We know we need feedback: We need other people to let us know how we are doing; to challenge our ideas; and to shake our assumptions (especially if they are out of date). That doesn’t mean we necessarily enjoy the process, of course. Often it’s distinctly uncomfortable, or has the potential to be so.
How do you receive feedback?
Calmly and attentively?
It helps to realise that we react badly to feedback when we let it land in our ego; when we let it question our sense of identity.
It probably isn’t intended to do that—not usually.
With strength and presence, we can take a more objective view and be a kind of observer on the exchange. We can separate the learning from our sense of self—not always easy in the moment, of course, especially when feedback arrives unannounced, unexpected, and uninvited.
How do you handle feedback—welcome it, even—making sure you get the input you need without hurting too much in the process?