6 Steps to Objectively Evaluate Criticism

How to deal with criticism?

Let’s see how to use the 6 steps from the visual.
I struggled with feedback in the past too.
So you’re not alone.

1.    “Understand the big picture”.
So, imagine you receive feedback from John — a coworker.
And imagine he criticizes your presentation skills during a meeting.
What can you do?

Well, instead of immediately reacting defensively, do this:
→    Take a moment to consider the context (the big picture)

What do I mean by that?

Simple, consider:
→    Who gave the feedback (John)
→    His motivations (maybe he wants to see the team succeed)
→    Any other external factors that may have influenced his perception.

2.    “Listen and question thoughtfully”
Imagine John pointed out that you tend to speak too quickly.
And that it’s hard for others to follow your points.

Instead of dismissing his feedback, do this:
→    Listen attentively
→    Ask clarifying questions

For example, you can ask:
→    Hey John, can you give me an example of when I talked too fast? It’d really help me get what you mean.

3.    “Consider broader applications”
Now, reflect on whether John’s criticism could apply to other areas of life.
Or even to different goals you have.
Why this?
Because if you realize that speaking too quickly is a habit, you may wanna improve.
Especially if you find that speaking quickly is compromising your goals.
It’s all about the internal motivation that drives you to do better.

4.    “Spot the trends and themes”
Imagine you received that same feedback from multiple coworkers.
Well, maybe John’s criticism is valid, right?
There are areas for improvement.

So you decide to observe the situation deeply.

And then you realize this:
→    I speak fast when I talk about complex information.
Well, now we know we need to slow our pace when complexity arises, right?

5.    “Seek more valuable insights”

Now, you wanna better understand how your speaking speed affects your communication.

Here’s what you can do:
→    Record yourself speaking during a presentation
→    Ask for solid feedback from trusted coworkers and friends

This way:
→    you’ll have more valuable insights.
→    you’ll know where to start to improve

6.    “Set your next steps to improve”
Alright, now we have a lot of data about your speaking, right?
Great!

So ask yourself:
→    How can I best use the feedback to grow and improve?

This way, you’ll be able to grow based on the qualitative data you got.

This is how you can handle feedback and turn it into a growth opportunity.