communication style or a certain high-pressure initiative. Receive feedback as a gift that provides you with honest information about your perceived behavior/performance. Receiving feedback Digital Article While the holiday season may be behind us, the peak season for exchanging gifts and messages is not over. WHY A GREAT FEEDBACK CULTURE IS IMPORTANT TO A BUSINESS. Be open to what you will hear. Go out of your way to set the right tone. While most acknowledged the fundamental role negative feedback played in their growth, they also admitted that receiving negative feedback is a difficult skill to master. No role for Hercule Poirot: HBR readers hoping for an Agatha Christie-style denouement from authors Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall will be disappointed.