Dealing With Poorly Delivered Feedback!

Responding to Poorly Delivered Feedback is never an easy area! Emotions, confusion, and frustration are usually part of the mix! But read on for some helpful tips!

Tough feedback can be hard to process, especially when delivered poorly. Whether you receive feedback from your boss, peer, or employee that is way too harsh, suspiciously nice, or dishonest, how can you navigate your emotions and respond productively?

It’s an area that frequently comes up during my conversations with the clients I work with at all levels of the food chain. I remember receiving poorly delivered feedback occasionally and feeling extremely let down, frustrated, angry, and left with a bitter taste. Don’t do that. The energy you waste could better serve you, creating something positive for yourself and your organization.

Start by figuring out how you feel—and don’t judge yourself. Then take a step back to reconsider the substance of the feedback.

Identify something helpful or constructive, even if it wasn’t communicated well. Then, reward the person’s candor. You might thank them for their honesty and, if you agree with their assessment, commit to an action plan that incorporates their perspective.

Or, if you disagree with their feedback, respectfully explain why. Then, offer feedback on feedback: Communicate the impact of their delivery and how they might improve on it next time.

Finally, take a step back and assess your relationship with this person. If they are unwilling to change how they communicate next time, the relationship might not be worth saving.