There are many different types of feedback. Feedback can be positive, negative, or constructive, and it can be sent in an email or delivered in person.
Whether in a professional, academic or personal setting, responding to feedback is always a tricky thing to navigate.
The most important thing to keep in mind is not to respond emotionally in the heat of the moment, especially when the feedback is negative.
Allow yourself a moment to process the information, then contextualize it by asking yourself how important it is that the person giving you the feedback has this opinion about you.
Here is a comprehensive guide to responding to feedback, with sample responses tailored to fit a wide variety of situations.
27 ways to respond to feedback
- Wow, thank you. That’s so kind. I really appreciate you saying that.
- Thanks, it’s really nice to hear my efforts being acknowledged.
- I feel a bit embarrassed, that’s so nice. I’m not sure I deserve all that praise, but I’m very grateful to you for saying what you did.
- You’re too kind. Thank you for that feedback. I really enjoy working with you as well.
- That’s extremely kind of you to say. You’ve made my week.
- Thank you for saying that. I really appreciate the feedback!
- Hi, I appreciate your kind words, even though I’m not totally sure I’ve earned them.
- I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to email me this kind feedback. I know I speak for the office when I say that your leadership makes it easy for us to do our jobs well.
- Thank you for those kind compliments. You are an inspiring boss, and it is easy to be dedicated when working in such a motivating setting.
- Awww, thank you. This was the nicest message to receive. You’ve made me so happy.
- I hear what you’re saying. Let me take some time to reflect on this and I’ll get back to you.
- This is obviously hard to hear. I think I need a moment to think your feedback over before I can respond appropriately.
- I’m disappointed to hear that this is how you feel, but I’ll take this feedback onboard.
- I appreciate your honesty, even though it’s not easy to hear this. I’ll reflect on this conversation and try to improve.
- While I can see where you’re coming from, I don’t feel that your criticism is warranted. Let me explain how things look from where I’m standing.
- This was not an easy email to read, but I will reflect on the points you’ve raised and improve my performance in the relevant areas.
- I am sorry to hear you feel this way. I will give some thought to the issues you raised and then get back to you.
- Thank you for your honesty. Since you’ve now raised your grievances, I will set out the things that have been bothering me about this arrangement. It would be good to talk through this situation in person if you have any availability this week.
- I accept your feedback and will do my best to improve my efforts in relation to the issues you raised.
- I have read your email through twice and will take some time to reflect on your feedback.
- I hear what you’re saying, and I agree about the points that I could improve upon. I’ll invest some time in investigating what I need to do to make that happen.
- I think that’s a very fair assessment of my performance. I will take heart from the positives and work on improving the negatives.
- I appreciate your honest assessment of my performance and your good advice for how to improve. I will take what you’ve said onboard.
- Thank you for your email. This is some good food for thought. I appreciate the positive points you raised and will reflect on your comments about the areas I could improve in.
- I appreciate you reaching out. It’s great to feel that management cares and is paying attention to our work. I will endeavor to improve in the areas you mentioned.
- I will take all this into consideration. I’m glad about the things you mentioned going well, and I will spend more time on the aspects of the job that need improvement.
- Thank you for getting in touch. I appreciate the time you’ve put into giving me feedback and I will work on putting the things you’ve mentioned into practice.
How to respond to positive feedback in person
There is nothing better than positive feedback.
Whether we are working our tails off at work, racking up the hours in the college library, or simply have been there for a friend during a difficult period, there is no nicer feeling than being told our efforts are appreciated.
This appreciation is especially powerful when it is conveyed in person.
That said, it can also be embarrassing to be told nice things about oneself, and you may find yourself blushing or getting flustered when trying to find the words to express your gratitude for the kind words.
Never fear. Here are some fool-proof ways to respond to positive feedback in person.
1. Wow, thank you. That’s so kind. I really appreciate you saying that.
While it important to take a second to think before responding to any kind of feedback, it is also good not to make your response too calculated, particularly when you are responding to positive feedback in person.
Instead, the person complimenting you will appreciate your honest reaction.
So, while you may want to contain any shrieks of joy you feel tempted to let out, it is perfectly acceptable to allow your organic happiness to show on your face.
You can more or less say what you genuinely feel about what you’ve been told.
There is not just one best way to respond to compliments, but this sample response is a good example of how this might sound.
2. Thanks, it’s really nice to hear my efforts being acknowledged.
Another thing you can say after receiving positive feedback is that you appreciate having your efforts acknowledged.
This response is a simple expression of gratitude for the time that someone has taken to reflect on your behavior or performance.
