{"id":4369,"date":"2018-05-30T16:39:04","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T16:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=4369"},"modified":"2024-05-13T19:50:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T19:50:25","slug":"how-do-you-respond-to-criticism","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/chapter\/how-do-you-respond-to-criticism\/","title":{"raw":"How Do You Respond to Criticism?","rendered":"How Do You Respond to Criticism?"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Discuss key points to a professional response to criticism.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nHow you respond to correction, criticism, and negative feedback demonstrates who you are. Thus, it is essential to learn how to take criticism gracefully, and treat these instances as opportunities to grow. If you immediately shut-down and act defensively, you're unlikely to learn and grow from past mistakes. Receiving correction is pivotal to your development.\r\n<h2>Positive Responses<\/h2>\r\nThe first step in receiving criticism is to listen actively and make a concerted effort not to be defensive. Remember that giving criticism can be almost as hard as receiving it, so neither you nor your critic are likely to be entirely comfortable. Once your reviewer\/critic has said their piece\u2014whether in person or in writing\u2014the following effective tools can help you respond:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude. Avoid extremes: don\u2019t get gushy or pretend it doesn\u2019t hurt. Just say thanks for your feedback.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Questions. Avoid statements until you\u2019ve asked clarifying questions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restatements. \u201cI hear you saying\u2026\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Request for solutions. Ask for suggested solutions. Simple is essential; one or two is enough.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happiness. Do corrective behaviors make sense and feel good? If the path forward isn\u2019t inviting, you\u2019ll avoid it.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow-up. Ask for a check-in meeting in two weeks for a progress report. Four weeks is too long. If your behaviors elicit negative feedback, solve them quickly.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude again.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h2>Time<\/h2>\r\nSometimes it's worth taking a pause and delaying your response, rather than responding with your first reaction (which could likely end up being an overreaction). Correction is tough to hear. Listen, and if necessary, ask for some time to think it over. Be honest in your responses, and don't be afraid to ask for time: \u201cThis is hard to hear. Could I have an hour to digest your feedback?\u201d\r\n<h2>Transparency<\/h2>\r\nInclude those who were impacted by negative behaviors. Explain what you\u2019re working on and corrective actions.\u00a0You go further when others know where you\u2019re going.\u00a0In a few days, ask them how you\u2019re doing.\r\n\r\nOpen up don\u2019t push away.\r\n\r\nDrop it and move on.\r\n\r\nAsk for affirmation when you achieved goals. Reject nitpicking. Move on.\r\n\r\nResponding well to negative feedback, toughens character, increases influence, and strengthens connections.\r\n\r\nAccording to communications expert Jack Griffin, there is a six step process that you can use to respond to negative feedback in a constructive manner. Here are excerpts from his guidelines.[footnote]Jack Griffin, \u201cHow To Say It At Work\u201d, 1998.[\/footnote]\r\n<blockquote><strong>Step 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Accept criticism as an opportunity. All criticism, even unmerited criticism is useful to you. Criticism, after all, may actually point out things that you are doing ineffectively or poorly\u2014things you could do better.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 2<\/strong>:\u00a0Fight the impulse to respond defensively. Listen and learn.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Realize that the criticism is a perception, nothing more.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 4<\/strong>:\u00a0Do not meekly accept unjust or unfounded criticism, but don\u2019t reject it. Learn from it. \u00a0Learn about creating more positive impressions.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 5:<\/strong>\u00a0Seize the opportunity to respond to criticism, to communicate in a way that can strengthen and enhance your relationship with your boss.\r\n\r\n<strong>Step 6<\/strong>:\u00a0While listening to criticism, demonstrate that you are hearing the criticism.<\/blockquote>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>PRACTICE QUESTIONS<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/5787053a-e1bc-40b3-8fc0-8079e609f002\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Negative Responses<\/h2>\r\nOf course, while there are a variety of good ways to respond, there are poor or unproductive ways to respond to criticism. Here are examples of how <strong>not<\/strong> to respond.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s your fault too.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making it personal.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standing aloof<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minimizing.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arguing.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling attacked.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finger pointing.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excuse making.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Denial.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019ll never be good enough.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nNegative responses to negative feedback delay growth, destroy progress, and lose respect.","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Discuss key points to a professional response to criticism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>How you respond to correction, criticism, and negative feedback demonstrates who you are. Thus, it is essential to learn how to take criticism gracefully, and treat these instances as opportunities to grow. If you immediately shut-down and act defensively, you&#8217;re unlikely to learn and grow from past mistakes. Receiving correction is pivotal to your development.<\/p>\n<h2>Positive Responses<\/h2>\n<p>The first step in receiving criticism is to listen actively and make a concerted effort not to be defensive. Remember that giving criticism can be almost as hard as receiving it, so neither you nor your critic are likely to be entirely comfortable. Once your reviewer\/critic has said their piece\u2014whether in person or in writing\u2014the following effective tools can help you respond:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude. Avoid extremes: don\u2019t get gushy or pretend it doesn\u2019t hurt. Just say thanks for your feedback.