From the Pitch to the Boardroom: Mastering Feedback

Hi, 

In football, the crowd will cheer you one week and criticise you the next. Business is no different. Feedback is inevitable, but what you do with it decides whether you stall or succeed.

Below are a few tips to remember with this in mind.

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Separate the Message From the Emotion

In football, feedback wasn’t always wrapped in kindness. Sometimes it was blunt. Sometimes it stung. But I learned to separate how it was delivered from what it was telling me. In business, feedback might not come perfectly packaged, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. Listen for the signal, not the noise.

Don’t Let Praise or Criticism Define You

If you believe the praise too much, you become complacent. If you believe the criticism too much, you shrink. The best performers I played with had a clear sense of self. They listened, but they didn’t let other people’s opinions become their identity. In business, accept feedback, good or bad, without losing your centre.

Criticism Means You’re in the Arena

The only people who don’t get criticised are the ones who never put themselves out there. In football, if the fans or media weren’t talking about you, you probably weren’t doing much. In business, criticism is part of visibility. Don’t fear it, use it as a sign you’re doing something that matters.

Use It, Don’t Store It

When I received tough feedback, I had two choices: let it fester or let it fuel me. The best players turned criticism into fire. In business, apply the same approach. Take the lesson. Improve. Then let it go. Carrying it around for too long only slows you down.

Make Feedback Normal, Not Occasional

In top teams, feedback wasn’t a dramatic event, it was constant and casual. A quick comment in training. A nudge at half-time. In business, normalise feedback. Create a culture where it’s not personal, it’s professional. Frequent feedback builds faster, stronger teams.

Coach the Delivery, Not Just the Message

How you give feedback matters. In football, the best teammates knew how to challenge each other without tearing each other down. In business, coach your team on tone, timing, and delivery. Feedback should land with clarity, not cause collateral damage.

Invite It Before It’s Given

The strongest leaders I’ve worked with didn’t wait for feedback, they asked for it. Proactively. It showed humility and opened the door to better communication. In business, if you lead by example and invite feedback regularly, your team will follow suit.

Model a Growth Response

What you do with feedback sends a louder message than any team-building exercise ever could. In football, when leaders acted on feedback, the whole squad paid attention. In business, don’t just thank someone for their input, show them how you’ve applied it. That behaviour becomes culture.

Feedback isn’t the enemy, it’s the edge. Use it, grow from it, and then move on stronger than before.

Paul