Thanking someone for feedback will make them more likely to give you feedback in the future and to take an interest in your progress.
It is important to thank people for their comments or advice, regardless of the setting, and especially when the feedback is positive.
3. I feel a bit embarrassed, that’s so nice. I’m not sure I deserve all that praise, but I’m very grateful to you for saying what you did.
Some of us feel embarrassed when we’re complimented. While we may be happy on the inside, we find it hard to acknowledge that we have done something well and would rather not be the center of attention.
If you feel nervous when you receive praise because you aren’t sure you deserve it, you can express this.
The person giving you positive feedback is sure to disagree with your assessment, because after all, they’re just expressed that they think you’re doing very well, but a little humility never goes amiss.
4. You’re too kind. Thank you for that feedback. I really enjoy working with you as well.
When someone compliments you, it is nice to acknowledge the role they play in contributing to your positive performance.
If a motivating work colleague or an inspiring boss compliments your work, you can return the compliment!
After all, no one doesn’t like to hear that their work is appreciated!
5. That’s extremely kind of you to say. You’ve made my week.
If a close work colleague compliments you on your efforts in the office, or if a friend thanks you for your personal support, you can tell them they’ve made your week.
This is a nice way to express how grateful you are to them without having to gush too much.
How to respond to positive feedback over email
Receiving positive feedback over email come with the advantage that you can take your time to absorb the information and enjoy feeling proud without having to immediately think about how to react to the praise in an appropriate manner.
The best way to respond to an email conveying a positive assessment of your recent performance is to keep things short and sweet.
Don’t labor the point of how grateful you are. Instead, one or two short sentences will suffice.
6. Thank you for saying that. I really appreciate the feedback!
This is a short and sweet sample response that gets right to the point and would be perfectly suited to thanking a work superior for a kind bit of feedback received over email.
It is crucial to start a response to a professional email giving you positive feedback with a thank you.
While it is part of a superior’s job to help you progress, there is no contractual imperative for them to be reaching out to you to provide you with their detailed thoughts on your performance.
This is almost certainly something they are doing because they care, so it is only right to let them know that you are aware of the kindness they are doing you.
7. Hi, I appreciate your kind words, even though I’m not totally sure I’ve earned them.
If you feel that someone is giving you praise you don’t deserve (even though, let’s face it, you probably do and are just being hard on yourself), then you can tell them you feel this. No one doesn’t like humility.
Make sure, however, that you don’t overdo the self-deprecation.
If someone pays you a compliment, they don’t want to have to spend twenty minutes convincing you they really mean it.
Instead, politely acknowledge that you feel their words are too kind, and then thank them for saying them anyway.
8. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to email me this kind feedback. I know I speak for the office when I say that your leadership makes it easy for us to do our jobs well.
One of the best possible ways to respond to receiving positive feedback via email in a work context, is to compliment the other person in return.
For example, if your boss writes to you to give you a positive performance assessment, let them know that you appreciate their leadership style.
Moments of this kind of professional connection can be few and far in between, so it is a good idea to capitalize on them while they are happening.
You never know what this kind of mutual appreciation and understanding might lead to.
9. Thank you for those kind compliments. You are an inspiring boss, and it is easy to be dedicated when working in such a motivating setting.
This is another sample response that acknowledges the role your boss or work superior plays in your positive performance.
Importantly, if your boss hears that you enjoy being motivated, they will be likely to pay more attention to you in the future, and to try to foster your development. This may end up being enormously professionally advantageous.
10. Awww, thank you. This was the nicest message to receive. You’ve made me so happy.
This sample response is best saved for personal positive feedback and would not be appropriate in a professional context.
This is the perfect response if, for example, your mother-in-law reaches out over email to thank you for making such an effort with the food at Thanksgiving.
How to respond to negative feedback in person
There is quite possibly nothing harder than receiving negative feedback in person.
Often, listening to someone criticize us can trigger a fight-or-flight response.
We may find our stomach clenching, our limbs shaking, or even that we are fighting back tears.
This is all completely normal. However, it is important to keep your composure when receiving negative feedback in person.
Don’t react hastily. Instead, simply listen.
Then, give yourself a moment to reflect on how you feel.
Once you have calmly assessed your options, you can use one of the following responses to de-escalate the situation and to remove yourself from it if necessary.
11. I hear what you’re saying. Let me take some time to reflect on this and I’ll get back to you.
You can always, always, always say that you need some time to reflect.
If someone has given you negative feedback, there is nothing wrong with not addressing the substantive issue in the heat of the moment.
