Not all feedback should be considered valuable

I’m putting it out there – there are times when a good employee can reject constructive feedback. There are many articles that encourage people to actively seek out feedback, both good and bad and to use that feedback for self-development and growth. Our workplaces are usually positioned around formal and informal feedback cycles, often linked to financial rewards or career progression. In most cases, staff cry for a lack of regular feedback.

Managers are drilled in the process of providing constructive feedback and human resources brace for the fallout. This article is not about the psychological impact of negative feedback or underperformers. This is about the good performers.

Good performers regularly seek out feedback, being proactive, they often invite more feedback than the less-engaged. When appropriately balanced, the feedback can be useful, but often it can lead to an overload of feedback or over-analysis.

Receiving constructive feedback, evaluating it and then coming to a conclusion to reject the advice is a considerable step in self-development. Not all feedback given needs to be accepted.

There are many articles that provide support on receiving and accepting constructive feedback gracefully. Of course that should continue. But instead of rushing off to implement (like good performers often do), consideration should be made as to whether the feedback should be implemented. Just like you listen for understanding, you should process and analyse for implementation.

Notwithstanding ulterior motives, feedback can often come in many forms. Instant feedback can be a symptom of a recurring issue, or it can be a once-off-unlikely-to-occur again issue. The one colleague that you didn’t get on well with, may not actually be a result of a fatal character flaw that you need to fix. Your supervisor may suggest that you are not a team player, but through self-processing, you may find it is not that at all. In fact, everyone getting on together harmoniously is not an everyday reality. Provided there is still professionalism, one head-butting relationship should not result in a character change. A good performer would probably over-compensate by trying to be a better team player, rather than tackling what may be the underlying issue, something that they may have no influence in correcting.

Overcompensation, leads to over-analysis, which leads to self-doubt and usually results in a worse situation! It is the curse of a good performer and an over-achiever.

So how do you know when to discard feedback? 1. Consider the source of the feedback. If the person is someone you trust, who has demonstrated a genuine interest in your career, then it is likely that the constructive feedback will be well thought-out prior to the message being delivered. 2. Read between the lines – is there an underlying issue that is the real cause. The provider of constructive feedback may not articulate the embedded issue, or lack the capacity to draw the linkages. Asking questions to understand can help, but can also be perceived as combative. Use your good judgement to determine the issue. 3. Reflect on the culture and the environment of the feedback being delivered. An environment with greater competition will probably result in feedback skewed towards elitism. This can be particularly the case when feedback is linked with financial outcomes. 4. Type of feedback. Considering that good performers are generally self-aware and most likely have a recurring theme of development, feedback that is completely different and new should set off a warning bell that asks you to reflect further. Not to be dismissed, but considered in light of the feedback you have been receiving. 5. Amount of feedback. If you supervisor is rattling off a list of required improvements, that change every three months, then it may be time to put some consideration into what elements you implement. Constantly changing in the way you engage or deal with people will make you look disingenuous or flaky. When it comes to character traits, any more than two issues to respond to is sufficient.

Yes, people do reject criticism and no, not all people who reject criticism are negative people without regard for other opinions or have an inflated ego. Graciously accepting or embracing feedback can ultimately result in the rejection of feedback. And that is okay.

It’s a two way street though. We all want to know that our feedback has been taken on board. Make sure then that the feedback you provide is on-point and meaningful.

#LD #mistakes #feedback #regjectingfeedback #constructivefeedback