Receiving criticism with confidence - Handling Criticism, part 2

Medical Laboratory Observer, April, 1991 by Shirley Harmon

HANDLING CRITICISM: Part II

Receiving criticism with confidence

Allow yourself to learn from criticism directed at you. Even if it is invalid, respond diplomatically. Conclusion of a series on personal and personnel judgments in the lab.

Mark Twain said, "I like criticism, but it must be my way." Most laboratorians take Twain a step further: They do not like criticism, and they never divulge what their way is.

For the vast majority of people, criticism has a negative connotation. Consequently, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you hate criticism and avoid it even when constructive, you make avoidable mistakes and cause even more disapproval. If you change your mind-set about criticism, however, and view it as either neutral or positive, it will have a neutral--or even positive--result for you.

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To help you change your mental set, let's define criticism as "somebody's opinion of a situation, action, or person that he or she wants to share with you." This is a neutral definition that doesn't imply the opinion is correct, is the only one, or must be acted upon. If you can accept this definition, you are half way to changing your view of criticism. This will lead you to be more effective in handling it.

The next step is to recognize the many different ways of interpreting judgments. If you seek more than one interpretation of what someone said, you will have more options for reacting to it. Choose the interpretation to which you will respond. Some will build your confidence, others may put you on a growth track, and still others may key you into an insight about the politics of the organization--who is allied with whom. Using this multiple interpretation approach, you may eventually be able to say, as actress Helen Hayes did, "I like criticism. It's the only way to grow."

* Criticism analysis guidelines. Here are several different ways to evaluate criticism:

* Analyze source. Do you respect the critic? Is your critic credible? What might be the motivation? Is the commentator qualified to judge your behavior? People from other departments who judge the laboratory and its staff may not be credible. If they lack a lab background or are not respected, don't waste energy arguing with them. Thank them for their views and just let it go.

Assess the emotional state of your critic. Is the emotion being expressed appropriate to the situation? Or is it just someone venting anger for something that happened earlier in the day? A classic example of this is the surgeon who follows up a bad time in the operating room by attacking the laboratory technologist about something unrelated. If the emotions are not related to the nominal problem, do not take the criticism as a serious blow to your ego or competence. Often, the exploder merely needs to let off steam and finds the laboratory a convenient outlet.

One creative lab professional, faced repeatedly with an explosive surgeon, realized that he looked like a child having a temper tantrum. She asked, in a very nurturing tone of voice, "Doctor, were they mean to you in the operating room today?" He stopped immediately and said in an almost childlike tone, "Well, yes. How did you know?" At that point, the technologist replied, "Have a piece of candy and tell me about it." They ended their conversation feeling positive instead of angry or upset.

* Analyze situation. How important is the situation being criticized in the overall scheme of your life? Does the questioned behavior truly make a difference? Will you even remember, in a month or two, what the fuss was about? Many of the critiques we receive come from a friend or colleague as throw-away remarks having little significance to us as individuals or professionals. Do not invest your energy replying to a comment that is not important to either your work situation or personal relationships.

* Heard this before? Count the number of times you have heard similar criticism. Have people both on and off the job been suggesting that the same change is needed? For example, if several people have told you to be more tactful and diplomatic, take them seriously and develop a plan for improvement.

* What's the payoff? Analyze what your reward might be for making the desired change. It's always an effort to develop a new behavior or rid oneself of an old one. We have a limited amount of energy to use at work; invest yours where you envision a positive payoff for you, your career, and/or the laboratory. If you see no clear reward, obtain additional information before deciding to change. Ask your critic, "How would this change benefit the laboratory or help me to become more productive?" If altering your behavior would truly make a difference to the lab, your productivity, or your career progress, accept the criticism and make the change.

* How to accept criticism. First, evaluate the critique with your mind, not your emotions. An emotional response to criticism does not make for change, positive relationships, or good feeling. Your second goal is to use criticism to build your self-esteem. Whether the comment is true, untrue, or ambiguous, you can still use it to build pride and confidence. You will achieve this by choosing a response that is appropriate and positive for you. Your positive feelings come from making a good choice and being in control of your reaction.

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Receiving criticism with confidence - Handling Criticism, part 2

Medical Laboratory Observer, April, 1991 by Shirley Harmon

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