Feedback is an important driving factor for positive change. Open communication about concerns is what allows people to work together to improve their personal and professional relationships. Anyone who isn't perfect knows that receiving feedback can be challenging, since feedback often sounds a lot like criticism. It is equally difficult to give feedback in a way that expresses the care and understanding we want to convey. However, this process is absolutely crucial if we want make positive change.

Luckily, giving and receiving feedback well is a skill we can learn, just like anything else. And one of the best ways to learn is by reading! These books that tackle the topics of criticism, leadership, teamwork, and hard conversations are the first step to improve the way you think about feedback.

1. Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen

Because we live in a world where receiving feedback is an inevitable part of life, Thanks for the Feedback focuses on ways to receive feedback well, no matter how it is given. Stone and Heen tackle the topic by emphasizing the receiver's power to determine the impact of feedback and turn it into an opportunity for reflection and growth.

2. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson

Giving and receiving feedback is only more difficult when the topic of conversation is sensitive. However, in these situations where emotions run high and decisions have big consequences, open discussion is even more important. Crucial Conversations is a book about how to tackle difficult topics when the stakes are high. It is a must read for anyone who deals with sensitive issues.

3. The Feedback Fix: Dump the Past, Embrace the Future, and Lead the Way to Change by Joe Hirsch

Hirsch focuses on giving feedback in this book, with a six-part strategy he calls the REPAIR method. With this method, Hirsch identifies the problem with traditional ways of giving feedback to help readers move toward communication that looks toward future improvement instead of focuses on past failures. Although The Feedback Fix focuses on business, it is a great resource for al types of difficult conversations.

4. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy Edmondson

Another business-focused book, The Fearless Organization highlights the importance of creating a community where members feel safe to voice opinions and speak out when problems arise. Edmonson's book is not necessarily about how to give or receive feedback; rather, it discusses how to create an environment of feedback where challenging authority does not cause fear of retribution.

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