The “fight” or “flight” response is hard wired in our brains.
Whatever the situation, the fight or flight response does not serve us well when we are criticized. Whether we feel we deserve the criticism or not, there are techniques that we can help us make the most of a situation.
1. PREPARE YOURSELF
Chances are we have, or will, receive negative feedback at work at some point in our lives. Like other situation, you can prepare yourself. Think of a time in the past when you received some unwanted feedback about your performance. How did you feel, and react? If you had a chance to do it over again, would you handle the situation differently?
Replay the scenario in your mind in a way that would result in the outcome you wanted. If it helps, role-play with a trusted friend or colleague. Come up with some responses that would help keep you on track that you can call up in future situations. Come up with a word, sound, phrase, or song that will remind you of the ideal situation that you had envisioned and repeat it whenever the situation comes up again.
2. WAIT OUT STRONG EMOTIONS
We feel before we think. To our old reactive brain, criticism will feel like we are being attacked. This may bring out powerful emotions that can temporarily cause us to react before our thinking brain kicks in. The good news is that these strong emotions will quickly subside as our rational brains take over.
If you feel these strong emotions coming up the first thing to do is give yourself time before you react. Take a couple of deep breaths, count to ten, or do whatever you can to distract yourself. If the emotions are still highly volatile ask for a time out and tell the person you will get back to them once you’ve had a chance to collect your thoughts. Give yourself a chance to respond, rather than react. Rather than reacting in an emotional state, responding gives us a chance to use our thinking powers and increases the chances of getting the outcome that we want.
3. REPEAT BACK WHAT YOU HEARD
A great way to start your response is to repeat back, in your own words what the other person said or what you heard them say. Most likely the person is expecting some push back from you, perhaps anger or denial and has prepared him or herself for this. By simply giving them back what you thought they said, you will diffuse their defensiveness and make them more open to your feedback.
Momentarily relieved that you are not responding in the way that they were afraid you would, the person is likely to relax a little and be more open to your feedback. When you give feedback you are not taking blame, or apologizing, you are simply making sure that you understand what the person is saying.
4. OVERCOME YOUR NATURAL URGE TO DEFEND YOURSELF
When we feel like we are being attacked, our natural inclination is to fight back, tell our side of the story and defend ourselves. However, if we can overcome this urge and simply listen, we have mastered a powerful tool that will help us make the most of the situation. Listening will allow the other party to feel less defensive and more open, willing to share information that they would otherwise withhold. It also makes them more open to hearing your side of the story.
5. NEGOTIATE RESPECTFULLY
Even though you may disagree with the feedback you are receiving you can still make it a win/win situation for both of you. You can acknowledge that the person who is confronting you may feel that way, even though you disagree. This moves the scenario away from someone having to be proven right or wrong.
By agreeing that you have differing viewpoints it moves the conversation to a place where real progress is possible. If you agree with the other person, you acknowledge their information and even thank them for bringing it to your attention. Let them know how their sharing this with you will help you in the future. If you don’t agree, suggest other ways you think would work better or ask for help if you feel you need it.
Originally published at Fast Company