Get started

Something to doFeedback

Ask how much each piece of feedback matters

A simple exercise to find out which feedback is holding you back, and which praise names a strength worth building

Why it’s worth your time

Feedback usually arrives as a list, and a list makes every point look equally important.

One way to do it

How to prioritize feedback

You’ll come away with the one or two points worth acting on first, and one strength worth building on.

We’ll send you a calendar invite.

  1. List the points you heard.

    One line each, critical and positive, as close to their words as you can manage. Keep the praise on the list; you'll ask about it too.

  2. Ask for a few minutes to go through it.

    Send a short note to whoever gave the feedback, or add it to your next 1:1. Asking within a week or two keeps it fresh for both of you.

    To: whoever gave you the feedback

    Thanks again for the feedback on the review or project. I've been going through it and want to put my effort where it counts.

    Could we take ten minutes, maybe in our next 1:1, so I can ask how much each point matters? A few feel bigger than others, and I'd rather hear your sense of it than guess. No rush if this week is full.

    Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud.
  3. Ask how much each critical point matters.

    Go point by point. For the ones they call heavy, ask why: what does it affect, for the team or for how your work is seen? The answer often tells you more than the point did.

    You“How much does this one matter? Is it something that's holding me back, or more of a rough edge that's fine to live with for now?”
  4. Ask the same about the praise.

    Go through the positive points the same way, one at a time. Knowing which is which tells you where to invest.

    You“And on the good side, which of these is a real strength you'd want me to build on, and which are just working fine as they are?”
  5. Put the heavy ones first, and let the light ones be light.

    Pick one or two heavy points to work on and one strength to lean into. Write the light ones down so you don't lose them, then stop carrying them around.

    Tip: If something felt heavy to you and they called it light, believe them for now. You can always come back to it.

Good moments for this: after a performance reviewafter a project debriefwhenever feedback arrives as a long list

We’ll send you a calendar invite.

If this was useful

Keep going with Truest

Small actions add up. Truest helps you find the next thing worth doing, make the space to do it, and keep a record of your progress. It’s a private place to work on your career, and it’s yours, not your employer’s.

See how Truest works
  • It actually happensWe’ll put it on your calendar and remind you before it starts.
  • Kept with the thing it was aboutSave what comes back in your Vault, next to the work it was about.
  • It’s yours to keepEach thing you do is saved to your private record, there when your next review or job search comes around.

Anything else we can help you with this week?

Making it work for you

Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.

Things to think about

The person giving feedback knows what they've seen. You know things they don't, and it's fair to filter what they say through what you know about yourself.

What might make this harder

Ask for a forced choice: if I could only change one thing over the next three months, which would make the biggest difference?

Questions people ask

How do I prioritize feedback from a performance review?

Ask the person who gave it how much each point matters, then work on the one or two that are holding you back and one strength worth building. You don't need to act on everything at once.

Should I act on all the feedback I get?

Not necessarily. Some points matter a great deal and some are minor, or one person's preference. Finding out which is which is part of taking feedback seriously.

How do I ask a follow-up question about feedback without sounding defensive?

Frame it as wanting to prioritize. Asking how much a point matters, or why, shows you're taking it seriously rather than arguing with it.

What should I do with positive feedback?

Ask whether it names a real strength or just something that's working. Building on a genuine strength often pays off more than polishing a minor weakness.

The longer read

Why this works, and where it comes from

Six points in a review look the same on the page: one line each, the same font, no order. The page can't show what the person who wrote it usually knows, which is that one of those points matters far more than the rest. Without that, people tend to do one of two things. They try to fix everything at once and get overwhelmed, or they work on the easiest point and leave the important one alone.

The person who gave the feedback often has a rough ranking in their head. There's often one thing they think is really in your way, and a few that bug them a little. They didn't say so because nobody asked, and because ranking someone's flaws out loud can feel harsh. Your question gives them permission.

Other simple things to consider

Sort feedback that stungFind what's true in it before you decide what to say back20 minWorksheetAsk for feedback a day aheadThe useful answer is usually the second one, so give it time to arrive15 minConversationMatch your feedback questions to the right peopleThe nearest person isn't always the one who can see your work15 minWorksheet

More in Feedback

See all

Read this alongside your role page

Tell Truest what you’re dealing with

We read every one, and we write guides for the things that come up most. Leave your email if you’d like to hear when we do.

An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated October 29, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.