By J. Mason
Online Career Tips Editor
The daily challenges of work in the office, or in the field, are to keep your head above water and meet your bottom line. Sometimes the bottom line is simply meeting deadlines and delivering a quality product, but other times it could be relationship building and partnership affiliations. Whatever your role may be there will come a time where you receive some type of feedback, positive or negative, that can impact your self-esteem at work. Not everything needs to have a positive spin on it, but it should be constructive to your role.
Determining whether the criticism is useful or not depends a lot on the delivery. We’ve all had a passive aggressive co-worker that delivers a nasty gram wrapped in a compliment. This type of tact is not only way off the mark, but it may be something personal. Be sure to ask some poignant questions to get to the bottom of the criticism, instead of blowing your top because of the rudeness.
Some examples of useful criticism may be an inconsistency with completing projects. It is great to be a self-starter, but unless you get to the finish line you’ll never see the results of your hard work. Another piece of useful criticism could be networking within your company or department. If your job doesn’t require you to make connections on a day-to-day basis, or to be the “face” of the department then you may not think it’s important to start chatting around. This is a gross misstep. While it may not be required in your job description to network with your colleagues, it will be noticed when you don’t appear at company events, or get up from your desk to chat with someone face-to-face about a project. Having good communication skills can go a long way, and when you have colleagues that trust you for guidance and advice, that can go a long way as well.
When dealing with harsh critiques from colleagues or a boss remember to keep a level head. The questions to have in mind when responding to this type of criticism should hinge on how much you think you’ll get out of the conversation. If it is in regards to your work ethic, ask them for a specific example and let them speak. Interrupting them could further encourage their ill-conceived notions, so make sure you’re sending the right message. If the criticism is about how you work with others then ask them for their guidance for what they think could improve your performance. The honest appeal for help may surprise some, and if the co-worker or manager has your best interest in mind they’ll turn their rant into something more constructive.
[see also: How to Make Year-End Performance Appraisals A Constructive, Not Demotivating, Event]
It is never good to hear about the holes in our work self, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil that needs to be exercised. In order to positively identify where you need help the most remember to keep an open mind, and be willing to work on certain areas if they do in fact need to be changed.
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