Feedback
Feedback comes in two varieties: motivational and corrective. Motivational feedback inspires and compliments. Corrective feedback assists and improves. Learning how best to receive both types of feedback is important for continual improvement and advancement in your business career.
Motivational Feedback
- Rewards good performance
- Encourages that behavior to continue
- When receiving positive feedback, it is a good practice to merely say, “thank you.”
- Saying things like, “it was nothing,” or, “anyone could do it,” diminishes the feedback.
- Accept the praise graciously.
Corrective Feedback
- Formative or corrective, feedback is more difficult to receive. It is almost never easy to hear that you are not performing as well as necessary.
- A good way to receive corrective feedback is to eliminate emotional reactions and concentrate on the specifics of the feedback and any suggestions for improvement.
- Ask questions to clarify the feedback, and focus on actionable steps you can take to improve as you go forward.
Receiving Feedback Tips
- Feedback, by its very nature, is intended to improve performance and ensure that good performance is recognized and encouraged.
- Listen intently to what is being said by reducing distractions so that you can focus.
- For feedback to be effective, the person receiving the feedback must be receptive to it.
- Ask questions so that you completely understand the feedback and are able to use it to improve your performance.
Remember that both motivational and corrective feedback is intended to build you up, never bring you down. Maintaining a positive attitude can help you focus on feedback as an opportunity for improvement. It is important to eliminate emotional reactions. Whether motivational or corrective, feedback is not a reflection of you personally, but rather a response to behavior.