Module 2 — Feedback That Works

Module Purpose

This module focuses on how feedback is often misinterpreted and emotionally charged in workplace settings. Using a CBT-informed approach, participants learn to recognize thinking distortions in feedback situations and apply reframing strategies that support growth rather than defensiveness. 

What You’ll Learn

• Identify common cognitive distortions that interfere with receiving or giving feedback
  
  

• Apply a reframing tool to interpret feedback more accurately and constructively
  
  

• Evaluate the short- and long-term impact of avoiding versus engaging in feedback
  
  

Key Idea

Feedback becomes stressful not because it exists, but because of the meaning we attach to it. When feedback is interpreted as a threat to identity or competence, communication breaks down.

Tool: Feedback Reframe

Reframing Tool
When receiving or giving feedback:

• Move from interpretation to observation
  
  

• Use clear statements:
  
  

  • “What I observed…”
    
    

  • “Why it matters…”
    
    

  • “What I need moving forward…”
    
    

Cost–Benefit Lens
Consider the impact of feedback decisions by weighing:

• Short-term relief
  
  

• Long-term outcomes

Workplace Example

A manager says, “This report needs more clarity.”
Instead of hearing “I did poorly,” the feedback is reframed as: There is a specific improvement request.

Practice

• Recall a recent piece of feedback that felt uncomfortable or unclear.
  
  

• What interpretation did you initially attach to it?
  
  

• How could the feedback be reframed using observation rather than assumption?
  
  

Workbook

Workbook Activity: Feedback Reflection Exercise

What’s Next

Next, we apply these skills to difficult conversations, where emotions and stakes are higher.