Responding to Feedback

After an employee has received the performance appraisal, it is time to reflect, learn, and grow from the constructive feedback. It has already been established that negative feedback can lead to positive outcomes such as improved morale, better performance, as well as personal and professional growth. Yet, despite these benefits, we also know that evaluations of our performance can be uncomfortable. Again, a performance review will likely never be 100% positive. We can always improve our performance in some way.

When receiving constructive feedback, how should you respond? Are you comfortable advocating for yourself? Are you prepared to ask questions and seek clarity? Follow these best practices to effectively and professionally respond to feedback during a performance appraisal.

Reflect upon the positives. Though a performance appraisal can induce stress, research shows that employees benefit from both the positive and negative feedback. (Zenger & Folkman, 2014). Employees want the negative feedback that employers find hard to give. Constructive criticism is a tool for growth. Remember, your employer is evaluating both positive characteristics and areas designed to improve performance. It would be unreasonable to think that there will only be positivity in a performance appraisal. So, when you receive feedback, look at it through the lens of, “How can I use this to grow?”

Listen actively. A key component of communication is active listening. Active listening means concentrating on what is being said, not just passively hearing. As you are listening to your performance appraisal, it would be easy to focus on your response or retort rather than truly engaging in what the person is saying. Listen for specifics, but with an open mind to help identify the appraiser's intent.

Control your verbal and nonverbal reactions. Remind yourself to not become defensive. Your words, your body language, and your tone of voice should remain professional and match the situation. Your demeanor should be professional and calm.

Scenario 3.4: Your employer is giving you constructive criticism about a part of the job that you may have been doing incorrectly. However, you feel your training was poor or incomplete. This might be frustrating. Make sure to uncross your arms as you listen and respond. Make sure that your tone is even. Eliminate anger and frustration from your expression. Consider saying, “I am so glad you pointed that out. This is something that was not part of the training process. I reached out to my lead for guidance on this, and I sincerely thought I was following through with the suggestions given to me by my lead. I am absolutely willing to attend a training session on this task. Is that something we can schedule right away?” As you envision this scenario, imagine that your facial expression reveals that you are concerned, as well as open to change.

Don’t take it personally. Ideally, your supervisor is providing constructive feedback that is directly related to your work performance. The feedback is objective, not personal. As indicated earlier in the chapter, expect that the feedback is about things over which you have the power to change. It is not a personal attack. Take a deep breath, and try not to take it personally.

Process it. Take the opportunity to process both the written appraisal and the follow-up discussion. Consider the intent of the appraiser and evaluate whether the feedback has merit. You can also ask yourself what steps you can begin to take to apply the feedback received. Even if you were not instructed to do so, develop an action plan to determine how you will proceed. You might even find, as you process the situation, that your appraisal was fair and reasonable.

Develop a growth mindset. Truly evaluate your own performance with an open-mind. Rather than dwell on mistakes or negativity, take the opportunity to find out what you need to learn to be successful in your job role and position to better prepare for your next performance appraisal. You might also consider finding a mentor or inquiring about training opportunities. A

Scenario 3.5: Raul is given a rubric for his annual appraisal. There are domains with specific verbiage about how to achieve the rankings of: distinguished, proficient, or novice. Raul sets specific goals to be distinguished in two of the domains. Then, he writes an action plan on how to achieve those goals. He prints out his goals, action plan, and the rubric, and posts them in his workspace. At the beginning of each day, Raul reviews them and decides how he is going to focus on those goals throughout the day. At the end of each day, he reflects and documents any progress toward those goals. When it comes time for a performance appraisal, Raul has specific documentation on how he has met those goals based on the specific criteria in the rubric.

Respect the critic. In many cases, it is actually just as difficult for the appraiser to give the criticism, as it is for you to receive it. Difficult conversations are not enjoyable for either party. Respect the fact that the appraiser is taking the time to point out the improvements that you can make to be better, both professionally and personally. Thank your appraiser with the understanding that the evaluation is part of their job, and took time and effort to deliver.

Scenario 3.6: Your appraiser has provided you with a fair and effective performance appraisal highlighting things you have done well and underscoring areas in which you need to improve. You might say, “Thank you for taking the time to go over this with me in detail. I appreciate how you listened to my feedback, as well. It means a lot to me that you would invest in my future here at this organization by providing additional training. I value your input, and feel very positive about my future here.”

Apologize if appropriate. Will there ever be a need to apologize? Perhaps. For example, if you have been consistently late to work, that would be worthy of an apology and further explanation. In most cases, however, it may not be necessary to offer an apology in response to negative feedback.

Scenario 3.7: You have been told that you need to increase your customer satisfaction ratings from 70% satisfied to 70% highly satisfied. Which of the following responses would be more appropriate and show a professional, growth-mindset?

Option A: “I’m so sorry I didn’t do as well as you would have liked in the area of customer satisfaction.”

Option B: “I am up for the challenge. Do you have any recommendations on specific steps I can take to achieve that goal?”

Option B would be more effective, professional communication.

When Negative Feedback Goes Too Far

A performance appraisal should not be a personal attack. If after careful reflection you feel that it was a personal attack, you might consider taking the following steps in order:

Ask for a meeting with the supervisor, and document the conversation.
If you do not get the resolution you are looking for, consider escalating your concerns to the next person in the chain of command.
If there is still no resolution, talk with a representative from Human Resources.
Make a list of the pros and cons of whether or not you wish to continue to seek resolution.

We have discussed in this chapter that communication is a two-way street. Becoming knowledgeable about the tools available to you is just the beginning of effective verbal and nonverbal communication. You now understand the dynamics of verbal and nonverbal communication, and how to use messages to create a positive communication climate. We also highlighted the importance of offering appropriate verbal and nonverbal responses. Finally, we explored the complexities of difficult conversations like performance appraisals.

Knowledge of the tools is only a part of the equation; it is time to use them. Intentionally practice to hone your verbal and nonverbal skills. It is not possible to become an expert communicator overnight, nor will one become an expert after taking one communication course. However, incremental Improvement and growth in the effectiveness of your verbal and nonverbal behaviors will continue to benefit you in both your professional and personal life.

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