3 ways to take negative feedback and turn it into something positive

We all have to take some form of feedback at work. It may not be pleasant, but it is almost always helpful. Negative feedback is just as important as positive feedback because it allows you to grow and improve your performance. But getting negative feedback can make you feel like a failure, especially if you’re already feeling insecure about your abilities or the new hiring position you’ve taken on.

It’s easy to take negative comments personally because they focus on what you’re doing wrong rather than what you do right. It’s easy to get defensive and angry when someone gives you negative feedback. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to take this criticism constructively and use it as motivation for our future endeavours. Here are three ways that you can turn negative feedback into something positive:

1. Take The Negative Feedback As Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism is a way of giving negative feedback that focuses on the improvements that you need to make. It takes a balanced approach, focusing on what you’re doing right as well as what you’re doing wrong. Constructive criticism is not meant to be personally insulting or degrading, but rather it should be constructive and informative.

Positive feedback is hard to come by, especially if you’re starting after the hiring process of new employees. It’s easy to focus on what you don’t like about your job. But if you can learn to accept constructive criticism, you can use it as a tool for improvement. A great way that you can turn negative feedback into positive feedback is by taking the comments and turning them into constructive criticism.

For example: “I think that the way that you handled this issue was a bit off-putting, and I think that it could have been handled better” could be turned into “I noticed that this issue was handled in a way that didn’t quite work for me. I think there may be ways to improve my communication skills, so I will look at how I handle these issues in the future.

2. Be Direct And Clear

When receiving negative feedback, be direct and clear in how you react. Don’t get defensive, and don’t go on the offensive by counter-attacking the person giving you feedback making the situation critical. Instead, listen to what they are saying and accept their comments calmly and collectively. This will let them know that you have understood what they have said, making them feel more comfortable giving you more constructive criticism.

You can also be open to learning from the feedback when you’re being direct and clear. Once you’ve taken in the information, you can reflect on the factors and make a conscious decision about how to improve. This is a more proactive way of working with feedback because it allows for self-improvement to the employees.

3. Be Honest And Sincere

If you feel angry or upset with the feedback you’ve received, take a minute to remind yourself why you are taking this feedback in the first place. It’s important to remember that the person giving you the feedback is there to help, not hurt. If you have a genuine reason for doing something, then explain the factors.

Don’t try to hide your mistakes or justify them by saying it was just a learning experience. Hiding things can make you look guilty and become critical. If they want better work from you, they will tell you how you can do better. When people are being honest about your mistakes and shortcomings, it is easy to become defensive. Take a moment and remind yourself that this person is just trying to help and isn’t trying to hurt you.