People look forward to getting feedback after a lot of effort has been put into a project or job. While the hope is to receive positive feedback from a boss or customer, this isn't always the way things go. It can be pretty disappointing when it happens. For many people, the initial gut reaction to negative feedback is not usually good. It's human nature to sometimes get defensive and, when negative feedback occurs, it is sometimes instinctual to have an adverse reaction to this kind of critique. However, it doesn't have to be that way.
Turn a negative into a positive
The very heart of the word "negativity" sounds pessimistic and its connotation isn't a feeling people anticipate or usually want to experience. It is often hard to accept negative feedback, even when offered as constructive criticism. If this happens to you, you can either take the negative feedback as a put-down or you can accept it at face value and use it to your advantage. Instead of taking negative feedback as insulting, try to perceive the comments as helpful. Additionally, use any pointers offered as an opportunity to improve.
Get a realistic perspective
Negative feedback often provides a realistic perspective of how other people perceive what it is you are doing, making or sharing. Within this perception lies golden opportunity because chances there could be others who feel the same way the person who spoke up feels but haven't said anything. By receiving constructive criticism you can use it to your advantage to fix, improve upon or enhance, ultimately perhaps even gain a competitive advantage.
Look at things objectively
Sometimes it is difficult to look from the outside in rather than our natural tendency to view things from the inside out. When negative feedback is offered, this can often be a prime opportunity to improve by looking at things from a different perspective. Instead of putting the focus on yourself, try to step outside the box and look from the outward in and try to objectively evaluate what the person has said to you. It is not uncommon to find that within those comments there are elements of truth and, as a result, you've been handed a grand opportunity to make a more innovative development.
It doesn't matter whether it a piece of written work, a product you've created to market, or another job-related aspect, usually there is room for improvement in any capacity. If you turn a disapproving comment into a positive reaction, you can easily turn the negative feedback into something productive that can often yield lucrative and beneficial results. Just because you've received less than positive feedback doesn't mean there is something wrong with you or that you did the wrong thing.
Negative feedback doesn't have to be a bad thing, instead, use it to improve and make new opportunities. Sometimes you may make a mistake and, in those situations, you can chalk it up to a learning experience. Any learning is of value. It also is a way to gain knowledge of what not to do in certain situations and you can make sure you don't repeat the same mistakes. Either way, in the long run, you benefit by turning negative feedback into an opportunity.
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