51: Dorothy Armstrong on Forgiveness, ​Apologies, and ​Handling Difficult Feedback

Noble Mind

How do you respond to difficult feedback? Our first instinct is to defend ourselves or our organization, but that only amplifies the frustration of the person who feels wronged. So, how do we change the way we field criticism and complaints? What does it look like to offer a meaningful apology? And how do we work through the process of forgiving ourselves and others?

In this episode of Noble Mind, Dorothy Armstrong joins Kate and Alex to explain how she thinks about forgiveness and discuss the myth that forgiving requires us to forget. She describes how our amygdala is hijacked when we feel wronged and offers strategies for helping a person move out of fight-or-flight by giving them the space to tell their story and offering a meaningful apology. Listen in for Dorothy’s insight on the five As of responding to difficult feedback and learn how to reframe criticism as an opportunity to listen, learn and change.

Dorothy Armstrong serves as Professional Advisor to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman and Director of DA Professional, an organization that supports individuals, teams and organizations to enhance communication, leadership and wellbeing. Dorothy regularly presents seminars on the power of apology and learning from feedback, and she leads a Complaints Coaching Program for people in public facing or leadership roles. Dorothy is also a Registered Nurse and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Edinburgh in 2010.