Constructive feedback - it’s not an attack but a blessing for development

A lot of people don’t like the idea of feedback - as they often see feedback or the evaluation of their work by a third party as negative. This often results from the deep rooted fear of being judged and not seen as good enough or up to the job at hand. However, what if we turn all this negativity about feedback around and start to see it as positive and essential for our personal development and growth ?

Now of course, firstly we have to classify what kind of feedback we should see as positive. There are two types of feedback - constructive and destructive - and we should concentrate on the former rather than the latter. Constructive feedback means feedback that highlights positives and negatives and is an honest and clear evaluation of our work that we can relate to. It has to be an honest reflection - rather than containing emotional judgements. Constructive feedback is therefore very useful if put together and delivered in the right way.

This brings us to the second very essential point for feedback to be seen as something positive - the way it is delivered. Feedback should not be delivered in an emotional, judgemental way but in a neutral environment highlighting both positive and negative points. Delivering constructive feedback is an art in itself and if we have the privilege or working with people that are good at this, we are blessed as it will mean we have a very clear idea where we stand with our performance. This is a great feeling.

Constructive feedback is put together and delivered in the right way, is therefore not negative at all, quite the opposite it should be seen as very positive. It can be a big accelerator for our personal growth. In an ideal world, we should be able to relate to a lot of the points said under constructive feedback. If we regularly self reflect - we should be aware of some of those points already and take them onboard to work on. If we manage to do this regularly, our personal development and growth over time is unstoppable, all due to the constant receipt of constructive feedback.

Feedback is therefore not negative at all if delivered in a constructive way. It is fantastic to know where we stand and how others perceive us. Also, identifying areas to work on is not something negative - it is an accelerator for our personal growth.

Not many people around us have the gift of receiving and delicensing constructive feedback regularly, if we have people around us that do - we are blessed as it will mean we will constantly develop and grow over time.