How To Respond To Negative Feedback from Employees

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Summary: Responding properly to negative feedback from your employees is an important leadership skill. Feedback is an extremely valuable tool as it helps you to determine what’s working and what isn’t. It’s important to listen and make changes as needed after receiving negative feedback.

Many people say that feedback is a gift. While it may not feel as if being criticized is generous on the part of the other person, remember that that isn’t true. Having a relationship with your employees willing to let you know what you’re doing that isn’t working shows good leadership skills.

Key Takeaways:

Being able to respond well to and implement changes from negative feedback is seen by superiors, peers, and subordinates as a sign of effective and positive leadership.
When receiving negative feedback, it’s very important to listen attentively, ask questions, show appreciation for bringing this to your attention, and then think about it. Once you’ve had time to consider it, you need to start implementing changes.
It’s also important not to do certain things when receiving negative feedback. Don’t take it personally, let it ruin your day, or allow your emotions to control your response.

Why Is Negative Feedback Important?

While it may seem counterintuitive, receiving negative feedback from your employees is almost always a good sign. There are several factors at play here, but unless it’s a furious outburst from a repressed employee, the fact that they’re willing to share negative feedback means that they’re comfortable with you and believe that you’ll listen to their concerns.

Feedback, particularly negative feedback, allows you and your business to make changes to be more effective in the long term. No one gets everything right all the time, which is why it’s important to have problems pointed out to you.

If you’re able to accept constructive criticism and turn around and make positive changes, then you’re displaying effective leadership skills. In general, leaders that are willing to seek out negative feedback and ways to improve are considered more effective and better leaders and workers than those who probably ask for positive feedback.

How Best to Respond to Negative Feedback

Feedback is defined by Merriam Websters as “the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source” or “the information so transmitted.” While that sounds very abstract, all it means is that someone is informing the creator or boss of something about what is and isn’t working.

When giving or receiving feedback, it’s important to focus on the fact that its purpose is to foster improvement – or to encourage the good aspects.

Here are some tips on how to respond properly to negative feedback.

Listen to what they have to say. While almost everyone’s initial reaction is to get defensive, it’s important to listen to what the other person has to say. Remember that most people are reluctant to give negative feedback, especially if it’s to a superior. If they’re bringing it up, it’s highly likely to be important information.
Ask questions. While asking questions can be considered an aspect of listening, it takes it a step further. One part of it is that it encourages them to elaborate. Not everyone is going to go into great detail at first – they’ll want to know that you’re receptive. Asking questions is a way to show that you are.

In addition, asking for clarification or more information ensures that you understand what they’re telling you. You don’t want to come away from the conversation with the wrong impression, nor do you want to overlook a crucial aspect of their feedback.
Take some time to think about it. For the majority of people, it’ll be difficult to respond to negative feedback immediately. This is partly because you first need to overcome your initial defensiveness.

Also, many issues don’t have a simple solution. If it’s a behavior issue on your part, you may be able to correct it yourself, but otherwise, it’s rarely so straightforward.
Consult a neutral party. In many cases, it’s helpful to get an outside observer’s opinion on the matter. When it’s a matter of something you’ve done, it can be difficult to look at it objectively. And sometimes, the feedback isn’t entirely unbiased, either. While they may have a point or be partially correct, there could be something they’re missing as well.
Show appreciation. Be sure to show appreciation for bringing this to your attention. Remember that feedback is essential to running a business smoothly. It’ll also help you to be a better leader. This appreciation is another way to show that you encourage your team to bring problems to your attention.
Make changes as needed. Once you’ve considered the feedback and asked for an outside opinion, be sure to start implementing changes. While listening and expressing appreciation are important, it won’t ultimately matter if you don’t take action.

Depending on the exact nature of what needs to change, it may take a long time or require you to break a habit, but the fact that you’re making an effort will be noted.
Seek it out. While it may seem undesirable, it’s important to ask for negative feedback. You want your team to point out problems – even if it’s something that you did. This will allow for course corrections, better communication, more efficiency, and more trust.

How Not to Respond to Negative Feedback

While it’s never fun to receive negative feedback, there are ways that you can exacerbate the problem rather than solve it. While some of these are natural reactions, it’s important to be aware of what you’re doing and how you react so you can remain professional.

When responding to negative feedback, don’t:

Allow your emotions to take over. It can be difficult to separate criticism from your own efforts, especially if it’s something you’re doing or a problem with a project you’ve been working on for a long time. But if you react on emotion – either in anger or hurt – you’re stifling the possibility for other opinions and improvement.

Remember, though, that everyone has bad days. If you react poorly to negative feedback one time, it can be fixed. You can seek out that employee later and apologize for your negative reaction, and let them know what you’ve taken from their feedback. Be sure to emphasize that it won’t happen again.
Let it ruin your day. Don’t dwell on negative feedback. Consider it and make use of it, but don’t allow it to ruin your mood. Remember that everyone sometimes makes mistakes, and things change. It’s possible that whatever sparked the feedback was working before but is no longer practical.
Take it personally. In most cases, the negative feedback isn’t directed at you specifically. And even in cases where it is, the intention isn’t going to be to insult or drag you down, but instead, to point out what isn’t working. The idea behind feedback is an improvement, after all.