The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Dealing with criticism: You don't have to swallow everything

2022-06-29T07:45:23.812Z


When you are new to the job, you want to do everything right. But not always there is only praise from bosses and colleagues. How not to despair - but grow.


Enlarge image

Anyone who learns to deal with criticism also learns to benefit from it (symbol image)

Photo: Gunnar Svanberg Skulason/Getty Images

If we had a choice, I think we would all prefer to be praised.

Especially when we are new to the job and want to make a good impression.

But especially as a career starter you still often do things wrong - after all, you don't know the processes that well and have to familiarize yourself with many things first.

You can also be criticized even if you do everything right.

In a new job, you should therefore be prepared for criticism so that it does not catch you unprepared.

And also because criticism has its productive side: it can help to improve.

Of course, it is best if criticism is formulated constructively and empathetically.

Then it is easier to accept them and derive a change from them.

In order for this change to make sense, however, one should first make an important distinction: Is the criticism directed at me justified or not?

Dealing with unjustified criticism

The colleague barks at you, where are the results, even though the delivery was only agreed for the next day?

Your colleague complains about every suggestion you develop?

When dealing with unwarranted criticism, keep in mind that it doesn't have to be in bad faith.

Because not everyone involved in the company always has a full overview, and everyone has a bad day from time to time.

Anyone who is confronted with unjustified criticism should therefore first take a deep breath.

Even if the first impulse is to crawl away or respond snippyly - this does not lead to a good result.

It is better to respond to unjustified criticism with a question and thus avoid a direct confrontation.

For example, you could ask the colleague who reminds you of the task you think is overdue: »Do you mean the task we talked about last week?

I made a note that the delivery is tomorrow.

Am I wrong?” Misunderstandings are usually cleared up so quickly and the matter is over.

However, unjustified criticism can also have a malicious background, for example when someone wants to unsettle their counterpart or want to portray them as incompetent.

Colleagues who, out of envy or spite, don't give a damn about any idea, could also be confronted with counter-questions: »Thanks for the tip!

What would your suggestion be?

What exactly could I do differently to make you like it?”

If the questioning technique fails several times in a row, this is a good indication that the unjustified criticism is intentional.

Then increased vigilance is recommended and care should be taken to document agreements in writing.

This can then be referred to in the event of a conflict.

Experience has shown that people who use criticism for power games look for another field of activity in such a case and give up.

Important:

The distinction between criticism and the expression of personal taste is sometimes difficult.

You have to accept different tastes and opinions.

Only two things help here: discuss or endure.

Dealing with justified criticism

more on the subject

Praise and criticism: How we can deal with feedback better A podcast by Lenne Kaffka

When criticism is justified, it can feel even more uncomfortable than unjustified criticism.

That's why it's essential to keep reminding yourself: Criticism helps me to develop further.

If I can't do something, I have to rely on others to tell me exactly that.

This is how I notice what I have to change in order to learn something or to achieve my goals.

That's why you should take justified criticism as an opportunity - and say thank you for it.

Most people formulate them because they want a change in the other person.

By saying thank you, you can make it clear that you take the desire for change seriously.

Sometimes criticism is already formulated in such a way that a recommendation for action can be derived directly from it.

If not, it's a good idea to ask here:

  • What exactly did I do wrong?

  • How could I have done better?

  • What am I missing to do better in the future?

Anyone who, despite everything, finds it difficult to digest criticism and is built close to the water can also take a break between criticism and questions.

It may help to take a little walk in the fresh air, realize the value of criticism, and then pick up the ball again and talk to the person who provided the feedback.

In this way you equalize the first little shock of the constructive process of asking and implementing - and have less emotional work to do in front of your colleagues.

By the way: You might think that at some point in your professional life you should be above any criticism.

But that is a misconception.

You probably only make most mistakes once.

But with every new task and every change in the environment, new potential for errors arise.

This means that we have to deal with criticism throughout our lives.

Anyone who does this productively early in their professional life has a long time to benefit from criticism.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-06-29

You may like

Life/Entertain 2024-02-26T06:43:44.886Z
Life/Entertain 2024-03-01T13:15:07.627Z
Life/Entertain 2024-02-27T13:24:33.377Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.