10 Ways To Accept Criticism At Work

Receiving criticism as a working adult is never easy. It’s hard not to take criticism personally, and it can be even harder if you get it a lot.

However, with careful processing, a positive attitude, and regular self-evaluation, you can turn criticism at work into a source of empowerment and success.

Below are 10 ways to accept been criticized at work

1. Strive To Avoid Emotional Reactions

Receiving criticism can be really upsetting, but try not to respond while you’re upset. Take some time to understand the circumstances of the criticism and collect yourself before responding.

2. Listen Carefully To What’s Being Said

Criticism of any kind can be hard to take, but it’s important to listen to exactly what’s being said, so that you understand the problems and can improve your work.

If confrontation makes you nervous or upset, it’s okay to ask for criticism to be sent to you in writing (as an email or revision request report) so that you can better process the information. Just make sure that you take the time to absorb what is being communicated to you.

3. Don’t Get Defensive

Even if you disagree with what’s being said, it’s still important to consider other perspectives and opinions, especially if you’re working in a subjective field, like art or politics.

4. Ask Questions

Make sure you understand what the criticism entails. You won’t be able to improve if you don’t understand what’s wrong, so be sure to request clarifications or ask questions if you have any. Asking questions also shows that you want to improve and get the task right next time.

5. Say Thank You At The End Of The Conversation

As hard as it can be to accept criticism, it’s still important to be gracious and thank people for the time they are taking to help improve your work. Even if you don’t feel thankful in the moment, you’ll be glad you said it when you see your skill level improve.

6. Assume That People Are Trying To Help You

Criticism is easier to take when you assume that the people who are offering it to you are just trying to help you and make your work better.

If you assume that people are using their criticism to try to cut you down or make you feel bad, you will emit negative emotions and responses, which is not helpful to them or you.

7. Yearn To Improve

Learning and mastering an art or trade is a lifetime process. There is always something everyone can do to make their work even better, so try to embrace criticism. It’s part of the path to success.

8. Be Open To New Ideas And Ways Of Doing Things

You may be correct in your result but wrong in the way you got there. Different people prefer different ways of doing things and there is usually more than one way to accomplish a task. Be open to alternative ways of achievement. It’s the best way to learn.

9. Ask For Criticism On A Regular Basis

This might seem counter-intuitive especially if you hate criticism but by asking for it, you are putting yourself in an empowerment position. Instead of people coming to you to tell you what’s wrong, you can go to them first and ask, even if everyone seems happy with your work.

10. Learn From Your Mistakes

If you continually make the same mistake, criticism will never go away. It’s better to make new mistakes with new improvement than have your personal growth stunted because you haven’t fixed old mistakes.

To avoid making the same mistakes, always tackle new tasks with old criticism in mind.

11. Evaluate Your Own Performance

Don’t wait for others to tell you what’s wrong. Take the time to regularly assess your own work. Being your own toughest critic can be a good thing. If you fix the problem before it becomes a habit, others won’t need to criticize you for it.

Credit: Wikihow