Handling Negative Feedback at Work

While it’s not easy to accept, we’ve all been there: receiving negative criticism at work.  That said, you need to accept it and not let it bring you down.  In fact, you can actually make criticism work for you depending on how you take it.  If you take it objectively and with the right spirit and not personally, it can actually be beneficial and helpful and can lead you to do your job better.  Negative criticism can help you understand what you’re doing wrong and allow you to fix it.  So the question remains: How do you accept negative criticism without negative feelings?

First off, look for the positives in negative criticism even if you feel like they aren’t there.  Ask the person giving it for concrete examples of things you’ve done wrong in the past so that you can fix them.  Look for ways you can improve.  Ask for suggestions on how you can avoid making the same mistakes again.

Accept your mistakes willingly.  This will help you to not repeat them in the future.  Don’t get defensive.  Try listening.  And if you have made a mistake, acknowledge it; don’t deny.  In other words, fess up.  Remember, you are accountable for your work, your actions and your mistakes.

Be open to the discussion with the person giving the feedback as difficult as that may sound.  Many people always believe their work to be the best and aren’t willing to admit that maybe they do in fact have areas that can be improved upon.  Accepting criticism allows us to understand where we stand on a particular issue and gives us a clearer picture of divergent opinions.

Remain positive and welcome suggestions.  Undoubtedly, negative criticism stings but you should use it as a motivator to do your job better.  While you should acknowledge the negative points, don’t forget that it might bring out positives.

Don’t be complacent.  Many people get over confident when they achieve even the slightest success and often don’t want to admit when they don’t repeat that success.  Keep working to better yourself and keep up your efforts to improve further.

Know your strengths and weaknesses.  Sometimes you need to admit to yourself that you might excel in one area but not another.  No matter how hard you try, sometimes you can’t always be great at everything you do.  Deal with your limitations in the best way you can.  Once you acknowledge what you can improve upon, give it one hundred percent effort.

Listen carefully to the person providing the negative feedback as difficult as that may be to do.  If you can’t accept your failures, you’ll never succeed and make them right. “The main reason for people getting perplexed about feedback is not listening to it properly.”  Even take notes if you feel that could be beneficial.

Don’t become overly emotional.  Try to analyze what the person giving you feedback is really saying and digest it.  Involving your emotions will only detract from being able to objectively consider the value of the feedback.  Focus on facts rather than feelings.  Again, remind yourself that negative feedback can have positive consequences.

Don’t be silent or over-defensive.  “Don’t just be a mute spectator.”  Engage in a conversation with the person giving you the feedback however negative it may be and keep your emotions in check.  After hearing feedback, offer your point of view and maybe even thank the one giving it to you.  If you don’t understand something, ask for a clarification.  You have every right to defend yourself just don’t get overly defensive.  Tell the person giving the feedback why you feel things went wrong and ask for suggestions or even be proactive and offer suggestions for improvement.

Don’t hold grudges as that can be very destructive.  Take away the positives and maybe even admit to yourself that the person giving you the feedback was right.  If you hold grudges, it will negatively affect your ability to work on your problem areas and do a better job in the future.  Accept your weaknesses and work to improve them.  Let the person giving the feedback know that you appreciate it and will take it under careful consideration.

Lastly and most importantly, decide upon corrective action.  After listening to and analyzing feedback no matter how negative, decide upon the actions you want to take to improve your job performance.  Take feedback to heart.  Try and understand why things went wrong and do all you can to fix them and ensure that they won’t happen again.

While handling negative feedback in the workplace can be a very difficult task, it is an important one.  Remind yourself that feedback whether positive or negative is a chance to grow and improve.  If you remain open-minded, you will see that negative feedback as hard as it may be to hear can often allow you to do your job better in the future.

Here are some articles you might want to check out about handling negative criticism at work:

“Six Ways to Deal with Criticism at Work”: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303753904577452330484680636.html

“The Perfect Recipe for Handling Negative Feedback at Work”: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/09/13/the-perfect-recipe-for-handling-negative-feedback-at-work

“So You’re Not Perfect, and You’ve Been Told So…”: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33805098/ns/business-careers/t/so-youre-not-perfect-youve-been-told-so/#.UfaWwW3fKSo

“Hit Me with Your Best Shot: Handling Criticism at Work”: http://www.thedailymuse.com/career/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-handling-criticism-at-work/

Until next time…

How to Deal with a Demanding Boss

Everyone has had bosses who are difficult to deal with.  As odd as it may sound, sometimes working for a demanding boss can be a great experience because they challenge you and lead you to do your job more effectively.  That said, some bosses can be inconsistent or unprofessional and can, for lack of a better word, make your life a living hell.  Some bosses can be confrontational, demanding, impatient, blunt and lack empathy.  Not all bosses have the same management style.  Some are just intense by nature whereas others are lenient and jovial.  A lot of times, however, demanding bosses put you in untenable, no-win situations.  So how to deal with a difficult boss?

