Patrick T Campbell

Patrick T Campbell

Tip 11—Cradled Feedback

When you get feedback that's harsh, instead of getting defensive, cradle the feedback like a baby and get the most out of it . . .
Sometimes when we submit work, a reviewer slams us with critical feedback that makes us think that everything we're doing is worthless. For example, "This is unacceptable" or "I don't think you understand how important this is." These jabs come from nowhere at times and we wish we could rationalize what happened. "I didn't have enough time to address this issue because of [fill in the blank with a restriction]" or "No one gave me guidance on the expectation." Sometimes you'll never know exactly why you perceived the feedback so harshly—a bad day for you or a projection of insecurity by the reviewer. Either way, you can control how you respond. Instead of getting defensive, ask for more clarification. Revise one of the feedback items that directly addresses the issue while providing options that they might not have considered. Sometimes its just a matter of clarification. You can have your pity party for a minute to yourself, then get constructive as soon as possible . . .

1 comment:

Professor Chuck E Boobenstein said...

Tip 11 just replaced Flexible Awareness in the Top post list.