How Successful People Handle Criticism

Face it. No matter how well you perform your duties throughout your
career, someone will always criticize you. The more successful you are,
the more you might become a target of criticism. No one likes having
the quality of their work belittled, the soundness of their decisions
questioned or their integrity challenged, but it's how you deal with
criticism that determines your power and how big a man you really are.
We can learn a lot from how successful people handle criticism.


Criticism usually represents an opportunity to make improvements. Sure,
there are some people who take a sadistic pleasure in being nasty, but
most criticism is genuinely intended to be constructive. Fighting back,
arguing or being disrespectful in the face of constructive criticism
serve no purpose except to escalate what may be a minor correction into
a major issue. Willingness to accept constructive criticism and act
upon it is a sign of maturity and professionalism.

Was the criticism raised by a colleague, subordinate, client, or
superior? Could it be jealousy? Many senior managers feel threatened by
young professionals who are climbing the corporate ladder.
A co-worker may criticize you in a misguided attempt to spotlight his
supposedly superior work and capabilities. All he is really
highlighting in doing so, however, are his own insecurities.
Criticism from a client, on the other hand, is rarely based on jealousy
and is far more likely to be a thinly disguised product or service
complaint.
Pay particular attention to criticism that originates from your
employees. One of your direct reports may be setting you up for a
sexual harassment or poisoned workplace lawsuit.
Understanding where the criticism is coming from is key to knowing how
to best handle it. Less than a week before the California recall
election in 2003, supporters of an opponent hit actor and gubernatorial
candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger with potentially career-shattering
criticism. The Terminator took aim at the ancient allegations of sexual
harassment and apologized. Falling on his sword and offering an apology
made it a non-issue. Denials would have fanned the flames even more, as
we all learned from the Bill Clinton fiasco.

Put your ego aside. If the criticism has merit, listen to the feedback
objectively and be sure you understand it. Consider your options to
rectify the situation or resolve the problem. There are many successful
CEOs and businessmen out there who've made mistakes and received
criticism, but they proved that they could put their egos aside, assess
the situation, take ownership, and come back even stronger.
Real estate magnate Donald Trump was frequently criticized for his
flamboyant excesses. Although a couple of lousy investments drastically
reduced his net worth, he did not allow the criticism to destroy his
self-esteem.
Multi-billionaire Edgar Bronfman Jr., CEO of Seagram Company Ltd., also
overlooked criticism. Although people criticized and mocked him for
purchasing Polygram/MCA and Universal Pictures, the entertainment
division boosted its corporate image, but not the bottom line.
David Stern is one example of how not to handle criticism: He is being
blamed for the poor performance of the NBA but is refusing to accept
the negative feedback.

Do not sound defensive, blame someone else or issue denials in the
hopes that the issue will fade away. An explanation often sounds like
an excuse or denial. Stay professional. Former CEO of General Electric,
Jack Welch's
image was only temporarily tarnished when his divorce proceedings in
July 2003 revealed that his severance package far exceeded the norm.
Rather than attempt to deflect or defend the criticism, Welch renounced
all but the standard retirement benefits and salvaged his professional
reputation.

People tend to shoot the messenger. You've probably been criticized for
something that was not in your control. Perhaps a corporate policy was
the real target, or an entire department's involvement in a project.
Don't take it personally, avoid being defensive and deal with whatever
is within your control.
When a waiter unknowingly serves undercooked food to restaurant
patrons, he should accept the criticism professionally and do as much
damage control as he can. Airline check-in agents are not responsible
for flight delays due to weather conditions or mechanical malfunctions,
but how they handle the crowd of angry passengers regains control and
creates a positive impression.

When the public turned against Microsoft for monopolizing the software market, Bill Gates
took responsibility. Rather than hiding behind corporate spin, he
apologized and took action to improve Microsoft's image -- and his own
popularity rose.

If you're in a leadership
role, take the initial heat for your team. Meet with your staff to
discuss the problems objectively and create solutions together.
Constructive criticism can be a gift. It's all in your attitude when
you receive it.

Are you in over your head? If you are being criticized but cannot
change, go to Plan B. Maybe someone else should make the presentations
if public speaking is not your strength. Know how and when to delegate.
The founders of Yahoo! were mostly techies, without all the business
skills and experience to see the bigger picture and make the company
successful. They recognized this and, without letting ego issues stand
in the way, they knew when to step aside and delegate tasks to others.
Critical comments of a personal nature are often harder to accept, but
successful people develop the ability to dismiss or deflect criticism
that is not about their professional abilities. When interviewers
mention his trademark hairstyle, The Donald simply laughs.

Do listen objectively

Do ask for specifics

Do get a second opinion and do your own research

Do apologize, take ownership and responsibility

Do show that you are taking feedback into consideration

Do take corrective action

Do learn from it

Don't ignore the criticism

Don't get defensive, angry or rude

Don't waste time making excuses

Don't react in haste before considering the best plan of action

Don't blame others

Don't engage in a cover-up

Don't dwell on the error

Criticism can result from perceived inadequacies, actual wrongdoings or
unmet expectations. It can also stem from pettiness, jealousy and
"having a bad day" syndrome. Constructive criticism can only impact you
negatively if you continue to berate yourself. So focus on your
successes. Develop a thick skin and be prepared to deal with criticism,
whether it is justified or not. Be objective, take action and let it
go. And always give people less reason to criticize in the first place
by going above and beyond.


Resources:

www.boloji.com

www.washingtonpost.com
www.entrepreneur.com