You've just received some feedback, now what?

Feedback is good, right? Right...and wrong.

Much of feedback is subjective and therefore some of it will be less valuable and some will be more.

Here's a method for evaluating and acting on feedback.

First let's talk about when subjectivity can mess with the value of feedback. Perhaps it is coming from someone who:

only saw you in a particular situation where you didn’t happen to shine,
has a grudge or dislikes you, or
is biased in your favor like a close friend

Is all subjective feedback bad? Nope. There's something to learn from all feedback.

So how do you get to a fuller picture of what your feedback is telling you?

Well, first you collect feedback – and most of us have lots of it.

Gather the results of performance reviews, asessments (e.g. StrengthsFinder), 360 evaluations, perhaps even evaluations from courses where your work was assessed.

Next, examine the feedback all in one setting and highlight themes.

Keep seeing "great communicator"? Theme.

Once you have your themes, you have feedback that has been "validated."

It has shown up across multiple sources over time.

If you agree with these themes, great! Start acting on the feedback.

Don't agree? You may have found a blind spot. Explore.

Now that you have your themes, when faced with new feedback:

Receive = be open minded

Explore = ask clarifying questions

Check = validate - does it align? yes, it's probably valid, no? blindspot or file it away until you hear it again

Act = do something to address it

The key to all feedback is action. Take at least one step on all feedback.

Valid feedback? Act fast to make changes or keep doing what is working.

Less valid? Don't ignore it - check for blindspots or file it away for the future.

See it again? you may have a new theme.

That's one approach to receiving, validating, and acting on feedback.

I write about career management, leadership development, and redesigning business education and am currently participating in #ship30for30 - if you want to follow along!