Don't take it personally - why criticism is a good thing | Mark Thomas, Creative Boom Magazine

Criticism can be hard to deal with, writes blogger Thomas, but it's not all bad news, because we can sometimes use it to get a competitive edge.

His article describes six ways to benefit from criticism. Here they are, summarized:

Criticism is a form of communication ...
Take a moment to think before you respond to what they're saying; working with someone who is patient and able to receive and act on criticism means that both parties can work towards getting the best outcome.

Feedback helps to make your product stronger ...
Whatever you're selling, whether it's a product or service, listening to people's opinions will tell you what's good about what you're doing and what could be done better. ...

It helps you to think about how you work
Constructive criticism can guide you away from bad practices and towards good ones. Try to be objective and look at what you're providing as though it's not yours. ...

The right kind of criticism can give you an advantage
Think about it: if you can get a customer to tell you - and just you - how to give them the perfect product or service, that's information you've got that no one else has. That puts you at an advantage over everyone else in your sector ...

Use positive language; elicit a solution
The language you use to respond to criticism is vitally important. Try to avoid getting into an argument. Instead, turn the exchange into a discussion about how to resolve the problem. ...

Don't take it personally ...
Even if you feel you're being criticised unfairly, don't retaliate with a rude reaction or else you can irreparably damage your prospect of working together and maybe harm your reputation as well. ...

--------------

This article is from today's (June 8) Creativity Connections, available at the Creativity tab at the top of my blog.