No one enjoys giving negative feedback. It’s unsettling for the person delivering it, and for most of us, receiving criticism is even harder. Our instinct is often to explain ourselves, defend our position, or shut the conversation down as quickly as possible.

Turn Feedback Into Leadership Growth

But there’s a better way to take feedback on board, one that helps you actually become more aware of your leadership style rather than just getting through the conversation. It’s called LAER, and it’s worth having in your back pocket for the next time feedback comes your way.

Listen. Don’t interrupt, and don’t get defensive. Before you can respond well to feedback, you need to properly hear it, without already composing your reply in your head.

Acknowledge. You don’t have to agree with the feedback to acknowledge it. Simply thank the person for raising it, and let them know the message has landed. This alone changes the tone of the conversation, from confrontation to collaboration.

Explore. Ask questions to understand the other person’s perspective more fully. What specifically prompted the feedback? What impact did it have? Exploring shows genuine curiosity rather than defensiveness, and often reveals more than the initial comment did.

Respond. Finally, offer your view, a proposed solution, or a next step. This is where feedback turns into action, and where you show you’ve genuinely taken it on board rather than simply absorbed it and moved on.

The Positive Side of Negative Feedback

It’s worth remembering that negative feedback, however uncomfortable it feels in the moment, is almost always given for positive reasons: to help you do your job better. Next time it comes your way, try LAER instead of bracing for impact. You might find it easier to welcome than you expect.

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