Artwork for podcast Business Ignite Podcast
Mastering Constructive Criticism: Turning Feedback into Fuel
Episode 4 • 29th September 2024 • Business Ignite Podcast • Business Ignite Podcast
00:00:00 00:09:57

Share Episode

Shownotes

Show Notes:

Transforming Critique: Making Feedback Work for You

In this episode of the Business Ignite podcast, hosts Ethan Walker and Samantha Reed dive into the often daunting experience of receiving design feedback. They reference an insightful article from 95 Visual to provide strategies for making critiques useful rather than disheartening. Key points discussed include setting clear goals before asking for feedback, framing requests for help to make them less intimidating, detaching ego from work, asking clarifying questions, and practicing gratitude. These techniques not only enhance the quality of feedback but also foster better relationships and continual growth. The hosts apply these principles beyond design, emphasizing their applicability in various life and work situations.

00:00 Welcome to the Business Ignite Podcast

00:16 Dealing with Harsh Feedback

01:07 Setting Clear Goals for Feedback

03:04 Framing Your Feedback Requests

03:57 Receiving Criticism Gracefully

06:20 The Importance of Gratitude

07:11 Applying Feedback in Everyday Life

09:11 Conclusion and Listener Engagement

Resources:

  • Receiving Constructive Criticism - Receiving constructive criticism is essential for personal and professional growth, as it helps identify areas for improvement while fostering better communication and collaboration. The key is to approach feedback with an open mind, focusing on how it can enhance your skills and performance. By embracing criticism, individuals and businesses can continuously evolve and improve over time. https://www.95visual.com/resources/articles/receiving-constructive-criticism

Social Media:

Transcripts

Speaker:

Welcome back to the business ignite podcast, where we light the fire

2

:

for business growth and marketing success.

3

:

Your hosts, Ethan Walker, Samantha Reed,

bring you the latest trends, expert

4

:

insights, and actionable strategies

to fuel your business journey.

5

:

Let's ignite your potential.

6

:

Samantha Reed: Okay, so have you ever,

like, poured your heart into a design,

7

:

and you're so ready to share it, you

know, get it out there, and then the

8

:

feedback just Totally, it's not good.

9

:

Ethan Walker: That can be brutal.

10

:

Right, and it's like,

where did I go wrong?

11

:

Samantha Reed: You're not alone, trust

me, every creative goes through that.

12

:

I

13

:

Ethan Walker: guess that

makes me feel a little better.

14

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

15

:

Ethan Walker: But we're

tackling that today.

16

:

We're doing a deep dive on how to

make those cringeworthy critique

17

:

moments actually, you know.

18

:

Useful.

19

:

Useful, exactly.

20

:

We're using this article.

21

:

It's from 95 Visual.

22

:

Samantha Reed: Oh, I've heard of them.

23

:

Ethan Walker: Yeah, they're

like the design gurus, websites,

24

:

branding, the whole nine yards.

25

:

Samantha Reed: Okay.

26

:

Yeah, so they definitely

know their stuff then.

27

:

Ethan Walker: They're in the

trenches dealing with this every day.

28

:

And what really surprised me.

29

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

30

:

Ethan Walker: They don't

even start with like.

31

:

How to handle the criticism itself.

32

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

33

:

Really?

34

:

It's more about what you do

before you even show your work.

35

:

Ethan Walker: That's interesting.

36

:

Why does that matter so much?

37

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

38

:

I was wondering the same thing.

39

:

But they emphasize that so often, we

jump into asking for feedback without

40

:

really thinking about our goals.

41

:

Oh,

42

:

Ethan Walker: I'm totally guilty of that.

43

:

Me

44

:

Samantha Reed: too!

45

:

We're so excited to show off what

we've made, we forget to, you know,

46

:

Ethan Walker: Like set the stage.

47

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

48

:

We forget to ask ourselves

those basic questions.

49

:

Ethan Walker: Like what they got.

50

:

Like

51

:

Samantha Reed: what problem are we

even trying to solve with this design?

52

:

Who are we making this for?

53

:

Ethan Walker: Oh yeah, that makes sense.

54

:

Otherwise you just get vague

feedback that's not helpful.

55

:

Samantha Reed: Right, like

this doesn't work for me and

56

:

you're thinking, great, thanks.

57

:

Ethan Walker: Okay, so if you do set

those goals beforehand, then what?

