Unit 26

%FFECTIVE#OMMUNICATION
Don’t Take It Personally
There are many different reasons we may have to give
a business colleague or a client ‘negative’ feedback.
Find this unit in the following modules:
s -EETINGS A Make a list of ten reasons for giving a colleague
s "USINESS#OMMUNICATION negative feedback.

"USINESS'RAMMAR 1
s 0HRASALVERBS 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Giving negative feedback appropriately

requires good interpersonal skills. It is
important that the other person understands
what the problem is, and how they could
handle the situation differently on another
occasion. When giving this kind of feedback,
it is best to focus on behaviour, and not on
personality. When receiving this kind of
feedback, it is best to try and avoid taking it
personally.

B Work in pairs. Read the four situations below, and discuss how you would react in each case.

1 2
You’ve been doing lots of overtime to complete You’ve just received a phone call from one of your
a project by the specified deadline. You have most important clients. She was very upset with the
requested payment for this time. Your boss has sent way that one of your junior managers has handled a
you an email implying that you need to work on your problem with her project, saying that he was
time-management skills. ill-informed. You have been responsible for training
this junior member of your team.

3 4
You have been unable to meet your targets this
quarter for a variety of reasons including some You have been selected for a promotion out of a
problems at home and, most significantly, changes in group of six of your colleagues. Four of these people
the financial system at work, which have made it take are now acting extremely aloof, making it difficult to
longer to process payments. You know your neck is work together as a team.
on the line.

76 EF Business English Book 3

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%FFECTIVE#OMMUNICATION "USINESS&OCUS
s3PEAKINGUNITs7RITINGUNIT

C Read the advice below on giving negative D Work in pairs. Discuss the questions below.
feedback. Then match the underlined phrasal Practise using some of the phrasal verbs
verbs to their synonyms. from Exercise C.

a accept e defend 1 Have you ever received any negative

b appear f face feedback in a work situation?
c depress you g think of 2 What happened?
d reflect on h support 3 How did you respond?

Everyone (1) comes up against negative feedback
during their career, but when it’s your turn, it’s
important not to let the criticism (2) get you down.
Make sure you don’t (3) come across as defensive
or angry. And never try to (4) come up with
something to criticise the other person about!
You can still (5) stick up for yourself if you think
someone is being unfair, but do this by asking
him or her to (6) back up his or her statements
with specific examples of what you did wrong.
On the whole, it’s best to try and (7) face up to
what is being said and think about how you can
change to improve your performance. If you do this,
you should be able to (8) look back on the criticism
as constructive feedback rather than negative
feedback.
Grammar Focus
s0HRASALVERBS
E Read the dos and don’ts for dealing with
criticism. Put them into the table.
s take it personally
s listen to what he / she has to say
s blame one of your colleagues
s give excuses for why it has happened
s think before you speak
s ask for suggestions as to how you might improve
s jump down his / her throat
s spend too long dwelling on it
s discuss it with your line manager
s thank him / her for the feedback
s try and develop a thick skin
Do

F Work in pairs. Choose one of the situations

from Exercise B and read your role-play card. Don’t
Prepare and practise what you are going to say.
Change roles.

A You are going to be called into a

meeting to discuss the situation
with your manager. He / She is B You are A’s colleague.
going to give you some negative You have been on a course
feedback about the problem. Ask for handling negative
your colleague for some advice on feedback. You want to help A
how to avoid taking this feedback prepare for his / her meeting.
personally.

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