ALT-1 How to Turn Constructive Criticism into Opportunity
The term "constructive criticism" presupposes that what you are hearing is something from which you can build and improve on work that went before. There is also an assumption that we welcome constructive criticism. Often this is not the case and, instead, we become defensive when receiving feedback (another term for constructive criticism). However if we remove our egos from the issue we could learn from criticism and turn it into an opportunity.
We all like to be right the first time we do something, but that hardly ever happens. Real constructive criticism provides an extra set of eyes to view something that you may be so immersed in you no longer have any perspective. Lending new perspective to your work can help stimulate your own creativity and perhaps open up new ideas.
The better your work is, the better it is received and acknowledged. If what you want in the end is an excellent piece of work you should take any opportunity to achieve it. You can tell from the reaction your work gets whether you were successful or not. No one wants a tepid reaction that communicates that you didn't quite get the job done. Perhaps following the constructive criticism you received would have gained you a more favorable response.
It can also be somewhat challenging to deliver constructive criticism. Again, this is not simply a critique; it must be designed to give you a better idea of how to go forward. If the criticism isn't received well it could communicate that you don't care very much one way or the other. If you lend an attentive ear to constructive criticism you create a collaboration and collaboration is at the heart of teamwork.
Make sure you take notes during your feedback session. Taking notes means that you won't lose some of the information before you get back to work. It also sends a message as to how much you care about getting things right. Also make certain you ask questions. If you don't quite understand what's being said, don't be afraid to ask for clarification.
If you come up with a suggestion as to how you might improve your work make sure you share that. Anything you can do to keep the lines of communication open and clear will help you better seize the opportunity. When you graciously receive constructive criticism you are paying a compliment to the critic and telling them what they have to say is valuable to you.
The initial irritation some of us feel when we know our work will be critiqued is easily dispelled when we shift perspective and grab the opportunity to improve ourselves. While broadening our perspective to listen to someone else's point of view we also show our appreciation. This is an opportunity to not only better our work, but also to better our working relationships.