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Questions. Avoid statements until you\u2019ve asked clarifying questions.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restatements. \u201cI hear you saying\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Request for solutions. Ask for suggested solutions. Simple is essential; one or two is enough.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happiness. Do corrective behaviors make sense and feel good? If the path forward isn\u2019t inviting, you\u2019ll avoid it.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow-up. Ask for a check-in meeting in two weeks for a progress report. Four weeks is too long. If your behaviors elicit negative feedback, solve them quickly.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gratitude again.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Time<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes it&#8217;s worth taking a pause and delaying your response, rather than responding with your first reaction (which could likely end up being an overreaction). Correction is tough to hear. Listen, and if necessary, ask for some time to think it over. Be honest in your responses, and don&#8217;t be afraid to ask for time: \u201cThis is hard to hear. Could I have an hour to digest your feedback?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Transparency<\/h2>\n<p>Include those who were impacted by negative behaviors. Explain what you\u2019re working on and corrective actions.\u00a0You go further when others know where you\u2019re going.\u00a0In a few days, ask them how you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n<p>Open up don\u2019t push away.<\/p>\n<p>Drop it and move on.<\/p>\n<p>Ask for affirmation when you achieved goals. Reject nitpicking. Move on.<\/p>\n<p>Responding well to negative feedback, toughens character, increases influence, and strengthens connections.<\/p>\n<p>According to communications expert Jack Griffin, there is a six step process that you can use to respond to negative feedback in a constructive manner. Here are excerpts from his guidelines.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Jack Griffin, \u201cHow To Say It At Work\u201d, 1998.\" id=\"return-footnote-4369-1\" href=\"#footnote-4369-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Step 1:<\/strong>\u00a0Accept criticism as an opportunity. All criticism, even unmerited criticism is useful to you. Criticism, after all, may actually point out things that you are doing ineffectively or poorly\u2014things you could do better.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2<\/strong>:\u00a0Fight the impulse to respond defensively. Listen and learn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Realize that the criticism is a perception, nothing more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4<\/strong>:\u00a0Do not meekly accept unjust or unfounded criticism, but don\u2019t reject it. Learn from it. \u00a0Learn about creating more positive impressions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong>\u00a0Seize the opportunity to respond to criticism, to communicate in a way that can strengthen and enhance your relationship with your boss.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6<\/strong>:\u00a0While listening to criticism, demonstrate that you are hearing the criticism.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>PRACTICE QUESTIONS<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_5787053a-e1bc-40b3-8fc0-8079e609f002\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/5787053a-e1bc-40b3-8fc0-8079e609f002?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_5787053a-e1bc-40b3-8fc0-8079e609f002\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Negative Responses<\/h2>\n<p>Of course, while there are a variety of good ways to respond, there are poor or unproductive ways to respond to criticism. Here are examples of how <strong>not<\/strong> to respond.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s your fault too.\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making it personal.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standing aloof<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minimizing.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arguing.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling attacked.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finger pointing.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excuse making.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Denial.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019ll never be good enough.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Negative responses to negative feedback delay growth, destroy progress, and lose respect.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-4369\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>How Do You Respond to Criticism?. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Robert Danielson. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Seven Positive Responses to Negative Feedback. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Leadership Freak. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/leadershipfreak.blog\/2013\/11\/13\/seven-positive-responses-to-negative-feedback\/\">https:\/\/leadershipfreak.blog\/2013\/11\/13\/seven-positive-responses-to-negative-feedback\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-4369-1\">Jack Griffin, \u201cHow To Say It At Work\u201d, 1998. <a href=\"#return-footnote-4369-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":90270,"menu_order":17,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"How Do You Respond to Criticism?\",\"author\":\"Robert Danielson\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Seven Positive Responses to Negative Feedback\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Leadership Freak\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/leadershipfreak.blog\/2013\/11\/13\/seven-positive-responses-to-negative-feedback\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"96e9b29c-b063-4ef3-8c82-48579fa3a4be, 4fc17898-030b-4ed1-aa9e-72feed24cc1c","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-4369","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1027,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90270"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8270,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4369\/revisions\/8270"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1027"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4369\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=4369"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=4369"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=4369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}