First off, if your boss is a real jerk at times, avoid responding in kind.  Try and take the high road.  If your boss because verbally abusive, try to maintain a cool head as tempting as it may be to scream back.  That will only make the situation worse.  If you maintain your professionalism, others around you may pick up on that.  Remember oftentimes your boss has his or her own boss.

Document your work.  Keep track of your accomplishments so that if you need to go to management should the situation become too much to handle, you can show them what a stellar job you are doing in spite of your boss’s overreaching demands.  

If your boss does treat you with disrespect, document the incidents.  Keep track of the dates and the situations so that again, if you need to go to management or HR you can have a thorough record of what happened.  Write down what problem existed at the time and how your boss reacted as well as how you reacted in kind.

Use objective measures.  If your boss is breathing down your neck about something, give concrete examples of how you handled the situation.  If you did something in three hours that it usually takes five hours for someone else to do, let him or her know that.  Confront your boss with evidence of your solid performance.

Always look out for your best interests.  Keep your network active in case your boss becomes so unbearable that you feel you have no choice but to leave your job.  Stay in touch with former colleagues.  Maintain relationships with alumni from your primary school or college.  Be active in community affairs.  Keeping yourself visible in your field of interest can help you find a new job should you choose to leave your old one.

Treat your boss with respect even if you feel he or she doesn’t deserve it.  You don’t want to burn bridges should you need a recommendation if you plan to leave.  Always be gracious even in the face of unnecessary pressure your boss may place upon you.  If you feel your boss was right about blasting you for something, let him or her know that you will not make the same mistake again and keep your word.

Use humor to cope.  Laughing at untenable situations is often a great way to deal with them.  Rather than dwelling on a past negative experience with a boss, try to shrug it off and look at the comical side.

Figure out what makes your boss “tick” and try to avoid making that a reality.  While you shouldn’t be forced to tip toe around your boss, if you see him or her becoming agitated about a situation, try to keep your distance and stay out of it.

Keep your boss in the loop.  Let your boss know about your progress or how you have done a good job with a project that is important.  If you show him or her that you are doing a good job, he or she might be less likely to come down hard on you.  Think about setting up a weekly meeting with your boss to let him or her know about your performance and how it has been effective in helping moving the company and its goals forward.  Show your boss that you are meeting your deadlines.

As difficult as it may be, don’t gossip with coworkers about the difficulties you are experiencing with your boss.  Things have a way of getting around the office and you don’t want your boss thinking you are speaking negatively about him or her.  If things are going really badly, confront your boss directly in a calm and collected tone. Employees who keep a tight lip are viewed as responsible and professional.

If your boss is being very demanding towards you, try and take it as a compliment.  Maybe he or she thinks you are most adept to handle difficult problems or situations and so while you might feel singled out, the pressure your boss puts on you might be a sign that he or she has confidence in your ability to do a great job.

Lastly, and possibly most importantly, don’t take it personally.  Likely your boss is not solely taking out his or her aggression solely on you and that aggression very often has little to do with you.  Your boss might be exceedingly stressed out and unable to control his or her emotions based off of that.  At times, you could become your boss’s punching bag and while that is difficult to deal with, you have to remember that it’s not about you.

While working with a demanding boss can be very difficult at times, sometimes you just have to suck it up and continue to work through it.  While this can feel demoralizing at times, don’t let it get you down.  There are many ways to deal with a demanding boss as I’ve discussed above.  Remember if things are really getting too overwhelming, you can always go to management with your concerns or look for work elsewhere.  If you take some of the advice I’ve given above, you might be more apt to deal with a difficult boss effectively.

