How do you deal with negative feedback?
As a freelancer, I always aim to leave my clients happy and deliver work that reflects their vision. Despite best efforts and intentions, there will be instances where the end result can fall short.
While missing the mark and getting negative feedback doesn’t feel great, it should not necessarily be viewed as a personal failure. There can be many reasons your work doesn’t land that don’t always reflect your skills or abilities. Some of these reasons can include:
Unclear instructions
Misalignment in the vision
Differences in perspective between you and the person assigning you work
A general misunderstanding of the assignment
Before jumping to the worst possible conclusion, remember that negative feedback is not the end of the world. It simply means there’s a disconnect between what you’re delivering, and what your stakeholder needs.
I recently submitted an article to a client that I was excited to share. As I saw the Google comments trickling in from their editors, my stomach clenched as I realized whatever I had delivered was not in line with what they were hoping for. The client felt I had missed the mark and they were not able to use the article I had spent so much time writing and researching (OUCH!) We went back and forth over email trying to get to the root of the problem. I explained my thought process, how I went about gathering my research, and why I took the angle I did.
After a few emails, they asked to speak directly over video. I immediately assumed the worst: they no longer wanted to work with me. I joined the call, and to my surprise, the client simply wanted feedback on their own process and on what they could have done better to help me execute closer to their vision. I had a track record of success writing for their audience and had delivered several articles over the year. So rather than putting all the blame on me, they looked for ways to work with me and improve their own process for the future.
We discussed what happened, and we realized that:
I should have asked more questions earlier in the process/outline creation on areas that needed clarification.
They had forgotten to send me their internal research reports which they wanted included.
We both left the conversation confident in our partnership and excited to move on to the next assignment.
My learning from this? Don’t assume the worst, and look for partners who want to grow and improve just as much as you do. When both parties come into the conversation with a growth mindset, you can openly and honestly share feedback without getting defensive or feeling like you’ve done something “wrong”. This kind of openness allows you to look inwards and be accountable for improvements, rather than fearful of admitting a mistake. In this case, we were both able to pinpoint what each of us needed to do moving forward to ensure better results. Both the client and I were able to sharpen up our own internal processes and work together to move forward.
Negative feedback does not have to be a bad thing. In fact, it can be an invitation to lean into discomfort and work to improve.
How do you deal with negative feedback in your work?