Don’t Let Your Brain’s Defense Mechanisms Thwart Effective Feedback
How we can elude the various mental processes that may lead us to misinterpret feedback.
Author(s): James R. Detert, Ethan R. Burris
Publisher: Harvard Business Review
Date of publication: 2016
Read this article on the publisher's website [Harvard Business Review]
Summary
The brain’s defense mechanisms help us perceive danger and react to it automatically. But this perception of danger is often excessive. So, in our professional life, our defensive reflexes may lead us to react inappropriately to feedback. Supported by the work of behavioral and cognitive therapy, this article explains how we can challenge our reflexive thoughts and replace them with more appropriate interpretations.
Synopsis
This article is one of the sources used in Manageris’ synopses:
Feedback, an uncomfortable but invaluable exercise
Feedback is often an uncomfortable exercise both for those who give it and those who receive it. Yet, it almost always brings useful insights. How can we derive greater benefit from the feedback we receive?