Taking the time to reflect on what has been said to you and on how well you think it reflects your behavior will allow you to respond in a more objective, less defensive, and more emotionally prepared way.
Simply respond the above, end the conversation, and plan on approaching the person again once you’ve had time to think things through.
12. This is obviously hard to hear. I think I need a moment to think your feedback over before I can respond appropriately.
Negative feedback, whether in a work context or a personal one, can cut the core.
It is normal to feel genuinely upset after receiving it.
There is no point pretending that you aren’t being affected by what the person criticizing you is saying.
The most mature way to deal with feeling bad when someone tells you they don’t think you’ve done a good job, is to let them know what they’re saying is hard to hear.
Words said in anger are notoriously unhelpful, so instead of allowing your emotions to get the better of you, remove yourself from the situation by asking for a moment.
13. I’m disappointed to hear that this is how you feel, but I’ll take this feedback onboard.
It takes a big person to acknowledge when they have made a mistake.
If you want to show your willingness to reflect honestly on your own behavior, tell the person giving you negative feedback that you will take what they are saying on board.
This readiness to be objective will surely earn you respect in their eyes.
14. I appreciate your honesty, even though it’s not easy to hear this. I’ll reflect on this conversation and try to improve.
Strange as it might sound, there are times when someone telling you bad things about yourself actually makes you feel grateful.
Of course, it is not the negative things they are saying that make you happy.
Rather, it is the fact that instead of simply walking around thinking badly of you, they care enough about your relationship to try to rectify the situation by seeing whether it can be fixed.
If you feel that the negative feedback is genuinely motivated by wanting to work through things, thank the person speaking to you for their honesty.
This will surely surprise them and transform the tone of the exchange into something warmer and more easy-going.
In any conflict, when a party shows a willingness to work through things, the problem is most of the way solved.
15. While I can see where you’re coming from, I don’t feel that your criticism is warranted. Let me explain how things look from where I’m standing.
Receiving negative feedback in person is made even more difficult when it feels unfair.
If you know that your performance has been excellent and you have been putting in the extra hours for months, it can really sting to have to sit and listen to criticism.
If you find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is to hit back (not literally, of course!).
Do not just sit there and listen to yourself be criticized if you do not feel that what is being said is warranted.
Instead, advocate for yourself!
After all, not every situation is meant to work out. If the situation you are in seems unsustainable, there is no shame in finding a way out of it, whether that means writing a resignation letter for a job you just started or quitting a job you’ve hated for years.
How to respond to negative feedback over email
The only good thing about receiving an email that contains negative feedback, is that you have avoided having to listen to the criticism in person.
That said, it is awful to sit in front of a screen displaying critical words about you.
The first thing to do is to take a breather.
Do something else for at least five minutes, then return to the email.
By this time, you will have had a few minutes to process what is going on.
Remember to be as clear and concise as you can in your response.
Do not come across emotional or angry. Instead, keep your tone neutral and professional. Here are a few ways to do just this.
16. This was not an easy email to read, but I will reflect on the points you’ve raised and improve my performance in the relevant areas.
This sample response acknowledges that the email was not a nice thing to receive.
However, by agreeing to reflect on the points raised and to improve your performance, you are giving the email’s author everything they could want.
Once you have sent your response off, you can take some time for yourself to think about what was said and how it made you feel.
Unfortunately, not all critical emails are made equal.
For example, responding to a job rejection email is a whole different kettle of fish to responding to a particularly negative performance review.
Whatever the situation, do your best to sound measured and mature. ¨
17. I am sorry to hear you feel this way. I will give some thought to the issues you raised and then get back to you.
Ah, the famous non-apology. While it may be infuriating to see the phrasing “I’m sorry you feel that way,” in all the public apologies we read, it can be a useful tool to employ when you aren’t sure you’re ready to accept responsibility for something.
You can say “I am sorry to hear you feel this way” in order to buy yourself some time.
Give yourself some time to think about whether the negative feedback you’ve received is warranted and whether you owe the email’s writer a genuine apology.
If you decide you do, you can get back to them with a more heartfelt sorry.
18. Thank you for your honesty. Since you’ve now raised your grievances, I will set out the things that have been bothering me about this arrangement. It would be good to talk through this situation in person if you have any availability this week.
In most cases in which one person is giving another negative feedback, the feeling is pretty much mutual.
Provided you feel confident doing so, you can use receiving criticism in a written form as an opportunity to set out your own frustrations.
