Criticism stings. Sure, it is sometimes couched as gentler “feedback”, or offered as “advice”, or even presented as a “pointer”. Yet criticism it is. And most of us don’t respond positively to criticism, especially at first. Dealing with criticism is difficult and sometimes hard to swallow. But if you want to grow as a valued professional and a respected leader, it is to your benefit to open-mindedly evaluate the criticism you hear, even if it hurts or it isn’t what you believe to be true. But how exactly does one do that?
So glad you asked! Because that is exactly what I cover in my latest column in The Globe and Mail which published this morning. In it, I outline a simple two-dimensional tool that I utilize in my one-on-one mentoring work with leaders in my client organizations. I call it the “Valid and important” model, and it’s very useful when dealing with criticism.
Evaluating what matters: A better way to deal with criticism at work
If you get the print version of The Globe, you’ll find this column on page B10.
Note: if you are a subscriber to The Globe and Mail, you can also read the column directly at their website at this link: https://tgam.ca/2lLPzEE
I’d love to hear about your experiences when faced with managers or co-workers who criticize. What approach do you use? What have you done to separate the useful feedback from the “noise”? Please add your comments below.
If you want to be deliberate and thoughtful about ways to position yourself for career growth and leadership success, you may also find these links to recent past columns I’ve written for The Globe and Mail to be useful:
- What does it (really) take to get promoted?
- Eight steps to finding a mentor
- You need to cast off your shell if you want to continue to grow