Before

• Prepare yourself by getting into a calm and reflective mindset
• Don't create expectations of what the feedback should be
  • It’s not the giver’s role to say what you want to hear, but offer you a different perspective other than your own.

During

• Actively listen to what they are saying
  • It requires you as the listener to fully concentrate, understand, and then remember what is being said.
• Provide small responses to show that you are listening and understanding
  • Eye contact, nodding your head, and saying small things like "I see", "I hear you", "Yep", or even "Hmm" are indicators that you are following the conversation.
• Don't dismiss or react to feedback at the moment it's being given
  • Try to absorb, understand, and reflect upon it. Sometimes, after a while, something that didn’t make sense then, makes sense now. Take your time!
• Be open and understanding of other perspectives
  • One of the key goals of receiving feedback is to become aware of something you didn’t notice by yourself because of your own blind spots.
• Control your emotions and don't freak out
  • You may be surprised, but don’t be reactive.
• Mind your facial expressions and body language
• Ask follow-up or clarification questions when necessary
• Welcome and embrace unexpected feedbacks
  • You may not have asked for it, but still may be useful.
• Show empathy and respect for their point of view
• Show appreciation by thanking them for their feedback
  • Even if you realize it doesn’t make sense to you, you still got the opportunity to consider something otherwise you probably wouldn’t have thought about.

After

• Reflect upon what was said and figure out what makes sense for you
  • You are not bound to act on every feedback you get. You are allowed to drop it if it doesn’t make sense for you.
• Prioritize and choose which feedback you are going to focus first
  • Don’t try to tackle everything at once, nobody expects you to be perfect.
• Make an action or learning plan to apply changes
• Look for guidance and validation
• Set acceptance criteria as a definition of done for each feedback
• Align and manage feedback stakeholders expectations of your development