The Science of Receiving Feedback

8 Lessons • 34m • Sheila Heen

The Science of Receiving Feedback

Sheila Heen, a Founder and Partner at Triad Consulting Group, emphasizes that feedback should empower growth and optimal performance, rather than devolving into a contest of wills.
Two speech bubbles on a red background: one has three exclamation marks, the other has a smiling face. A pink square spiral pattern is in the background.

Why We Love and Hate Feedback

In her video lesson, Sheila Heen explores how to effectively process performance feedback, emphasizing the importance of overcoming our conflicting responses to improve and grow within an organization.

Why We Love and Hate Feedback

Understanding the 3 Reaction Triggers

In her video lesson, Sheila Heen emphasizes that improving interpersonal relationships starts with self-reflection, offering tools to identify reaction triggers—truth, relationship, and identity—that can help navigate feedback and enhance interactions.

Understanding the 3 Reaction Triggers

The Three Types of Feedback

In this video lesson, Heen discusses three vital types of feedback for leaders: appreciation, coaching, and evaluation, emphasizing that while evaluation is often the most noticeable, appreciation is crucial for motivating and improving team performance.

The Three Types of Feedback

Interpreting Feedback

In this video lesson, Heen highlights common mistakes in receiving feedback, emphasizing the importance of seeking clarification on its origins and implications, while encouraging a balanced approach to feedback by recognizing both flaws and valuable insights.

Interpreting Feedback

Seeing Your Blind Spots

Sheila Heen's video lesson emphasizes the importance of recognizing our own blind spots in communication, particularly how our facial expressions, body language, and tone may be misinterpreted by others, which can significantly impact workplace relationships.

Seeing Your Blind Spots

Don’t Switchtrack

Sheila Heen explains in her video lesson that the source of feedback can influence our reactions, and emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the feedback itself and our responses to the person delivering it to maintain focus on the message.

Don’t Switchtrack

Take Three Steps Back

Effective team leadership requires understanding and addressing personality differences to prevent conflict, as highlighted by Sheila Heen in her video lesson, where she shares strategies for improving communication and relationships among team members facing friction.

Take Three Steps Back

Sensitivity Factors

Sheila Heen explains that our emotional baseline significantly influences how we perceive and respond to feedback, highlighting the importance of understanding our emotional profiles to effectively utilize feedback in personal growth.

Sensitivity Factors

There’s only one good reason to give feedback: to empower someone to grow and do their best possible work. But too often our intentions in giving and receiving feedback become skewed, and a learning opportunity transforms into a contest of wills. Sheila Heen, a Founder and Partner at Triad Consulting Group, has a better way.

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the different types of feedback.
  • Understand “reaction triggers” to give and receive more effective feedback.
  • Learn how to interpret feedback clearly and more accurately.
  • Recognize your blind spots.
  • Adopt a healthier mindset regarding critique and praise.