Let’s face it as humans, it can be hard to give or receive criticism no matter how it is delivered. But getting comfortable with offering and receiving practical, constructive criticism is fundamental to our professional development along with our personal life as it helps to shape us as individuals into a much better version of ourselves.
It’s natural for humans to reject negative comments and embrace positive ones because who wants to hear that they suck at something?
Although you can’t stop it from happening, it is better to embrace those criticisms by learning how to take them in a good way.
Here is how you can do that:
Listen honestly with understanding and don’t be too quick to react
Many people get defensive at the mere possibility of negative feedback. But no one’s perfect. It’s okay to think about your strengths and weaknesses.
When you’re about to receive either type of feedback, approach the situation with an open mind, so you can understand the difference.
Separate positive and negative criticism
Remind yourself of the benefits of receiving constructive criticism—namely, to improve your skills, work product, and relationships, and to help you meet the expectations that your manager and others have of you.
Although the word criticism may sound negative, it is there to mold us into better people.
However, criticism can sometimes come from a bad judgment that an individual may have of you due to their dislike they may have towards you. Therefore, it is important to separate negative criticism that deems yourself esteem.
Avoid taking the criticism personal
People tend to feel personally offended when they receive criticism. They perceive it as an attack on their real self. It’s important to realise that you also criticize other people’s jealousy or pride, which is merely passing emotion but not the real person.
Act on the positive feedback
Make plans to work on the areas that were highlighted in the feedback. It’s important to realize that most critics have some bits of truth. Thus, even if it’s negative, ensure that you have learnt from these comments. These are cheat codes of self-improvements, and you should keep a record of them and implement them.
Say thank you for the critic
Even if someone is harsh and rude, thank them. They might have been having a bad day, or maybe they’re just a negative person in general. But even so, your attitude of gratitude will probably catch them off-guard.
And even if the critic doesn’t take your “thank you” in a good way, it’s still good to do — for yourself. It’s a way of reminding yourself that the criticism was a good thing for you, a way of keeping yourself humble.
