We all have aspirations & ambitions how our career should grow. However with career growth, you would also have to go through criticism. Your approach in dealing with opposition will play an important role in your success. If you take criticism in positive spirit & consider it as a part of learning phase, you will climb up your success ladder exponentially. If you take a defensive route to deal with it, you are bound to face stagnation in your career. Here are some aspects you should consider so that criticism impacts your career in a positive way:
- Appreciate feedback: When you give your valuable inputs, it is natural if you expect others to agree to your inputs/suggestions. However, if we are wrong, we should be open & flexible to accept feedback in a positive way. Having prudish & Victorian attitude makes you careless & arrogant over time. When you appreciate positive criticism & feedback, you give due weightage to those details until you get it right.
- Be open to other’s ideas: Criticism lends diverse perspective. It does not mean that your approach is right or wrong. It’s just a different point of view. When you work in a multicultural environment with team members/co-workers coming from different cultures/geographies, you should be open to different options. You might have missed something in your work/deliverable which could be a catalyst for the project to be profitable. Such feedback from a team member should be dealt in a positive spirit. A close minded professional closes his door for growth & advancement. You should showcase great listening skills & act as credible team player when you are part of a brainstorming session since it can lead to the development of new ideas. This does not mean that you have to please others.There are multiple ways to bring solution to a problem/challenge.
- Personal growth: Accepting criticism is a great tool for self development & growth. Rejection helps you self evaluate & fill in the gaps observed by others. Potential leaders absorb the advise & make necessary amendments to move to the next level. Take control of your mind & develop ability to overcome barriers through positive affirmations.
- Do not take it personally: Did you ever got defensive when your input was rejected? Please remember that only your suggestion was rejected not you. Do not take it personally. Suggestion is always accompanied by advice by someone. However, advises can not be good always. Your strength would lays in finding out benefits from both good & bad criticism.
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