Whether you have spent 24 hours working on a project or 3 hours writing an article, feedback is important. You cannot hold on to what you think of your own job, people need to see it too, and make comments. It is like wearing a new dress and asking your friends what they think about it or trying a new recipe and getting your siblings to air their opinions. Every real-life situation may, at one point or the other, require the input of people; it doesn’t happen in the workplace alone. However, there are two sides to the coin of feedback. It could come off as a positive or negative response and this is usually attributed to how another person views your work.
Is feedback even important? Negative ones downplay my effort
Yes. Feedback is important. Asking if it can downplay your effort, it does. But, you need to understand that, it is not always intentional. People just want to give an honest opinion of what your work looks like to them. Of course, you may feel bad, unmotivated, and frustrated. You have worked hard for several hours and someone thinks your work isn’t good enough or you are missing out on something? It can be overwhelming.
But, at the same time, feedback sets you straight! While it can look like you put in so much work, taking feedback that comes with suggestions is profitable because it means that the project can be better or even the best there is. You are not just applying the suggestions to your current project, it also means that you are learning, growing, and refining your thinking process by leveraging feedback.
Also, sometimes, you think you have done a perfect job because you spent so much time on it. But, feedback can reveal errors that might have been an oversight, preventing big problems and situations that may not be redeemable. If you want your project or task to be flawless, you need to be able to take feedback as many times as possible. Furthermore, feedback can spark something in you. New ideas and approaches are generally birthed by feedback, and a couple of “How about you try this?” You get back to the job with a whole new perspective and before you know it, there is an innovation, a newness, and a star result in the end.
Frustrated by negative feedback? You don’t have to be
If you receive negative feedback at your workplace and struggle to keep yourself together, you may find these tips helpful. We hope they help.
Take a moment to cool off
You are probably not in a good place emotionally because you just received feedback that doesn’t go well with you. So, close your laptop, step out for a while, and do something different from work. You could go on social media, there are endless memes and reels to make you smile. You can also decide to Facetime your friend, or cook a great meal. This helps you to regulate your emotions and give you time to process your initial reaction. Also, it saves you from responding defensively or impulsively. You don’t want to do or say something wrong, so give it time. Take that pause.
Refuse to take it personally
Most times, frustration comes from a place of taking feedback to heart. Instead, you can pretend like it’s someone else’s work and try to see what could have triggered that type of feedback from your colleague, manager or team lead. If you want to do this perfectly, you have to distance yourself from your emotions and approach the situation neutrally. Also, when you do not take feedback personally, it reduces mental or emotional stress and doesn’t pave the way for any type of frustration.
Read Also: Steps to Raise Workplace Issues Effectively
Casually talk to someone about it
It could be something like “Hey! Check this project, What do you think about it?” If the person is giving the same feedback as the first, this helps you to calm down and actually realize what can be done better. Two or more people can’t exactly get it wrong; instead, they can provide a more detailed perspective and this can help you see the situation from different angles. Also, similar feedback can validate the points made in the initial feedback. Aside from giving you other suggestions, they can also provide emotional support to lessen your frustration.
Assess the feedback carefully on your own
After talking to someone about it, you want to return to the feedback and assess it on your own. You need to see and accept that something could have been done better and this can help you relax your nerves. More like an “Oh! I get it now” moment. You can also have clarity and a deeper understanding of the points made. Furthermore, this is the stage that helps you to understand how much brainstorming you need to do to address the feedback correctly and on time.
See what you can do about it
Once you have accepted that your project could be even better, evaluate the suggestions you have received coupled with results from brainstorming, then get to work. This shows that you are willing to learn and open to change. If necessary, get more resources and watch videos that can help you give it your best shot again. The project could even take a new turn and come back to be a spectacular piece because you used every profitable resource you could get to address the feedback. On the other hand, you are also improving your skills and getting better at what you do.
Putting in the work is good but it is important to note that your result may not be “epic” just the way you have imagined it. Somebody may think you should add or remove an element. However, this doesn’t mean that you are not good at what you do, it only says that you could be better or even the best.