58

:

Samantha Reed: Well, let's

say you're designing a logo.

59

:

Instead of, What do

you think of this logo?

60

:

You ask.

61

:

Ethan Walker: Does this logo

convey what I'm going for?

62

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah, or, I'm trying to

show trustworthiness and innovation.

63

:

Does this achieve that?

64

:

Ethan Walker: Oh, I see, you're giving

them something to measure it against.

65

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

66

:

The feedback becomes so much more

focused and actually helpful.

67

:

Ethan Walker: Okay, I

like where this is going.

68

:

It's like setting clear

expectations from the start.

69

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

70

:

And 95 Visual had this example about

a company designing a mobile app.

71

:

Ethan Walker: Okay.

72

:

Samantha Reed: It was really

sleek and stylish, but they

73

:

hadn't really thought about, like

74

:

Ethan Walker: Who was using it?

75

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah,

their target audience.

76

:

It was supposed to be

for older adults, but Oh

77

:

Ethan Walker: no, that's not good.

78

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah, they had to redo

the whole thing because the feedback was

79

:

all about how hard it was to navigate.

80

:

Ethan Walker: Oof, that's

a design nightmare.

81

:

Samantha Reed: If they'd just

clarified who they were designing

82

:

for, right from the beginning.

83

:

Ethan Walker: They could've

saved so much time and energy.

84

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

85

:

It's not just about getting feedback, it's

about making sure everyone's on the same

86

:

page about what we're trying to achieve.

87

:

Ethan Walker: I'm starting

to see that now, yeah.

88

:

Samantha Reed: Okay, so, we've

got our goals figured out.

89

:

We're ready with our elevator pitch.

90

:

Ethan Walker: Right.

91

:

Samantha Reed: Now, how do we actually

ask people for feedback without, you

92

:

know, making them run for the hills?

93

:

Ethan Walker: Like, how

do we make it less scary?

94

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

95

:

And 95 Visual says it can be as

simple as how you phrase the question.

96

:

Ethan Walker: Really?

97

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

98

:

It's all about framing.

99

:

Would you rather someone ask

for your opinion or your help?

100

:

Ethan Walker: Oh, help for sure.

101

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

102

:

judgy.

103

:

Exactly.

104

:

Ethan Walker: So, how do we ask

for help then, specifically?

105

:

So,

106

:

Samantha Reed: instead of, hey,

can I get your feedback on this?

107

:

It's more like

108

:

Ethan Walker: Hey, can you

lend me your expertise on this?

109

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah, or, Hey, I'm

really struggling with this concept.

110

:

Could you lend your eye to this?

111

:

Ethan Walker: You're asking for

their help, not just their judgment.

112

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

113

:

It shows that you value their input

and you see them as a partner.

114

:

Ethan Walker: Not just a critic

waiting to tear you down.

115

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

116

:

And it automatically makes the whole thing

feel less intimidating for both of you.

117

:

Ethan Walker: I like that approach.

118

:

Makes it more collaborative.

119

:

Samantha Reed: Okay.

120

:

So, We've set the stage with our goals.

121

:

We're asking for help like pros.

122

:

Ethan Walker: We're on a roll.

123

:

Samantha Reed: But then

comes the hard part.

124

:

Ethan Walker: Uh oh.

125

:

Samantha Reed: Actually

receiving the criticism.

126

:

The

127

:

Ethan Walker: moment of truth, huh?

128

:

Samantha Reed: And that's where

things can get interesting.

129

:

Because even when we prep and we think

we're ready, it's still tough to hear

130

:

that it's something we've worked on.

131

:

You know?

132

:

Ethan Walker: This isn't perfect.

133

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

134

:

Or that it needs more work.

135

:

Ethan Walker: Especially

when you've poured your heart

136

:

and soul into it, you know?

137

:

Samantha Reed: Totally.

138

:

95 Visual talks about detaching

your ego from the work.

139

:

Ethan Walker: Oh, that's so hard though.

140

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

141

:

It's easier said than done.

142

:

Ethan Walker: Way easier.

143

:

Samantha Reed: But they use this

analogy about learning to ride a bike.

144

:

Ethan Walker: Okay.

145

:

I can see where this is going.

146

:

Samantha Reed: You don't just hop on

and become a pro instantly, right?

147

:

There are wobbles.

