101: ACCEPTING CRITICISM
Whether it's expected, such as a corporate review of your management performance — or seemingly comes out of nowhere — criticism can be difficult to hear and process. Here are three tips to accept criticism, learn from it, and bring its lessons back to the workplace and to your leadership role:
Whatever you want to say, don't. This may be the most difficult thing, especially if the criticism is coming from a higher-up you don't particularly respect or if it catches you off-guard. Take a deep breath, advises an article at LifeScript.com, and focus. “Maintain a positive attitude with facial expression and body language. Try not to tune out the points you disagree with while staying focused on the entire message,” the article states. “Make a mental note of the point and plan to address it when it is your turn to speak.”
Try and ignore how it's being said and focus on what is being said. Chances are very good your superior is nervous about giving feedback or criticism — very few are skilled at it, says an article at the Harvard Business Review website. “Don't dismiss the feedback just because it wasn't delivered well,” the HBR.org article states. Try to remember that it's likely a difficult situation for them as well.
Seek understanding. Productive dialogue is the goal, says an article at Forbes.com. To foster this, allow the speaker to finish without interruption, then repeat what you heard, such as, '“I hear you saying that you want me to provide more detailed weekly reports, is that right?” At this point, avoid analyzing or questioning the person's assessment; instead, just focus on understanding his or her comments and perspective," the article advises. And thank the person for their feedback (even if you don't agree with it).
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Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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