Here are some articles you might want to check out about how to deal with a demanding boss:

“10 Tips for Dealing with an Overly Demanding Boss”: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/07/10/10-tips-for-dealing-with-an-overly-demanding-boss/

“14 Ways to Manage (and Manipulate) a Difficult Boss”: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/05/15/14-ways-to-manage-and-manipulate-a-difficult-boss/

“How to Deal with a Nightmare Boss”: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-deal-with-a-nightmare-boss.html

“How to Deal with a Demanding Boss”: http://www.ehow.com/how_2066883_deal-demanding-boss.html

Until next time…

How to Become a Successful Business Woman

Slowly but surely women are gaining equal footing with their male counterparts in the business world.  In many areas where men used to dominate the world of big business, woman are starting to emerge as leaders.  All over the world women are shattering the notion that they can’t be as successful in the workplace as men.  While there is still disparity in pay in many fields, women are gaining traction in how they are seen as leaders in the business community.  So how to become a successful business woman?

First off do your homework.  Try reading about other successful business women.  Researching and learning about the backgrounds of women who have made a success of themselves in a man’s world is a great place to start.  This might help to inspire and motivate you.  Reading their stories can give you an idea about what the path to success looks like and what obstacles you might have to overcome along the way.

Additionally, try researching power women in your field of interest.  One woman’s success can pave the way for others to follow in her footsteps.  Learning about successful women in your field will give you a better idea of how they got there and what a typical career path might look like – where they started from and how they got where they are today; what motivation and encouragement from others it took to make a success of themselves.

Even though it might seem daunting, try considering a field with fewer women in it.  Some fields with less women are looking to bring them on board to show they are willing to offer parity in the workplace.  Many fields even offer scholarships programs or grants to get women to come on board.

Determine how to balance work and family.  Oftentimes, men don’t have to make this choice but women do.  One of the greatest concerns for women who want to enter the workforce is that it might take them away from their home and children.  If you are married, discuss with your husband ways that both of you can have successful careers without damaging home life.  Make compromises.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having ambition and not wanting to be a stay-at-home mom.

Overcome pay inequality.  “Despite making fantastic progress in terms of the number of women in the workforce and the proportion of those who go on to reach managerial and executive positions, there is still a long way to go, especially when it comes to equal pay.”  The honest truth, as unfair as it may be, is that woman oftentimes earn less money than their male counterparts do for the same amount of work.  Don’t undervalue yourself.  Learn how to negotiate.  Once you know your value, you should work on selling your qualifications, skills and achievements.  Do your homework and know what other women in similar positions are earning.  And additionally, never forget that you are entitled to ask for a raise if you feel you are doing a great job and adding value to the company for which you work.

Have confidence.  Being confident in yourself and your abilities is key to becoming a successful businesswoman.  People view you as you view yourself.  Portray yourself as confident and people will see you that way.  Don’t let self-doubt overwhelm you.  Remember you’ve made it to where you are because you are smart and capable and worked hard.  Project confidence through your body language.  Always walk into any room with your head held high and stand tall.  Give a firm handshake and hold eye contact.  Don’t be submissive or intimidated by your male counterparts.

Be assertive.  Women are very oftentimes stereotyped as weak or emotional.  The best way to overcome this notion is to disprove it.  If you are assertive, people are more likely to respect you.  Don’t let your emotions overwhelm you and never let them see you sweat as cliché as that may sound.

Handle criticism well.  It’s important to be able to grow from criticism and not let it deter you from doing a good job.  Don’t let it get you down and discourage you.  Realize that through criticism people are trying to help you improve.

Lastly, pursue what you love.  “Being a successful businesswoman takes focus, determination, passion and most of all, time.”  If you follow a career that makes you happy, you have a better chance of succeeding at it and being rewarded with monetary parity.  When you do what you love, you’re more likely to do it well.  Being passionate about something breeds success.

While women face many challenges in the workplace today, mostly inequity in pay as I’ve discussed above, there’s no reason that through hard work and determination you can’t make a success of yourself.  Use the advice I’ve given above and you might find your way to becoming a successful businesswoman more quickly than you anticipated.

Here are some articles you might want to check out about becoming a successful businesswoman:

“Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Businesswomen”: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/10/secrets-of-successful-people-careers-forbes-woman-leadership-getting-ahead.html

“Secrets of Successful Businesswomen”: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/2757.html

“Top Ten Characteristics of Successful Women Business Owners”: http://www.womensleadershipexchange.com/index.php?pagename=resourceinfo&resourcekey=493

“How to Be a Successful Woman in Business”: http://findyourdreamjob.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/how-to-be-a-successful-woman-in-business/

Until next time…