148

:

Ethan Walker: Definitely some wobbles.

149

:

Samantha Reed: Some falls.

150

:

Maybe a few scraped knees along the way.

151

:

Yeah.

152

:

Ethan Walker: I think we

all have those battle scars.

153

:

Samantha Reed: For sure.

154

:

But each of those, like, design

wipe outs, those failures

155

:

Ethan Walker: They teach you something.

156

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

157

:

You learn how to balance,

how to steer, you know.

158

:

Ethan Walker: So you're saying that

those critiques, even the harsh

159

:

ones, they're like those wipe outs.

160

:

Samantha Reed: Okay, gotta be

honest, I kinda like that analogy.

161

:

Ethan Walker: It's all

part of the process, right?

162

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

163

:

Ethan Walker: It's not about you

as a designer being a failure.

164

:

It's just that the design itself

It needs some improvement.

165

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

166

:

It's like this version just needs

a little more, I don't know.

167

:

Ethan Walker: Refinement.

168

:

Samantha Reed: Yes.

169

:

Refinement.

170

:

And speaking of refinement, 95 Visual also

talks about asking clarifying questions.

171

:

Ethan Walker: Oh yeah, that's a good one.

172

:

Because

173

:

Samantha Reed: sometimes

the feedback is so vague.

174

:

Ethan Walker: The worst.

175

:

Samantha Reed: Like, this

just doesn't feel right, and

176

:

you're like, Okay, now what?

177

:

Right.

178

:

Like, should I scrap the whole thing?

179

:

Start over.

180

:

Ethan Walker: That's where those

clarifying questions come in handy.

181

:

Samantha Reed: Totally.

182

:

Instead of just nodding along

like you understand, They

183

:

Ethan Walker: dig a little deeper.

184

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly.

185

:

Can you elaborate on that?

186

:

What specifically feels off?

187

:

Ethan Walker: Is it the color scheme?

188

:

The layout, help me understand.

189

:

Samantha Reed: Yes, and when you

ask those questions, you're not just

190

:

getting more clarity for yourself.

191

:

Ethan Walker: You're showing the

other person that you actually

192

:

care about their feedback.

193

:

Samantha Reed: And that you're

trying to actually use it to improve.

194

:

Ethan Walker: Which makes them more

likely to, you know, actually give

195

:

you thoughtful feedback in the future.

196

:

Samantha Reed: Right, it turns it into

a dialogue, not just a one way critique.

197

:

Ethan Walker: I'm all about that

open communication for sure.

198

:

Samantha Reed: Me too.

199

:

Okay, so, We've talked about setting

clear goals, asking for help, detaching

200

:

our egos, asking clarifying questions.

201

:

Ethan Walker: What else is there?

202

:

Samantha Reed: Well, 95 visual

also emphasizes the importance of

203

:

Ethan Walker: Don't tell me.

204

:

Don't tell me.

205

:

Samantha Reed: Gratitude.

206

:

Ethan Walker: I knew it.

207

:

Gratitude.

208

:

Samantha Reed: Which sounds so simple.

209

:

Ethan Walker: It is simple.

210

:

But we forget it all the time.

211

:

Samantha Reed: All the time,

especially when the feedback is, well

212

:

Ethan Walker: Not exactly

what you wanted to hear.

213

:

Right,

214

:

Samantha Reed: when it feels

like a punch to the gut.

215

:

Ethan Walker: But even then

216

:

Samantha Reed: Even then

217

:

Ethan Walker: Think about it, someone

took the time to share their thoughts,

218

:

even if it wasn't sugar coated.

219

:

Samantha Reed: That's true, it is

coming from a good place, usually.

220

:

Ethan Walker: They want you

to succeed, and sometimes that

221

:

means being upfront and honest.

222

:

Samantha Reed: Okay, I see your point.

223

:

Even if the delivery isn't perfect,

the intention is usually good.

224

:

Ethan Walker: Exactly.

225

:

And when you acknowledge

that, when you show gratitude.

226

:

Samantha Reed: It makes the

whole experience more positive.

227

:

For

228

:

Ethan Walker: both of you.

229

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

230

:

Ethan Walker: And it builds trust, which

is crucial for any creative collaboration.

231

:

Samantha Reed: Okay, I'm convinced.

232

:

Gratitude, even when it's hard.

