Two Seth's in a row -- he has a good post about critics, criticism, getting your ass handed to you, etc. today and it's worth a good read.
The older and more experienced I get, the less criticism bothers me, generally speaking. (Depends on who's being critical, of course -- if my kids tell me I'm a horrific Dad, I'm taking that one hard.) Like Jimmy Dean (of all people, yes, the sausage guy) said, you can't take rejection personally. You just have to say, "Well, that dumbass didn't know any better."
The point, of course, is that criticism is a great tool, when it's correctly used. If it's personal, it's badly misused. If it does nothing to contribute to future improvement, it's equally badly misused. It's best used when the critique is honest, forthright, non-judgmental about the person or capabilities, and is well-heard and applied by the receiver.
I've read that Eisenhower was particularly good at receiving criticism. He in fact solicited it, all in the hope of continual self-improvement. Good strategy.
Comments