One of the most important and basic things you must learn while trying to survive in office culture is learning how to respond to his criticism as well as appreciation. Handling situations in the right way is something you have to know while you are at work.
And if that is your cry for help, then we are happy to offer assistance. In this post, we are going to reveal to you the best ways using which you can handle or respond to criticism as well as words of great appreciation from your boss!
How to Respond to Your Boss Criticism:
1. Don’t take it personally:
The biggest mistake people make when their boss scolds or criticizes them for a particular something is taking it too personally. Some of you get all flustered and worked up. Of course, this is very natural. But this is not the way to handle criticism from your manager.
Take it as a positive criticism for your betterment. You need to take things a bit lightly. Know that he is saying things for your good or is probably upset with your performance and said things at the heat of the moment.
2. Take out some time to listen to what is being told:
The second important step you should take is to listen to what is being said to you. If your boss has something negative to say about you, you don’t have to always disregard what they are saying.
So without running away or avoiding the situation, embrace it like a mature person and stay objective as much as you can. You should also be very open about what the person has to tell and try your best not to jump into a random conclusion. Be patient enough to listen.
3. Go ahead and ask a few questions:
Another smart way of handling criticism from your boss is by asking a couple of questions once they are done speaking their mind out to you. It is also very easy to misinterpret criticism. So it would be great if you could simply clarify things from the very beginning by asking a couple of questions.
When you do so, your boss will have the impression that you are keen on working the solution and are mature enough to change yourself in places where you have gone wrong.
4. Never get defensive:
One of the biggest mistakes you could be making while handling negative criticism from your boss is getting all defensive and nervous. Never do that. You should fight the urge right away.
The person who is giving you important feedback definitely has some point and you will never be able to understand that if you are too busy thinking about several ways in which you can get back at the person and defend yourself. Also that is very immature on your behalf.
5. Try to address the problem:
The final thing you should definitely do while handling criticism is to address the problem. This could be simply introducing a change in your actions, taking care of a problem by simply clarifying or discussing it or acknowledging a misunderstanding.
You could also look for other mature ways to address a situation. Also when your boss begins to see that you can handle criticism like an adult, he will always return with more feedback.
6. Don’t be too hard on yourself:
Another mistake people make while taking criticism is being too hard on themselves. Always remember that everyone makes mistakes and has some things to always learn. This also includes you too.
Nobody is perfect. There is absolutely nothing wrong in accepting where you have gone wrong and making changes. If you make mistakes over and over again, that would be detrimental for you. So the best thing to do here is be less hard on yourself and more receptive.
7. Keep things professional:
Always remember to keep things professional when you’re at work. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with your boss or not, try your best to keep yourself from over reacting or being too defensive and judgmental.
Plus always remember that criticism from your boss is actually pretty good and will always help you to improve at work and take better care of projects assigned in the future. So just bite your tongue and pay careful attention to what is being said to you.
8. Understand that their intentions are good:
Another thing you should always remember when you’re at work is that your boss is always willing to show you ways in which you can improve.
So make sure you try to understand that their intentions are good. This will also make you look like a wiser and smarter person in front of your boss. He will never think twice before being honest with you!
9. See criticism as help:
Always see criticism as constructive feedback from your boss instead of seeing him as an evil person trying to demean you and put you down. Criticism is actually a sign that the person cares about you and wants to see you improve.
It is actually something to worry about if your boss doesn’t speak to you or doesn’t pay attention to what you have to say. So please never feel bad and see it as an insult. Instead make it a point to see it as help. You will be surprised seeing how much it helps.
10. Keep away from a few things:
Always make it a point to keep away from a couple of things while trying to handle criticism. First of all, try not to be overly negative. Secondly, stop taking personally. It is not a personal attack. It is for your own good. Third, do not answer to any problem in an unpleasant manner.
Try to be nice and kind as much as possible. But also remember to never keep up with someone who is being unfair towards or criticizing you constantly or looking for ways to put you down. That is too bad as well.
11. Don’t respond right away:
Also remember to never respond right away, especially if you are driven by your emotions. Just listen carefully and gulp it down at go. It will also make you look like a calm and composed person.
If you respond to the heat of the moment, chances are you will be portraying yourself in the wrong light and create a horrible impression of yourself. In fact, you can cause great damage to your career. So be patient.
12. Learn how to handle stress:
This could actually be a great opportunity for you to learn how to handle stress. When you always worried and tensed, chances are you will feel out of place and out of control and ultimately will be unable to respond to criticism the right way.
Your mind won’t be very clear after all. So make sure you are able to handle stress like a professional.
13. Always remember it’s just one persons point of view:
Yes, you are hearing negative things about yourself but at the end of the day it is just one person’s point of view and it doesn’t have much to do with your whole personality.
Everybody is flawed and people make mistakes. So try to see it as just one individuals point of view and don’t allow anyone to stop you from working towards your goals.
How to Respond to Boss Appreciation:
1. Decide how you will answer to his words to praise:
By deciding how to handle praise, you will be able to handle work appreciation way better. You could say something like “Thank you! phrases. That makes me feel very good.” Or “Thank you! This means a lot to me”.
These are simple and easy techniques you should definitely apply while trying to handle compliments and thanking words. You should come across as someone who is appreciative of the words being said.
2. Smile:
A very common and smart way to handle compliments is by simply smiling. When you smile at someone, it says a lot about you. This will also show that you have enjoyed the appreciation words for good work and are quite happy with it. Also it looks like you have paid more attention towards the compliment.
3. Keep things simple:
Always remember that in every workplace there will be words of criticism as well as well as the appreciation for good work. Nothing is permanent. So the smartest thing you can do is keep things simple.
Try to respond in a genuine manner but don’t make it too over the top. When you do this, you are bound to make a way better impression.
Conclusion:
Handling both criticism and appreciation for hard work is important for everyone who works in an office environment. However it is not as difficult as some of you have imagined.
The process can be made so much easier if you follow all of these steps enlisted above. On that note, good luck and handle such situations like a mature professional would.