233

:

Ethan Walker: Especially when it's hard.

234

:

Samantha Reed: It's true though.

235

:

We've been talking about design critiques.

236

:

Ethan Walker: Right.

237

:

Samantha Reed: But this

applies to like, Everything.

238

:

Oh yeah, for sure.

239

:

That big presentation at work,

getting feedback from your boss.

240

:

Ethan Walker: Oh, nerve wracking.

241

:

Samantha Reed: The worst.

242

:

Or those performance reviews.

243

:

Ethan Walker: Don't even

get me started, am I right?

244

:

Samantha Reed: And even in our

personal lives, like, let's

245

:

say you're trying a new recipe.

246

:

Ethan Walker: Okay, I'm with you.

247

:

Samantha Reed: You make this

amazing dinner, and your

248

:

partner gives you that look.

249

:

Ethan Walker: You know the one.

250

:

Samantha Reed: Exactly!

251

:

It's like, what went wrong?

252

:

Ethan Walker: Instead of

getting defensive, though,

253

:

Samantha Reed: Yeah.

254

:

Ethan Walker: What if we use these

tips to actually, like, grow from it?

255

:

Samantha Reed: Okay, now I'm really

interested, how would that even work?

256

:

With the partner, the

recipe, the look, everything.

257

:

Ethan Walker: Alright, so, imagine

you're making this fancy pasta dish.

258

:

Samantha Reed: Okay.

259

:

Okay.

260

:

Ethan Walker: And instead of just serving

it up, you say, Hey, I was going for,

261

:

like, a really rich, savory flavor.

262

:

How's the seasoning hitting you?

263

:

Samantha Reed: Ooh, so sneaky.

264

:

You're getting feedback, but

you're also kind of guiding it.

265

:

Ethan Walker: Exactly.

266

:

It's not just a test

of your cooking skills.

267

:

It's like you're both in on it together.

268

:

Samantha Reed: Okay.

269

:

And then what?

270

:

What if they say, It

needs a little something.

271

:

Ethan Walker: Instead of panicking.

272

:

Samantha Reed: Right.

273

:

My instinct.

274

:

Ethan Walker: You ask.

275

:

What do you think it's missing?

276

:

More salt.

277

:

A squeeze of lemon.

278

:

Samantha Reed: So it becomes

this collaborative thing.

279

:

Ethan Walker: Exactly.

280

:

You're both working towards

the same delicious goal.

281

:

Samantha Reed: Oh, I like that.

282

:

No more kitchen nightmares.

283

:

Ethan Walker: And the best

part is, the more you do this,

284

:

the more natural it becomes.

285

:

You start seeing feedback as

something helpful, not scary.

286

:

Samantha Reed: It's like this

whole time we've been approaching

287

:

feedback like it's a battle.

288

:

Ethan Walker: Right.

289

:

Shields up.

290

:

Samantha Reed: When really, it's

more like building a bridge.

291

:

Ethan Walker: I love that.

292

:

Building a bridge together.

293

:

Samantha Reed: And when you do that,

it not only makes the feedback better.

294

:

Ethan Walker: It actually

strengthens your relationships too.

295

:

Samantha Reed: This is amazing.

296

:

I'm already thinking about how I can

use this in every part of my life.

297

:

Work, relationships, everything.

298

:

Ethan Walker: Me too.

299

:

It's all about changing your

perspective, approaching feedback with

300

:

curiosity, being open to learning.

301

:

Samantha Reed: Well said.

302

:

This deep dive has been

a game changer for sure.

303

:

Ethan Walker: Glad to hear it.

304

:

Samantha Reed: And listeners,

we want to hear from you.

305

:

How do you handle criticism?

306

:

What are your tips and tricks?

307

:

Share your experiences

with us on social media.

308

:

Ethan Walker: We'll be

checking those out for sure.

309

:

Samantha Reed: Until next

time, happy creating.

310

:

Speaker 2: Thanks for tuning

into the Business Ignite podcast,

311

:

where we fuel your business

growth and marketing success.

312

:

If you enjoyed today's episode,

be sure to rate and review us.

313

:

It does help others find the show.

314

:

Don't forget to follow us on social

media at Business Ignite podcast and

315

:

share this episode with a friend.

316

:

Keep the fire burning and remember,

your success is just one strategy away.

317

:

Until next time, stay ignited.

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube