How to Process and Implement Feedback Well
Ever received feedback and wondered, "Now, what do I do with this?"
You're not alone. When we receive feedback our initial response can vary: some of us get defensive, some of us simply discard the feedback, and sometimes we might dwell on it excessively. These responses, however, can cause us to miss the potential growth opportunities offered by constructive feedback.
Feedback is the foundation for our professional and personal development. It is as if someone is holding a mirror up to us which reflects back our blind spots and opportunities to enhance our performance.
When you act on the feedback you received, you’re taking ownership in your career and not letting someone else dictate your journey. It’s a declaration that you will become the architect of your career.
That's what this guide will do for you! You'll learn four key steps that will help you process and implement feedback effectively so you can take charge of your own development.
If you're a People Leader, this is an excellent resource to share with your employees so they can start taking ownership of their careers and you can create a culture of feedback that drives performance.
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4 Steps to Process and Implement Feedback
Step 1: Reflect
How did you react when you last received feedback? Did you receive it with an open mind? Were you defensive, surprised, or silent? Did you truly hear the feedback, or did you passively listen?
Reflect and then think about how you might respond differently next time. Here are some probing questions to help you reflect:
How did I feel when I received the feedback?
Did I seek more clarity with follow-up questions?
Did I embrace the feedback or brush it off too quickly?
Did I take the feedback personally or see it as an opportunity to grow?
How did my reaction to the feedback impact the conversation?
Step 2: Understand
Understanding the feedback you receive is critical to using it effectively. Are you absolutely clear on what behaviors need to change? Sometimes your managers are not all that great at being specific at giving feedback and can leave us more unsure.
If you're unsure, seek clarity when you have 1-1 with your manager and ask for more information. Here are a few examples to ask:
Can you help me understand what you noticed that leads you to giving me this feedback?
Can you pinpoint which particular behaviors weren’t serving me well or were not reflecting what my intention was?
What instances can you recall where my actions weren't up to expectations?
Could you elaborate on the expectations you have of me in this regard?
Can you provide examples of a different behavior or approach I could try?
What resources might help me in making the necessary improvements?
Step 3: Get Organized
It's time to organize the feedback into actionable steps. Create a simple goal board in a doc or in your notebook and jot down your goals based on the feedback received. Divide your goal board into three columns:
Column 1: The Objective
Here, state your goals based on the feedback you received. For instance, if you've received feedback that you're too quiet in meetings, the objective can be, "I speak up more in meetings and am confident sharing my point of view or asking questions."
TIP: Always state your objectives in a positive light rather than negative light. For example, "I speak up more in meetings" is positive, and "I want to be less quiet in meetings" is negative.
Column 2: Where are you now?
This is your starting point. Document your current behaviors that led to the feedback. For example, "I've received feedback from my team that I'm too quiet and rarely speak up. Some noticed that I wanted to say something, but I didn't. I also feel nervous speaking up in front of my team."
Column 3: Success Measures.
What does success look like with this goal? How do you know you have achieved the objective? Outline specific, measurable indicators of success, such as:"
1. I speak up at least once in every team meeting with a meaningful insight or question.
2. When I begin to feel nervous, I take a steady breath and calm my thoughts.
3. I have received feedback from my peers and managers that they have noticed my increased confidence and participation in meetings. .
In addition to drafting your success measures, give yourself a concrete timeframe that is no more than one quarter out. Research suggests that as we get closer to reaching our goals, our brain releases dopamine and the more motivated we are to make it happen. If our time frame is too long, we lose momentum.
Bonus Tip: How to Set Goals
Learn how to set goals for your team more quickly and easily using 5 simple rules.
Step 4: Follow Up
Once your goal board is done, loop in your manager. Show them you value their feedback and are committed to taking charge of your development. A great conversation opener could be, "I've been thinking about your feedback, and I've outlined a plan to address it."
This shows your manager that you take their input seriously and are committed to your growth. If you're a manager yourself, imagine how you would feel if your direct report organized their feedback and created an action plan out of it!
Start Processing and Implementing Feedback Well
Receiving feedback is just the beginning. Real growth occurs in processing and implementing feedback. Use what you learned here especially after a performance review, a performance check-in, or receiving feedback in your day to day.
Remember these four steps the next time you receive feedback: Reflect, Understand, Organize, and Follow up.
It's easier than you think. Good luck!
[Free Micro Class] How to Receive Feedback
Here's an extra tip for you. Sharpen your feedback-receiving skills with our 6-minute video training "How to Receive Feedback." Here’s a 1.5-minute video snippet.
Learn 4 practical tips you can use to help you receive feedback more graciously and effortlessly.
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Lucy Georgiades, Co-Founder and CEO
In London and Silicon Valley, Lucy has spent over a decade coaching Founders, CEOs, executive teams and leaders of all levels. She’s spent thousands of hours helping them work through challenges, communicate effectively, achieve their goals, and lead their people. Lucy’s background is in cognitive neuropharmacology and vision and brain development, which is all about understanding the relationships between the brain and human behavior.
Lucy is an Oxford University graduate with a Bachelors and a Masters in Experimental Psychology and she specialized in neuroscience. She has diplomas with distinction in Corporate & Executive Coaching and Personal Performance Coaching from The Coaching Academy, U.K. She also has a National Diploma in Fine Art from Wimbledon School of Art & Design.
