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Constructive Criticisms I

Here are some tips for handling constructive criticism from your managers, or from your peers, with grace:



  1. Listen more than you talk. Your goal has been, and still is, to create an informative, comprehensive manual that reflects the goals of your organization.

    If you find yourself on the defensive, take a deep breath and just listen. You don't need to comment on everything being said. If feel like jumping in and interrupting the speaker, try taking a few notes instead.

    By taking this time to pause before you react, you give yourself time to formulate a calm response, if one is needed. By waiting a bit, you may find that a discussion happens that answers the comments as well, or better, than you could.



  2. Follow up with questions for clarity. After you have allowed a reviewer to share his or her thoughts fully, without interruption, it is time to make sure you understand what the issue is. Reflective listening involves repeating back what you have heard. For example, you could ask, "I hear you saying that you think Policies 3 and 4 should be combined into one policy. Is that correct?"

    At this point, you are not analyzing the person's suggestion, only focusing on understanding it. As part of this step, it helps to recognize that the person giving you that feedback may be nervous, and may not have expressed his or her ideas clearly.

  3. Accept the comment. Depending on what the person has said, and how you feel about it, this can be the hard part. Accepting the comment does not necessarily mean that you agree with it. It is merely a way of acknowledging the other person's time and effort. You could say, "Yes, thank you for bringing that point up," or "Yes, we often had to look at whether polices should be combined or separated."

    Looking the person in the eye as you say these comments makes your words more meaningful and personal.

  1. Address the feedback. After you have listened, asked reflective questions and accepted the feedback, now it is time to address any concerns. In the case of the above example, you might say something like, "our goal throughout the process of developing the manual was to make it as simple and concise as possible. Even though they are related, we felt that Policies 3 and 4 deal with separate issues. That is why we listed them as two different policies."



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