Phys.org September 14, 2022
According to researchers in Australia feedback is a key component for any academic career and it is part of how the profession maintains rigor and quality in what it does. While it can be positive, research shows, it tends to be negative. On top of calls to improve training for academics, managers, and leaders on how to provide helpful feedback, being able to use the feedback we get is also important. Researchers suggest six things to do when you get negative feedback – 1. Empathize with the person giving feedback – when anonymous reviews are negative, it might have more to do with their (lack of) experience and heavy workloads, rather than your work); 2. Pause – read the review, put it away for a week before you begin to address the feedback, distance allows us to gain perspective and think through; 3. Talk about what happened – vent to some friends or your colleagues, recognize your value; 4. Address your inner critic – our inner critic is often an ally who motivates us to achieve. It can sometimes be toxic, when left unchecked, it can lead to mental health problems. Practice self-compassion, visualize positive and non-judgmental images, talking back to the inner critic also helps. 5. Reframe what happened – deliberately look for benefits, upsides, and lessons. 6. Look for opportunities -Focus on the opportunity – What can be learned? Or done better next time?…read more.