In order to keep things from developing into a digital stalemate, you can end your email by asking the person you’re corresponding with whether they have time to talk things through in person.
19. I accept your feedback and will do my best to improve my efforts in relation to the issues you raised.
If you receive negative feedback in a work context and simply want to resolve the issue with as little trouble as possible, the easiest thing to do is just to accept the feedback and promise to do better.
No one will expect you to do more than this, so the conflict or tension will essentially be over once the email has been fired out of your inbox.
There is no harm in admitting you’ve done something wrong.
Sometimes doing so allows us to move forward with a clean slate.
For example, if you are a student who has been told off for skipping lessons, why not simply write an apology letter for missing class and resolve not to do this anymore.
20. I have read your email through twice and will take some time to reflect on your feedback.
If you want to show someone that you are genuinely taking their feedback to heart, let them know that you have read their email twice. Nothing says, “I’m trying to understand” more than re-reading.
Then tell them you will reflect on the points they’ve raised.
This response is perfectly non-committal, because while you are pledging yourself to trying to understand, you are not pledging to change your behavior.
You can wait until after you’ve taken the time to reflect to see how you feel about whether you need to adjust your behavior.
It is also okay to decide that a situation isn’t working out for you and to write a voluntary resignation letter.
How to respond to constructive feedback in person
There isn’t a person in the world who wouldn’t benefit from a bit of constructive feedback.
Crucially, constructive feedback is not a criticism, but rather a way of conveying information that you have to be aware of in order to improve.
Instead of getting defensive when someone gives you constructive feedback, try to see it as tough love, or a hand pushing you out of your comfort zone so that you can grow.
Ultimately, the person you’re speaking to is doing you a favor.
Here are few ways you might respond to receiving constructive feedback in person.
21. I hear what you’re saying, and I agree about the points that I could improve upon. I’ll invest some time in investigating what I need to do to make that happen.
This sample response is evidence of a mature mindset.
It expresses a self-awareness about one’s own shortcomings without becoming defeatist about them and adopting a victim-mindset.
By promising to actively investigate how to improve, you are showing the person who gave you feedback that their positive intention has not been lost on you.
22. I think that’s a very fair assessment of my performance. I will take heart from the positives and work on improving the negatives.
An excellent thing way to respond to constructive criticism in a healthy way is that you think the person giving it has provided a fair assessment.
Constructive feedback often involves both positive and negative feedback, which means you can respond by expressing gratitude for the positives and promising to focus on bettering the negatives.
Thanking someone for their insight is never a bad idea!
23. I appreciate your honest assessment of my performance and your good advice for how to improve. I will take what you’ve said onboard.
This sample response sets out a different way to thank someone giving you feedback for their honesty.
Being honest with someone isn’t always easy.
In fact, for the people pleasers among us, it can be downright terrifying.
If someone gives you constructive criticism, they may well have found it stressful experience.
Thanking them for their candor will surely not go amiss. If they have provided you with advice, you should also thank them for this.
24. Thank you for your email. This is some good food for thought. I appreciate the positive points you raised and will reflect on your comments about the areas I could improve in.
A good phrase to use in an email response to constructive criticism is “food for thought.”
This shows that you will chew on, so-to-speak, the feedback you’ve received. This is all someone giving feedback can really ask.
This sample response checks a number of important boxes.
First, it thanks the sender.
Second, it promises to carefully consider the feedback.
Third, it expresses gratitude for the praise. Fourth, it promises to reflect about the areas where improvement is needed.
How to respond to constructive feedback over email
25. I appreciate you reaching out. It’s great to feel that management cares and is paying attention to our work. I will endeavor to improve upon the areas you mentioned.
This sample response to an email giving constructive to criticism focuses on the fact that it is a positive thing that the sender cares enough to pay close attention to their employees’ work.
This is a nice approach that chooses to turn something that might be considered a negative into a positive.
26. I will take all this into consideration. I’m glad about the things you mentioned going well, and I will spend more time on the aspects of the job that need improvement.
Responding to constructive feedback over email requires you to be clear about how it has been received.
Using “I” statements to express your feelings about the email you have received is always a good idea.
27. Thank you for getting in touch. I appreciate the time you’ve put into giving me feedback and I will work on putting the things you’ve mentioned into practice.
In many respects, this is the perfect response to constructive feedback.
It is clear, short and gets straight to the point.
It expresses a willingness to put into practice the things mentioned by the original email’s sender and thanks them for taking the time to give them feedback.
There is nothing more that could be asked of them. If in doubt, why not just use this sample response?
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.