Thanks for the Feedback
A review of

Thanks for the Feedback

The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well

Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen • Viking • 2014

Accepting Feedback

by David Meyer

Harvard Law lecturers and bestselling authors Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen detail – with compassion and wit – why it’s so hard to hear or accept advice.

Feedback is a regular part of every relationship, yet it’s often fraught with problems. In this illuminating guide, Harvard Law School lecturers and bestselling authors Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen explain why most people fail to hear or understand feedback. Drawing from current psychological research and years of consulting, the authors uncover how people subconsciously distort the meaning of even the gentlest coaching. They provide concise, actionable advice for combating your tendencies to dismiss needed feedback or to cave in if you get a negative evaluation. They offer steps you can take to become a better recipient of feedback – and a better feedback giver, too.

The bugle blast of evaluation can drown out the quieter melodies of coaching and appreciation.Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen 

The authors’ broad approach may limit the utility of their advice for those seeking an organizational framework for feedback, but their guidance is valuable on a person-to-person level at work or anywhere else.

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