You should try this… receiving feedback constructively
I’m sure we can all agree, we learn from our mistakes (especially those embarrassingly awful tattoos we got when we were 16…just us then?) But did you realise that frequent feedback drives learning and being receptive to that feedback is essential. Receiving feedback constructively is vital for your personal and professional development, as well as strengthening relationships.
You want to be at the top of your game in your work and your clients wants the best designs from you. If you listen to each other and develop from the feedback, your working relationship will blossom and they’ll be your biggest supporter in the future.
In the second part of our “You Should Try This…” series, let us explore some ways in which you can learn to receive to receive feedback constructively, ways you can guide that feedback to your advantage so you can learn from informed suggestions.
Give me what you’ve got
Let’s be real. Criticism sucks. In the heat of the moment, many of us react to feedback, be it constructive criticism or not, with defensiveness. And this is where it can get tricky to not let your mouth run and tell that annoying client exactly what you’ve been thinking about them.
Here are a few handy tips for when you can feel yourself losing your cool during feedback:
- Stop your first reaction. Breathe, collect your thoughts, then speak!
- Remember all the benefits of receiving feedback.
- Actively listen and respond thoughtfully.
- Never argue, just say thank you.
- Project a positive attitude.
- Don’t take it personally!
Feedback isn’t meant to be an insult nor is it a reflection on you as a person, always remember that! Feedback is simply someone’s observation and interpretation about your work in a business context. If you become defensive you run the risk of missing out on important insights and hinder your development. Remember what Al Pacino said in The Godfather, “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.”
Some things to remember when faced with feedback
- Feedback sessions are meant for feedback, so don’t be surprised and annoyed when people point out areas to work on! Clients are not going to congratulate you for doing your job, they just want their designs perfect as soon as possible.
- Feedback is never a negative. You will never have thought of everything nor will you have seen it from someone else’s perspective. Listen to peoples interpretations of the designs, it may just help another project you’ve been stuck on for weeks!
- Be open to new ideas or ways of working. Nobody can know everything so be open to recognising the right solution when it is presented.
- Everybody is a designer these days. Through technology people design their days, their careers, their eating habits and exercise regimen. Nobody can be at their best 24/7 so realise you have design minded, articulate people sitting all around you!
- Creating is communication, therefore get talking! Our designs are communicate an idea to the wider world so why not start that communication as a base level. Talk to your colleagues, your clients, hell even your family if they’ll listen! Ask for the input of others, shares viewpoints and develop your conversations.
Tell me more!
Terrible feedback wastes everyones time. Problems and areas of weakness aren’t fixed, client/designer relationships can develop unnecessary tension and you as a design won’t learn and grow. Guiding feedback can be the most beneficial thing a designer pitching to a client can do and here are some things make it pop have learnt over the year:
- Be perfectly clear all throughout your presentation. If you present a story through your designs then clients will understand exactly what the design does and focus less on what they are seeing.
- Get the most out of every situation. Use the appropriate technology avaialble to your advantage and do some research about your clients. How best will they receive your designs so you can receive constructive feedback.
- As much as you don’t like receiving feedback, I think we can all agree its often harder to be the one giving the feedback. Find people who will give it to you straight, be honest, direst and truthful.
- Also take into account that it’s often hard to give feedback. Recognise that the person giving you feedback may be nervous or may not be able to articulate their ideas clearly.
- If you don’t feel like you got what you needed, speak up! Ask for clarification to points you’re unclear on, get to the core of the issues being raised and explore solutions out in the open.
Oh, and one final thing, if someone offers a compliment towards your work, accept it and take things that one step further. Graciously say thank you, then ask if they could suggest just one thing you can do better. Positive feedback always feels good but constructive criticism, and the way you receive it, can be invaluable for your progress.
