#246: How to Get Better at Taking Feedback

Growth Mindset

Adopting a growth mindset can significantly ease the challenges of receiving feedback. Doug Stone explains that a fixed mindset leads individuals to view feedback as a measure of their inherent abilities, which can be limiting. In contrast, a growth mindset allows one to see feedback as an opportunity for improvement, fostering a sense of empowerment and reducing the perceived stakes of evaluative feedback 1. Stone emphasizes that our reactions to feedback are not solely determined by our wiring or the situation but also by how we interpret the feedback 2.

We can just as easily think that these endowments that we have, whether about intelligence or athletic ability or empathy or whatever the skill is, these are things that we can get better at.

--- Doug Stone

By adopting this mindset, individuals can transform feedback into a constructive tool for personal growth.

   

Misinterpretation

Misinterpretation of feedback often stems from personal biases and expectations. Doug Stone highlights that feedback intended as coaching can be misconstrued as criticism if one is predisposed to hearing it as evaluative 3. This misinterpretation can lead to unnecessary negative emotions and hinder personal development. Stone also discusses the concept of "switch track conversations," where individuals engage in parallel dialogues, often missing the core feedback due to focusing on delivery or timing 4.

If I hear it as coaching, it's not a critique, it's not an evaluation, it's not a ranking. It's just an idea that I can try to take on board or not, something that will help me learn and improve and get better.

--- Doug Stone

Recognizing and addressing these tendencies can lead to more effective communication and feedback reception.