Thanks for the Feedback Workshop

This is a practical, hands-on workshop based on the insights from the book Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen that helps you and your team build confidence in receiving feedback, reduce defensiveness, and turn everyday conversations into opportunities for learning, trust and better collaboration.

Read time: 4.5 minutes

Most people think feedback is about what you say.

But the real skill—the one that makes the biggest difference to a team’s performance—is actually in how you receive it?

That’s what this workshop is about.

Not tips for giving better feedback (though that matters too).

This session focuses on something much less talked about: how to hear feedback, stay open to it, and use it.

Especially when it feels uncomfortable or unfair.

This matters because feedback shapes everything:

Your confidence.

Your working relationships.

Your ability to learn and adapt over time.

But most people aren’t taught how to take feedback well.

They’re taught to nod, say thank you, then either quietly dismiss it or quietly spiral.

Either way, it doesn’t lead to much.

And I think this is where teams get stuck.

You can encourage a feedback culture all you like, but if people shut down as soon as they receive feedback, it doesn’t go anywhere.

The hard truth? Most feedback cultures fail not because people won’t speak up.

But because others aren’t ready to listen.

In this workshop, we take that challenge seriously.

You get to explore the mechanics of receiving feedback.

What throws you off, what shuts you down, and how to stay steady even when the delivery’s off or the message stings.

What Participants Will Walk Away With

It’s not about getting feedback right. It’s about getting better at using it.

Even when it’s awkward. Even when it’s not what you expected.

That’s the kind of skill that quietly changes how teams work.

Let’s get into it…

Workshop Title

Getting Better at Feedback

Duration: 1.5 hours

Purpose:
To help team members build self-awareness and practise receiving feedback in a constructive, growth-focused way.

Workshop Objectives

 Understand different types of feedback and why they matter.
Recognise personal triggers and patterns in receiving feedback.
Practise asking for and responding to feedback with curiosity.
Use “Tell me more” to explore feedback instead of reacting defensively.
Build shared habits that support open, constructive feedback as a team.

Materials Needed

 Flip chart or whiteboard
Markers
Printed handouts with trigger descriptions (optional)
Timer or phone
 Feedback prompt cards (or simply use a shared list)

Workshop Plan

Welcome and Purpose (5 min)

Warm-up: What Feedback Feels Like (10 min)

Mini-Teach: 3 Types of Feedback + 3 Triggers (10 min)

Use a whiteboard or slide to explain:

3 Types of Feedback

3 Triggers That Block Feedback:

Ask:
↳ Which type of feedback do you crave most?
↳ Which trigger hits you most often?

Key Insight: Shift from “What’s Wrong?” to “Tell Me More” (5 min)

Paired Practice: Receiving Feedback (30 min)

Part 1: Preparing to Receive (5 mins)

Each person reflects and writes:

Part 2: Feedback Rounds (2 x 12 mins)

Pairs take turns.

Group Debrief (15 min)

Ask the group:

Team Commitments (10 min)

Ask:

Facilitation Tips

Conclusion

Most people don’t need more feedback.

They need a better way to handle the feedback they already get.

That’s what this workshop offers.

Not a script. Not a set of rules.

Just a practical way to slow down, stay open, and turn feedback—good or bad—into something useful.

It won’t fix everything overnight. But it gives you a foundation.

And over time, that foundation helps teams become more honest, more resilient, and a little more human with each other.

This is one place to start if you’re trying to build a culture where people grow and not just perform.

If you want the slides and handouts for this workshop, you can get them in my Bestselling Book Workshops Bundle.

You get this workshop and others, including all slides containing the process, statistics, visuals, templates, workbooks and handouts.

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See you next week.