Who hasn't experienced this? You have invested a lot of time in a task and yet you are criticised by your superior? That certainly annoys pretty much everyone. After all, who likes to be criticised? In this article, you can read how I have learnt to deal with it properly and how I benefit from criticism.
The first question is, how was the criticism expressed?
- Indirectly:
Criticism is often only expressed indirectly. Points are listed that were not 100% satisfactory. However, what should be done differently is not actively addressed. As an employee, I therefore have to find out for myself what needs to be planned and implemented differently for the next task. Concrete criticism is of course easier to implement. However, I have learnt to look at my tasks from different angles.
- Directly:
In most cases, points of criticism are addressed openly and named directly. What exactly didn't go as planned? What exactly did I not implement satisfactorily? It is easiest to get a precise description of what the manager's actual idea was. This makes it much easier for me to understand the criticism and pay closer attention to these specific points next time.
- The tone makes the music:
Was the criticism addressed objectively and calmly or was the supervisor angry and showed this openly? As in so many areas of communication, the tone makes the music. The more calmly and objectively criticism is addressed to me, the better I take it on board and implement it willingly.
How do I respond to criticism?
- I never take criticism personally!
It is not me as a person who is being criticised. Perhaps I had a bad day or simply didn't take the criticism into account. The important thing is that I deal with the criticism objectively and don't doubt myself.
- I admit my mistakes:
I calmly think through the criticism again. Perhaps the criticism is justified and the superior just wants to remind me to do better next time. I can only give everyone the tip of not letting things get too close to you and making the best of the situation.
- I try to learn from my mistakes:
Criticism is an unpleasant thing. However, I now try to take it with the right attitude. It wasn't me who was criticised, but the implementation of my task. So I try to take advantage of this situation so that I can do my job better next time.
- I dare to speak my mind:
If I disagree with the criticism raised or if I had something specific in mind in the way I implemented it, I try to explain this objectively to my superior in order to prevent any possible misunderstandings. The only important thing here is that I don't try to justify myself and appear incapable of criticising. If my line manager still thinks that the implementation should be different, I accept the criticism and implement it the next time.
Receiving criticism is never nice. But neither is addressing criticism. Ultimately, the goal of managers and employees is to do the job properly and satisfactorily. So you should never lose sight of the fact that the line manager is only human and criticism is not a pleasant thing on either side. For my part, I have simply got into the habit of no longer taking it personally and try to deal with it with understanding. After all, everyone is just doing their job.