When I was fresh out of college, I knew I was smart and full of potential, but also really did not know the real world. In college, we spend a lot of time in our textbooks. Textbooks don’t help so much in the office. The only way to get used to the working world is to jump in, just try, and get feedback. Implementing feedback helped me take concrete steps to being more professionally comfortable and autonomous.
Here are some quick hits on what feedback is, how to get it, and how to use it!
What is feedback (in the workplace)?
- Feedback is well-intentioned information about your work performance that will help you improve and reach goals.
- The best feedback is specific to something – such as your recent presentation or a report you wrote.
- It can be positive or negative.
- Useful feedback comes from your manager, your peers, and other people you work with on a very regular basis.
What is NOT feedback?
- Feedback should not be 100% scathing, negative remarks.
- Feedback is not general advice.
Why do we want feedback?
- Good feedback helps us become higher performers. It’s better to know your weak spots so that you can improve on them. It can be difficult to hear feedback, but it is much better than walking around ignorant of your weaknesses.
Why can feedback hurt?
- It’s easy to take things personally, especially if you love your work and are very invested. You may feel defensive and sad.
- If the feedback comes from someone we don’t like, we may feel annoyed and think that they’re just out to get us.
- If the feedback comes from a boss, you may be worried about job security.
Remember, we want feedback. We can’t wait around for it. Try to create a system to get it and use it:
- Ask for feedback and remind people that you’re open to it
- Know who you want to get it from and who you don’t need it from.
- Make it easy for others to help you.
- Ask something specific (“do you think I addressed all of the possible risks for our upcoming campaign?”)
- A general question (“hey, can I have feedback on my presentation?”) is more difficult for someone to answer constructively.
- Respond appropriately
- Watch your reaction – be professional about it, whether it was positive or negative feedback.
- Write down the feedback – in your planner, your laptop, wherever works best for you.
- Thank the person who took the time to speak with you.
- Create an action plan to reflect
- Generally, feedback is subjective. You don’t always have to change everything, even at work! Be your own person.
- If your boss suggests that you fix something, it’s probably in your best interest to follow the advice. But if a peer says something that you fundamentally disagree with, do some reflection and research. Decide whether you’ll act on the feedback.
- See if the change is working for you
- If you do implement a change based on the feedback, be mindful about how it affects you. Did other people notice the change? Did it improve your work?
- Follow up with the person who gave you the feedback
- Let the person know that you came full circle! Something like, “hey Jane, thanks so much for your feedback on my presentation style. I’ve been trying to enunciate more and pause for questions – I think that really helped with the delivery. Definitely going to implement going forward!”
Helpful Resources:
- Jumping from Entry Level to Manager
- Strong Phrases for Emailing with Your Boss
- Complete Interview Primer – How to Handle Job Interviews
