Receiving feedback at work is inevitable. Whether it happens during an annual performance review, a mid-year evaluation, or an impromptu conversation with your supervisor, hearing someone else’s opinion about your work can be anxiety-provoking. And if you struggle with rejection sensitivity or neurodivergent insecurities, even constructive feedback can feel like an attack on your character, your value, or your right to be there.
You may find yourself feeling misunderstood, unappreciated, criticized, or overlooked. Before you know it, you’re second-guessing your abilities and questioning whether you belong in your position. But feedback doesn’t have to send you spiraling. Here are three ways to approach performance reviews and workplace feedback with more confidence, using the Word of God as your foundation.
1. Build and Revisit Your Altars
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” — Psalm 77:11 (NIV)
When you’re caught off guard by feedback, your natural response may be to get defensive or feel defeated. You may feel the need to defend your position, your name, or your accomplishments. But here’s something to remember: someone’s feedback doesn’t change your identity or the fact that you were made in God’s image.
Sometimes, what you need most in these moments is assurance. Seek that assurance from the Lord and remind yourself of who you are in Him.
A practical way to avoid defensiveness is to prepare for your performance reviews by recording your wins. These include the tasks you’ve completed, projects you’ve contributed to, notable accomplishments, and things you’ve achieved with God’s help.
Look at these wins as altars to God. Throughout Scripture, people built altars to remember what God had done, his blessings, his favor, and his promises. You can create your own reminders of God’s goodness by documenting your accomplishments and revisiting them before feedback conversations.
Remembering your previous blessings and accomplishments can encourage you and remind you that someone else’s opinion does not define your capabilities.
2. Armor Up! Have a Great Quiet Time
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” — Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)
Not all feedback will be accurate or applicable to you. People’s opinions are just that: opinions. That’s why it’s important to approach feedback with discernment rather than immediately accepting everything you hear as truth.
James 1:19 reminds us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. You don’t have to respond immediately to feedback, whether you agree or disagree with it. Take your time, evaluate what’s being said, and keep your peace.
One way to prepare yourself mentally and spiritually is to spend time in God’s Word before your performance review. Consider having your quiet time the morning of your meeting or even get a head start the night before too.
Let’s look at how the armor of God can help you approach these conversations:
- Belt of Truth: Remind yourself of God’s truth about your identity so that your sense of worth isn’t put on trial during a performance review
- Breastplate of Righteousness: Protect your heart by approaching the conversation with humility, listening, and a willingness to learn
- Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace: Extend compassion, grace, and mercy to yourself and the person on the other side of the table, like Jesus would and has
- Shield of Faith: Use your faith to guard against deception, negative thinking, and thoughts that attack your confidence
- Helmet of Salvation: Protect your mind from rumination, self-doubt, and fear by remembering who you belong to—who has claimed you for forever
- Sword of the Spirit: Use the Word of God to challenge insecurities and thoughts that don’t align with God’s truth about you
You can keep your quiet time notes on your desk as a refresher throughout the day. Also having a short Scripture memorized can help you return to God’s truth before, during, and after a feedback conversation.
3. Say It With Me: Feedback Is Good!
“If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” — Proverbs 15:31-32 (NIV)
Changing the way you look at feedback can help you manage self-doubt, negative self-talk, defensiveness, and rumination.
Feedback is a good thing. It’s meant to help you grow in what you do, develop your skills, mature you, and become wiser. It gives you an opportunity to learn, celebrate what you’re excelling at, and identify areas where you can improve.
Of course, it’s important to use discernment. Not everything you hear will be accurate, and you don’t have to internalize every opinion. But overall, approach feedback with a willingness to receive something valuable.
Go into your next performance review with a receiving heart and a discerning heart. You may discover something valuable that helps you move forward in your career and personal growth.
Put These 3 Steps Into Practice
The next time you’re preparing for a performance review or receiving feedback from your supervisor, remember these three things:
- Build and revisit your altars: Record your accomplishments and revisit the ways God has helped you along the way, your capabilities and strengths
- Armor up: Spend time in God’s Word, prepare your mind, and practice being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry
- Remember that feedback is good: Enter the conversation with a willingness to learn, grow, and celebrate your accomplishments while exercising discernment
Overall, pray and ask God to help you manage your emotions and guide the conversation toward something productive and constructive.
If you struggle with sensitivity to feedback, remember that you don’t have to let a performance review determine how you see yourself. The more you practice these steps, the more confident you can become in handling workplace feedback.
Let’s discuss! How do you typically respond to feedback at work? Do you find yourself becoming defensive, second-guessing your abilities, or replaying the conversation afterward? Share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!