Turning Negative Feedback Into Positive Results (Inperspective‪)‬

Why do so few people enjoy being on the receiving end of feedback or show such little enthusiasm for a performance review session? In the case of manager-employee reviews, of course, being critiqued by the person who can influence one's paycheck and day-to-day responsibilities is somewhat intimidating. In general, being judged by another person--even a peer--is not something most of us look forward to. Since a large part of our self-image is based on how others view us, hearing negative feedback from someone (especially someone in a position with power) can be devastating. In our last column ("Delivering Negative Feedback in a Positive Manner," Nursing Homes/Long Term Care Management, October 2007, p. 74), we discussed the challenging but perhaps not as difficult act of delivering feedback in a constructive manner. Receiving feedback, though, can have its own rewards--it can be a great opportunity to gain useful information and insight into what we need to develop or improve in order to grow professionally. It's a chance to see how others perceive us, how they respond to our behavior, and to decide what is and is not working well. Good feedback can encourage and motivate us to take responsibility and improve our job performance.