Discover the secrets for turning your aversion to negative feedback into a potential success weapon.
Feedback is a valuable tool for personal and professional development. It gives us insight into our strengths and weaknesses, enabling us to improve our performance and achieve growth. But how often have we received feedback that made us feel hurt, demotivated or resentful? And haven’t we all received feedback that appeared to reduce our self-esteem, decrease our motivation and negatively impact our overall performance? How do we deal with negative feedback?
This paper explains how to turn negative reviews into a potential tool for career success.
Why are we uncomfortable with negative feedback?
When we ask for feedback, we often conceal our desire for positive rather than negative feedback. We want validation and recognition for our work and achievements. We all enjoy receiving praise because it fulfils and boosts our ego. This is a natural human behaviour.
Receiving negative feedback can be uncomfortable, especially when it comes from close friends or family. Our natural inclination is to avoid uncomfortable situations. Sometimes, we see negative feedback as an attack on our persons, an unfair criticism of our activities and a veiled rejection of our efforts. So, when criticised, we often refuse to accept it or even react in a hostile manner.
A common reaction to negative feedback is to become defensive, offering excuses to justify actions or avoid the source of the input. But this needn’t be so. Avoiding or disregarding criticisms can mean missed opportunities for growth and learning. It may also mean you are unwilling or incapable of adapting to changes.
The secret Power of Negative Feedback
Negative feedback is a valuable tool for growth and development in personal, professional, and organizational settings. When used effectively, it can lead to positive outcomes.
The benefit of negative feedback lies in its ability to identify areas of weakness or improvement. By pointing out these areas, individuals or organizations can take targeted actions to address the underlying issues and make meaningful progress. Negative feedback is a catalyst for change and improvement. It prompts individuals and organizations to review their strategies, behaviours, or processes to achieve better results.
Constructive criticism can be a source of motivation. Instead of feeling discouraged, you can use the criticism to improve your skills, knowledge, and performance. Negative feedback can inspire you to strive for excellence and push beyond your current limitations.
How Successful People Harness the Secret Power of Negative Feedback
Many individuals have used the power of negative feedback to achieve success despite it often being viewed as detrimental. These individuals have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields by accepting criticism as a tool for growth and improvement.
Elon Musk:
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, attributes his success to seeking negative feedback. He actively solicits criticism to refine his ideas and strives for excellence. Accepting criticism has helped him make groundbreaking innovations and succeed in his ventures.
Elon Musk’s businesses have received highly critical and negative reviews. Despite this, Musk does not take the criticisms personally. Instead, he encourages negative reviews of on all his businesses. For instance, in one interview, Musk stated:
“I think it’s important for people to pay close attention to negative feedback and rather than ignore negative feedback, you have to listen to it carefully. Ignore it if the underlying reason for the negative feedback doesn’t make sense but otherwise, people should adjust their behavior. I’m not perfect at it, for sure, but I do think it’s really important to solicit negative feedback, particularly from people who have your best interest in mind.”
Elon Musk
Musk emphasised the need for negative feedback when he twitted in his X:
Musk also explained his approach to getting negative feedback thus:
Elon Musk
How much more can we learn from a man who has genuinely benefited from the secret power of negative feedback?
Steve Jobs:
Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder, always sought feedback and challenged conventional thinking. Negative reviews helped him innovate and shape iconic products, solidifying Apple’s tech leader position.
Steve Jobs led Apple and Pixar and couldn’t waste time sorting through unrealistic feedback. While focused on Apple, he was also chairman and primary investor at Pixar. So, he needed to understand what was happening at Pixa quickly.
Steve Jobs knew how uneasy people could be when delivering bad news, especially to their superiors. According to the renowned storyteller Andy Raskin, Jobs devised an intelligent way to encourage his team to be honest with him. He would hold meetings with various Pixar teams, each comprising a dozen or more members.
During the sessions, Jobs would select an individual and ask them to share what was not going well at Pixar. He would then choose another employee and request them to tell him what was working at the company.
Jobs obtained honest feedback by asking questions and encouraging open dialogue among team members. He welcomed criticisms and considered it valuable for identifying potential problems, areas of improvement, and innovative ideas.
J.K. Rowling:
A famous writer, J.K. Rowling, faced many rejections before succeeding with her Harry Potter series. Despite facing setbacks and negative reviews from publishers rejecting her manuscript initially, Rowling continued refining her work. The constructive criticism that she received helped her to develop a literary phenomenon that captivated readers all over the world. Rowling’s resilience in the face of rejection is a powerful example of how constructive criticism can fuel determination, leading to eventual triumph.
Walt Disney:
Walt Disney, the creative force behind The Walt Disney Company, encountered significant obstacles throughout his career. When Walt Disney proposed the idea of Disneyland, industry experts were sceptical and critical. However, Disney used the criticism as motivation to develop his vision further. His unwavering belief in his dream ultimately led to the creation of one of history’s most beloved entertainment empires.
These examples demonstrate how successful leaders have leveraged negative feedback to drive their progress. By embracing criticism and using it as a catalyst for growth, these trailblazers achieved remarkable success in their respective fields.
Summary of how to harness the secret power of negative feedback.
To use negative feedback effectively, approach it with an open mind and growth mindset. Here are some strategies:
1. Embrace a Growth Mindset: View criticism as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal attack. Adopting a growth mindset allows you to see criticism as a valuable tool for learning and development.
2. Seek Details: When receiving negative feedback, seeking specific examples or details can clarify areas needing improvement. Specific feedback enables individuals to take targeted actions for improvement.
3. Develop a Plan of Action: Avoid being defensive or disheartened when criticised. Instead, focus on a plan of action to improve. Seek training, mentorship, or change processes. Turn negative feedback into a learning opportunity.
4. Encourage a Culture of Constructive Criticism: Encourage a culture of constructive criticism in organisational settings. It leads to open communication and continuous improvement.
5. Follow-Up and Evaluation: Follow up and evaluate changes in response to negative feedback for continuous improvement.
Individuals and organisations can drive meaningful improvements and achieve great success by employing these strategies.
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