#40 - Mastering the Art of Criticism 🤨
We live in a world where judgment and critique are rampant, making it difficult to navigate. But the truth is, feedback is essential for growth, it plays a significant role in our growth.
Welcome to the 40th issue of 5 Minute Friday from The Backpack CPA! Every Friday I share a short newsletter with tips & resources to help you with your professional & personal growth & development!
Let's start "GROWING" through our human journey instead of just "GOING" through it!
First a few words from a wise person…
“…criticism happens no matter what. It is the price of admission to life. You can't let that decide how your story will be told.” ~ Lewis Howes
Mastering the Art of Criticism 🤨
To be successful, it's important that we learn to accept and process criticism. However, the process of receiving and accepting feedback can be challenging and uncomfortable. We live in a world where judgment and critique are rampant, making it difficult to navigate. But the truth is, feedback is essential for growth, it plays a significant role in our personal and professional development. Let’s talk about how to master the art of criticism and use it to propel yourself forward.
Learning to Embrace Feedback
One of the first steps towards mastering the art of criticism is to change the way you view feedback. Instead of seeing it as an attack or a personal failure, view it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve. Understanding this mindset shift can help you process feedback in a constructive way. It's also essential to keep an open mind. Remember that everyone's perspective is different, so listen to what is being said and see how you can implement it into your journey. (See the Learning/Tools section below for a few tips on the topic of feedback).
Process Criticism
Once you receive feedback, it's important to process it before responding. Sometimes criticism can make you feel defensive or upset, but it's best to take a step back, take a deep breath and think about what is being said. Consider the feedback and decide which aspects are valuable and which may not be. Take the useful feedback and determine how you can apply it to your work or personal life.
Responding Constructively
Being on the receiving end of criticism is tough, that's why it's important to learn how to respond effectively. Responding constructively means acknowledging the feedback and expressing your gratitude for it. Then, ask questions to gain more clarity about the feedback and show a willingness to improve. Sometimes, it can also be important to set boundaries. When criticism crosses the line, it's okay to express that and to stand up for yourself.
Mute the Noise
As mentioned earlier, living in a world of judgment can be tough, and some criticism may not be helpful. Sometimes it's best to mute the noise and let go of unnecessary criticism. Understand that not all feedback is valuable, and not everyone will have your best interests at heart. Learn to differentiate constructive criticism from destructive criticism and choose to focus on the constructive one.
Keep Moving Forward
Finally, mastering the art of criticism means using feedback to propel yourself forward. Always strive to use criticism to drive your growth, improvement, and success. Implement feedback into your personal and professional life and use it as a tool to develop new skills or accomplish your goals. Remember that it's okay to make mistakes and that perfection isn't the goal. The goal is to keep growing and learning from any feedback that comes your way.
Remember, mastering the art of criticism is a crucial skill that everyone needs to develop. By changing the way you view feedback, processing criticism, responding constructively, and muting unnecessary noise, you can use feedback to propel yourself forward. Understand that all feedback isn't created equal, and not all feedback may be helpful. It's up to you to recognize the value of feedback and use it as a tool to improve your personal and professional journey. Remember to keep moving forward and to embrace the journey, no matter how difficult it may be.
📚💡 Learning/Tools
Become Better at Receiving Feedback
As a human, one of the most significant areas of growth is receiving and acting upon feedback. However, not all feedback is created equal, and your receptivity to feedback can differ significantly depending on the situation. Let’s take a quick dive into some tools that can help you assess your receptivity to feedback and adopt strategies to become more open to feedback.
There are four types of receptivity “modules” in us that can help determine how receptive we are to feedback. They are cognitive, emotional, relational, and situational.
Cognitive receptivity refers to how open you are to processing and understanding feedback, and how well you can handle the cognitive demands that come with accepting feedback.
Emotional receptivity refers to your emotional response to feedback, including your ability to handle negative emotions that come with receiving critical feedback.
Relational receptivity looks at the quality of the relationship between the feedback giver and recipient and how it affects the feedback process.
Situational receptivity refers to the contextual factors surrounding the feedback, such as timing, location, and the mode of communication.
Once you understand the four modules, you can begin to examine how they play out in each feedback situation you encounter. By beginning to assess your receptivity to feedback and figuring out which areas you struggle with the most, you can start to develop strategies to strengthen these areas and become more receptive to feedback overall. For example, if you struggle with cognitive receptivity, you may need to work on becoming more mindful and present in feedback conversations. If you struggle with emotional receptivity, you may need to practice regulation techniques like deep breathing or reframing your mindset. If you struggle with relational receptivity, you may need to focus on building stronger relationships with those who give you feedback or being more mindful of the emotions of those around you.
One way to improve your feedback receptivity ability is by actively seeking feedback and requesting specific feedback in areas where you want to improve. When you take the initiative to ask for feedback, you can create more opportunities to practice the strategies you developed to become more receptive to feedback. You can also develop a better understanding of how others perceive you and identify any blind spots in your self-awareness. Another way is by engaging in reflection and self-assessment after receiving feedback. By taking the time to reflect on what was said, how you reacted, and what you can do better next time, you can use the feedback as a tool for growth and development.
Remember, becoming more receptive to feedback is crucial for professional growth and development. By assessing your receptivity to feedback and developing strategies for improvement, actively seeking feedback, and engaging in reflection and self-assessment, you can become more receptive to feedback and use it as a tool for learning and development.
If you want to chat about anything feel free to send me a message or even book a time to chat https://calendly.com/vbcpa/thebackpackcpa
Stay inspired & keep growing 🚀,
Vimal (or Vic)
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