Hitki Blog

There are four ways that managers react to constructive feedback. Read the following scenarios and then select your answer to determine the way you prefer to receive feedback.

Scenario 1. You are given constructive feedback for something you definitely didn’t do. You decide to:

1. Defend yourself by saying, "I did not do that."
2. Blame the team member for not knowing what he was saying.
3. Avoid the feedback and not respond.
4. Ask the team member to give his rationale for saying what he did.

Scenario 2. An angry team member comes into your office and says that you aren’t managing him or other team members correctly. You:

1. Tell the team member that you are a great manager and he must be confused.
2. Tell the team member that if he were a better employee, there would be no problems.
3. Just laugh and go about your business.
4. Ask the team member to explain what he and others need from you that they are not getting.

Scenario 3. A customer gives you feedback that the company’s product is unacceptable. You:

1. Tell the customer that your company has the best product, better than all of the competition.
2. Tell the customer to get her facts right and to call back when she does.
3. Refer the call to someone else.
4. Ask the customer for specifics about what she expected that she did not get.

The four ways to receive feedback are protecting, attacking, avoiding, and improving:

1. Protecting. When a team member gives a manager some feedback and the manager becomes defensive or denies the statement, then the manager is being protective. Being protective is not the proper way to respond to feedback. It sends a message to the team member that the manager is not open to listening to constructive feedback. In the previous scenarios, if you answered "a," you gave protecting answers.
2. Attacking. When the manager blames the team member who is giving the feedback, the manager is attacking. Attacking behavior will cause team members never to give their managers constructive feedback and cause a breakdown in the manager-employee relationship. If you answered "b" in the previous situations, you were attacking.
3. Avoiding. When a manager avoids the feedback by not responding to it, she is escaping from the situation. This type of reaction will cause team members to discount the manager’s commitment to her job. The team members will lose trust and loyalty. Answering "c" in any of the previous situations indicates you are avoiding.
4. Improving. This is the way a manager should respond to constructive feedback. Here, the manager is trying to clarify what the team member has said and is open to discussing the feedback. The manager is not automatically admitting that she was wrong but showing the team member that through dialogue, they will be able to resolve the situation. Answers "d" were improving responses.

How did you score? What is your preferred way of receiving feedback?

Tips for Receiving Feedback

1. Take in the team member’s point of view. Let the individual vent frustrations.
2. Suspend the urge to attack or counterattack.
3. Remain calm. Don’t get caught up in your emotions or the emotions of the team member.
4. Ask questions to find out more of what the team member is saying.
5. Acknowledge what the team member is saying or feeling.
6. Thank the team member for her input or opinion.
7. Find some common ground—something specific you can agree on.
8. Clarify to make sure you have understood what the team member has said and to let her know that you have understood her.
9. Maintain eye contact, a moderate tone of voice, and appropriate facial expressions.