How to give and receive criticism effectively...

by Shaunica Stark

Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots —Frank A. Clark

So, what is criticism, by the way?Criticism is defined as.... the act or an instance of making an unfavourable or severe judgment, comment, etc...The Free Dictionary

When it comes to criticism, how do you give and receive it ...effectively?

Effective criticism is all about about how you perceive criticism.

Substitute criticism for feedback...

If you can perceive criticism , as feedback, you may be able to "give and receive it"...more effectively... The word feedback sounds better than the word criticism. Don't you think? Feedback (in this context, as it pertains to criticism) is defined as.. a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation. ..The Free Dictionary

Now that we have changed our perception to a more positive sounding word/phrase ...Let's focus on giving effective...criticism/feedback....

Here is how you give criticism/feedback...effectively

Calm, cool, collected

Go in cool, calm, and collected. Before you begin to give criticism, make sure you have your emotions in check

Be specific...

Be specific. Don't beat around the bush...be as specific as you can in your critiques.

Criticize the action, not the person

Criticize the action, not the person. Try to keep the person as separated from their mistakes as possible by criticizing their action and not them

Personalize your approach...

Personalize your approach. Consider a person’s disposition when deciding how to approach the delivery of your criticism.

Point out the positives...

Point out positives. When criticizing someone, it’s always good to point out the positives in their work or actions as well

Follow up...

Follow up. Always make sure to follow up after giving constructive criticism. Your criticism won’t do any good if the person doesn’t put into practice your suggestions. Schedule a follow up with the person you're criticizing

Now, let's focus on receiving effective...criticism/feedback....

Here's how you receive criticism/feedback..effectively

Consider the source...

Consider the source. You're going to receive criticism from thousands of people in your lifetime. It’s important to remember that not all criticism is created equal. Determining the source of the criticism and the motivations behind it will help you know how to handle it

Listen...

Shut your trap and listen. Fight the urge to argue with the person or explain your mistake, and just listen to your critic. You’d be surprised what you can learn if you simply soak it in.

Stay calm...

Stay calm (even if the other person is being a complete d-bag). The goal in criticism is to keep as much of your emotions out of it as possible

Ask clarifying questions....

Ask clarifying questions. Make sure you’re on the same page with your critic by asking clarifying questions. Clarifying questions are particularly important if your critic is giving vague or ambiguous criticism.

Thank your critic....

Thank your critic (even when they handed your butt to you). Always thank your critic. This can be difficult. No one seriously wants to say, “Thanks for showing me that I was wrong!” But swallow your pride and sincerely thank your critic.

Follow up...

Take action and follow up. After you’ve received your criticism, take action immediately. After you’ve taken action, make sure to follow up with your critic and let them know how you’ve rectified the problem

Source

How to Give and Take Criticism like a Manby BRETT & KATE MCKAY on NOVEMBER 4, 2008

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/11/04/how-to-give-and-take-criticism-like-a-man/