Navigating Feedback Conversations for Personal Growth

How To Receive Feedback

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Karlee Dragos
Organizational Psychology Consultant, Posted on Oct 31, 2024

Navigating and receiving feedback constructively is a powerful skill that fuels both professional and personal growth. This case study illustrates how we worked with an employee to transform her approach to feedback, empowering her to engage more openly and confidently in these essential conversations.

Challenge:

An employee at one of our client organizations reached out, feeling overwhelmed by a recent feedback conversation. Despite preparing extensively through learning from different resources, she found herself shutting down during the discussion with her new manager, particularly when she felt unheard. This frustration led to a cycle of stress around feedback, limiting her ability to engage productively in these conversations and affecting her confidence.

Our Approach:

Our initial goal was to provide this employee with a practical approach to feedback conversations, emphasizing tools to help her feel more in control and engaged. We focused on actionable strategies to create a space where she felt more comfortable expressing herself without feeling overpowered by the conversation. Key techniques we recommended included:

  1. Pause and Process: We advised her to ask for a brief moment to gather her thoughts before responding to feedback. This approach empowers her to avoid reacting impulsively, allowing her to consider the feedback calmly.
  2. Curiosity Over Assumptions: To help her engage constructively, we encouraged her to ask more questions, fostering curiosity about her manager's perspective. This opened the door to understanding the feedback without feeling defensive, enhancing her ability to listen actively.
  3. Requesting Processing Time: For moments when she needed deeper reflection, we suggested asking for additional time to process the feedback before responding fully. This gave her the chance to consider the points raised and craft a thoughtful response, helping her feel more confident and engaged in follow-up conversations.
  4. Creating Space for Her Voice: Finally, we coached her to advocate for her perspective within the feedback exchange. By sharing her insights without interruption, she could contribute her view more openly, leading to a balanced and mutual dialogue.

Result:

Following these practices, the employee reported feeling more equipped to handle feedback conversations with her manager. She began to see these exchanges as opportunities for growth rather than stressful encounters. The strategies allowed her to stay composed and engaged, fostering a more positive and open feedback environment. Over time, this shift not only strengthened her relationship with her manager but also contributed to her professional growth and satisfaction in her role.

This case study highlights our tailored approach to common challenges employees face in feedback conversations, offering solutions that empower individuals to navigate these interactions with confidence.



Karlee Dragos is an Organizational Psychology Consultant who is passionate about optimizing employee engagement to allow organizations to reach their full potential. She has experience in research, data analysis, and training design. She uses her knowledge of psychological principles and research methods to improve the overall work environment through communication, process evaluation, and leadership development. Karlee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria. She is currently completing a Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Adler University, where her research focuses on the relationship between workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behaviour.