Embracing Criticism
A few years ago I excitedly attended an evening college course on
fiction writing. Having not stepped foot
on a worn checkered tiled school floor in more years than I’d like to reveal to
you, I admit to being a bit nervous, yet gleefully happy. I passed corridors of youngsters that day
until I finally came upon my destination.
Once inside, I soon became a little more at ease when I saw a diverse
group of individuals, of varying ages, filtering into the classroom. I can tell you that I learned quite a bit from
this course, but one of the most unexpected lessons I learned during that
four-week writing class was how to embrace criticism.
Constructive criticism is something that should never be ignored. Now this may sound like a stale request, but
I urge you to look at constructive criticism with an open mind. It should not be feared or shrugged off. Nor should this type of criticism be viewed
as a negative personal attack, but instead remember that you are being given
this criticism to help you grow as an individual. How thoughtful is it that someone cares
enough to point out areas where we can improve?
Trust me, hearing that parts of my story were weak or not coming across
to my audience as intended was horribly disheartening at first. But then as I stepped away from the class and
refocused my misguided energy and slighted ego on the goal – to write well – I
gained new insight into this personal endeavor and chose to apply it to my
paying career as well.
Is criticism easy to take? No,
not at all. Why? Well, it forces us to look at ourselves and
our business practices in another light, from the viewpoint of an observer,
imperfections and all. If, for example,
someone suggests to you that perhaps you are handling an issue with a colleague
or client the wrong way, instead of getting mad and dismissing their comment, try
looking at your situation with a new set of eyes. Ask your friend why they feel you are
handling this situation poorly? How would
they suggest that you handle this incident differently? Now, that well-meaning friend may or may not
be correct with their advice, but what I learned from my writing course was to
look at these varying opinions and offerings of advice, and ask myself what can
I do to make this piece better, stronger and convey what it is that I am really
intending my story to convey. If we can
examine these criticisms more closely and find areas to improve upon, then that
criticism can be golden.
So how do we go about embracing criticism and applying it to our daily
business practices? I would suggest the
following:
·
First and foremost, keep an open mind and try
not to immediately go on the defense. It
probably isn't easy for the person giving you the advice to point out a
deficiency, but your supervisors and colleagues are there to help you
improve. Listen carefully to what they
are telling you. This feedback might
provide you with a stepping stone towards more positive client relationships,
or more successful collection results, for example.
·
To use a proverb, put yourself in the other
person’s shoes to examine your imperfections.
Pretend you are looking into a mirror.
What is your reflection revealing?
What are others seeing from your actions? Are you not fully communicating to a client your company’s services? Are you coming
across too brusque? Is your work area
unorganized causing you to make needless mistakes?
·
Use criticism as a launching point for self
improvement by seeking suggestions from others. If you’re a reader, read and do research. If you like lectures, attend one. If you have a mentor or person you admire,
query them.
In our careers and life in general we all fall into a comfort zone of
doing things a certain way. “If it ain't
broke, don’t fix it”, right? Well,
yes and no. It doesn't hurt to take the
advice of that colleague and mull it around a bit. Perhaps, just maybe, there is a thread of
information there that you could use to improve yourself, your career and your
overall well-being. Embrace criticism I
say! You may not like it very much, but
in time you can learn to use it to your benefit and to grow as an individual.
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