"One of my mentees is a woman who was born in China, raised in Indonesia and speaks with a very thick accent," says Copeland. "She has been criticized in the workplace by people not understanding what she's saying. One day I told her, 'When people say this to you, you should say, blah, blah, blah.' She said: 'Margot, that is not our culture. We're not as forthright as you Americans are.'" (Click here to read "How to Build a Successful Mentorship.")
This statement caused Copeland to self-reflect and educate herself.
"I told one of our senior Chinese American leaders that didn't know her, 'I want you to spend some time with her, because there's some cultural nuances that I am not knowledgeable about.'"
Cultural differences aside, feedback is something that can be utilized in an extremely positive way if you know how to use it. Here are four tips on how to do so:
Check your emotions at the door and learn from the criticism
It can be difficult hearing criticism about your work performance, but if you listen to and evaluate the feedback you can come away with so much more.
"You handle [feedback] by trying to listen to it," says Copeland. "Step outside of yourself and be objective. Feedback shared between individuals who have a relationship can be a very wonderful thing; it can be a growing thing and a personal classroom."
So although feedback may hurt, especially for those new to the work force, that does not mean it should not be used as a positive.
"For entry-level candidates, a lot of times they've heard positive things in college, so in the workplace may be the first time they receive developmental or constructive feedback," says Belle. "Constructive feedback is intended to build you up and you use it to actually enhance your skills. It's definitely positive and should be embraced and acted upon in that way."
Don't wait for feedback to come to you
Many companies offer formal evaluations, but that doesn't mean you have to wait for them in order to hear the feedback you may need.
"As the employee, inviting feedback is a great strategy," advises Copeland. "'How am I doing? What are you thinking? What can I do to do better?' Senior leadership likes that. People like to be asked for their advice because if you're waiting for it to come to you then you are always on defense."
A few years ago, a young woman asked Copeland for advice. She knew she was doing well with KeyBank but needed to know what she could do to get to the next level.
"The feedback I gave her was really more about how she packaged herself," recalls Copeland. "I said, 'The style you have right now works for you, but if you look [at] other individuals who are called to make presentations in front of senior leadership, you see there is a consistency there.'"
The young woman didn't take Copeland's feedback as an insult, but instead used it as a way to better fit her attire to the conservative banking environment.
"She didn't take it personally. She went on a shopping spree, totally reworked herself and [now] she is doing extraordinarily well and has made a move or two--and that was a simple adjustment," says Copeland.
Peer versus management feedback
Peer feedback can be the ultimate reflection of your work since that person is at the same level and may be doing a similar job.
"Peer feedback is as important if not more important than when you get it from your leadership," says Copeland. "Never place any less value on one person's feedback than you do on another. That person is probably out for your success and may see some things that you may not be seeing or noticing."
"[A peer] once told me I have nervous laughter," recalls Belle. "I was never aware of it but they told me, 'This is how it's coming across--like you're unsure.'"
Even managers can be given feedback
Although a touchy subject, managers can also benefit from the feedback received from their team.
"There's something called 360 feedback," explains Belle. "[A manager] will get feedback from their supervisor, do a feedback instrument for their self-reflection, get feedback from peers and then with subordinates. If the manager welcomes this, they have to be prepared that everything might not be so rosy."
"That's real touchy," says Copeland. "But [as a leader] you don't have the luxury of taking it personal because you have to show an example. I say, 'How am I doing as a manager?' or 'How do you think our teams doing?' Make it so it's about 'we' instead of 'me.'"
But whether you're entry-level or senior-level, feedback is a positive all the same.
"I think if you talk to any person that people deem successful," concludes Belle, "[feedback] played a very pivotal part in that. I think it's critical to one's professional growth."
