When a boss or co-worker criticizes your performance you might walk away quietly with hurt feelings or you might respond with anger. No matter what your profession, it`s important to know how to handle criticism when it comes your way.
”The problem is that not everybody communicates directly or honestly and not everybody says what they want or mean and not everybody can give honest feedback,” says Robert Rosen, president of Healthy Companies, a Washington-based, non-profit organization funded by the MacArthur Foundation to study progressive companies.
”We are all sensitive to rejection, so it takes a healthy, mature and productive employee to know how to manage and make the best use of
criticism,” says Rosen, author of ”The Healthy Company” (Tarcher, $22.95).
Rosen, who defines a healthy company as one in which managers and employees believe their needs are being met while corporate goals are being achieved, suggests a three-step process for dealing with criticism:
First, make a quick assessment of what`s been said. Ask yourself, ”Is there some truth to what this person is saying about my work?”
”Don`t sit there like a doormat,” Rosen says. ”Actively process the information and make a judgment on whether there is some truth to it.”
If you agree with the criticism, the next step, says Rosen, is to ”use that insight to develop new skills for further learning.
”Healthy employees don`t impose standards of perfection on their own performance and don`t see criticism as necessarily bad or harmful,” he adds. Depending on your relationship with the person who made the criticism, you may want to acknowledge that you agree with her and seek her guidance on how to correct your mistakes. If the criticism comes from somebody to whom you don`t report, a simple ”thank you for that observation” might be the best response.
If you disagree with criticism leveled by your boss, Rosen says you should ask him to be more specific.
”In a respectful way, stand up for yourself,” he says. ”It`s easier to argue the merits of a specific criticism than it is to respond to sweeping generalizations.”
Some bosses make the mistake of being too personal in their criticism. When that happens, Rosen suggests saying, ”The way you are giving me feedback beats me down, makes me scared and cuts off my productivity.”
Rosen blames bad managers for creating a ”culture of fear” inside corporations that often causes employees to become paranoid about criticism.
A lack of feedback ”creates a culture of mediocrity and silence about people`s performance,” Rosen says. ”Managers should provide constant feedback rather than waiting for an employee`s annual performance
evaluation.”
Your boss occasionally may criticize you because she has just been criticized by somebody above her, he says.
”Sometimes you`ve just got to eat it (the criticism). Maybe the boss is ragging on you because he or she has had a bad day.”
The final step in dealing with criticism about performance involves a pledge that Rosen encourages every employee to make.
”Never make the same mistake three times,” Rosen says. ”Sometimes it is natural for people to make a mistake and never do it again. Sometimes it takes making the mistake twice for the person to get the message that whatever they did was unacceptable.” But a manager is unlikely to overlook someone who continues to make the same mistake after that, he says.
Among Rosen`s other tips:
– Get more feedback. Ask co-workers whether they agree with the criticism offered by your boss.
– Don`t see criticism as a reflection of your self-worth.
”Healthy employees see learning as a trial-and-error process where making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process, like sore muscles are to exercise,” Rosen says.
– Use your company`s system for dealing with problems. If you think your boss continually criticizes you unfairly, you may want to take the problem to your personnel office or even your boss` boss.
Rosen cautions, however, that your boss might react negatively to this option and you must weigh whether your concerns warrant it.
Success club
The Chicago Success Club, a networking group for people who want to improve their chances for personal and professional success, meets monthly and offers seminars. Initiation fee: $150; annual dues $35. 312-868-6150.
Women in trades
Chicago Women in Trades offers support, education, job leads and other career information, particularly in non-traditional fields such as construction. Annual dues: $5 (unemployed), $25 (employed). For information: 312-942-1444.
Latinas in Illinois
Latinas in Illinois offers educational servies for Hispanic women, including GED preparation, tutoring, a job bank, on-the-job training and advocacy. Annual dues: $15. Call 312-292-1200.
Investment analysts
The Investment Analysts Society of Chicago offers weekly lunch meetings, programs and a job listing service to investment professionals. Dues: $175 to $250 a year, depending on certification. 312-922-6222.
Worker`s bookshelf
”Home Business, Big Business” by Mel Cook (Collier, $12); ”Benchmarking: A Tool for Continuous Improvement” by Kathleen H.J. Leibfried, C.J. McNair
(HarperBusiness, $29).
