There will be times when you’ll receive feedback from your employer; whether that be during your placement, in a graduate job, or further along in your career. You will get feedback whatever position you’re in, and it’s something we’ll need to know how to handle.

Sometimes, that feedback might be positive. It could be something like “That’s a great piece of work you did for that project,” or “I really like how organised you were when preparing for that conference.” Other times, it might feel like someone is being critical. This might look like “An area for you to improve on is your communication”, or “Next time, it would work better if you were to do it like this.”

Whatever kind of feedback it is, it’s worth having. It’ll help you to develop. It’s important to have effective communication in the workplace, and constructive feedback is a significant part of that.

Here are some tips for dealing with feedback:

Listen carefully
If you misinterpret what someone is saying, that can cause confusion, and you might assume something that isn’t actually the case. Listen carefully, and ask questions if something is unclear.

Try not to take it personally
It can be tough to not take something personally if you’re hearing feedback that you think is negative. Remember, your manager will want to help you improve your work so that you can progress. It’s an opportunity for growth and development! It could be that the way you’ve done something doesn’t fit with that organisation, so you just have to make some adjustments next time. It might feel like they’re being picky, but they are the experts.

See it as an opportunity to improve
Nobody is born being perfect at their job. Even CEOs are still learning – it’s a lifelong process. It’s very likely that the person giving you feedback has more experience, skills and knowledge, so use their advice to improve your own performance!

The benefits of feedback are endless; it helps you to improve, it’ll enable you to forge stronger relationships with your colleagues, it makes you aware of strengths and weaknesses, it can improve your resilience, and it can motivate you to be even better next time. Plus, positive feedback can build our confidence and make you feel appreciated!