8 Tips on Accepting Criticism and Accelerating Your Growth

Okay, let’s imagine this - You’re at your uni cafeteria, having your lunch and exchanging some hearty laughs with your friends and suddenly one of your them comments on the pasta you brought to uni last week and says “It was not bad, it could be better”. In that case, what would would you do? Chances are, like most people, you’d also rethink your pasta-making skills or even your entire cooking skills.

Now, for a moment, let’s examine why this hasty reflection happens. It happens because we humans are hard-wired to not accept constructive criticism and treat it as a threat first because it creates a sense of lack inside us. 

So, today we’ll be talking about the top eight tips for accepting constructive feedback and bringing forth maximum growth and productivity. Ready? Let’s go!

Why is Accepting Criticism Important Though?

Okay, before diving in into the steps right away, let’s first talk about why is accepting criticism so important for your career’s advancement. Well, the initial answer would be that you are going to face criticism anyways but a more nuanced answer would be that accepting criticism builds a feedback loop in your brain which realigns and reinforces your brain to pour efforts in the right direction. However, the catch is ‘Constructive Criticism’. Now, let's take a look at the steps.

Accepting Criticism: Step by Step

The phenomenon of accepting constructive feedback is a multifaceted process but the tips that follow are going to help you do it without any friction. Only, remember that it is going to seem difficult at first but sticking with your objective of taking constructive criticism is going to be fruitful for sure. Now, let’s look at those points and understand their execution:

1. Adopt a Growth Mindset

So, starting with the most crucial of all, adopting a mindset that’s fluent in taking constructive criticism is quite instrumental in order for you to not take feedback personally. You see, it's not about what is said to you but what you make of it and adopting a growth mindset makes it simpler for you.

Additionally, having a progressive mindset enables you to extract the best out of any feedback. You can think of it like a filter that segregates whatever’s not serving you from whatever that’s going to aid your growth. Also, when you’re dealing with feedback that is laced with hostility, a growth mindset helps you to accept constructive criticism effectively.

2. Separate Your Work From You

Now, this might come as something that’s counterproductive but honestly, this is one of the best ways towards accepting criticism. So, thinking of yourself as a separate entity from your professional and academic undertakings negates the negative aspects of associating with your mistakes and tells you that mistakes happen and you don’t need to brood over them.

Now, of course, it is not always a viable thing to approach feedback this way but at least in the beginning, you enjoy an open mental space which is free of judgment and the dread of the mistakes’ consequences. And this helps you in not being harsh to yourself and it also cancels out the chances of you accepting constructive feedback.

3. Practice Active Listening

Next up, we have the most difficult tip to master in your aim of accepting criticism and growing out of it - Active listening. You see, in a day and age where you’re constantly bombarded by endless notifications and countless thoughts in your mind, it is quite difficult to practice this skill.

But once you learn the basics of it and stick with it long enough, you’ll not only be taking constructive criticism easily but it’ll also make you a better interpreter of data, helping you in your problem-solving skills and overall communication, since this exercise is an initial step in making you persuasive.

4. Ask for specifics

Okay, after you’ve started to listen actively, you equip yourself to identify areas in the conversation where you can ask for more clarification by asking for more detail, helping you to accept constructive criticism and also telling the other person that you’re not gonna take just anything that’s coming your way

Eventually, this leads to you having a healthy conversation with the other person and not taking constructive criticism as a slight to your reputation. Doing this will also help you set boundaries, establishing your credibility and authority because you must remember that a single criticism should not tarnish your image.

5. Reflect Before Responding

Now, here comes the part where you’ll be using the most brain power. So, after you’ve received the data pointers that highlight your shortcomings and make accepting criticism difficult, your next step is to let those sink in and sit in your mind for some time.

Essentially, this means that for some time you open yourself to taking constructive criticism because you cannot change something while being in a state of denial and that’s the same case with accepting criticism. Because most of the criticisms that you face are directed towards your flaws and not the entirety of you. Assume good and you’ll see good.

6. Express Gratitude

Next up, we’d advise you to show some gratitude towards the person from whom you’re taking constructive criticism because had he not pointed out your flaws, you wouldn’t have had the indication to change those things about you or your work.

Also, think about it this way, you live only once and there are only so many things you can change, so why not change yourself? And in doing so you’ll realise that accepting constructive feedback is not as tough because your life depends on how you perceive what’s in front of you. And you’ll perceive the best only when you’re at your best, right?

7. Make An Action Plan

So, after expressing gratitude for accepting the criticism you’ve received, it’s time to do something about it and formulating a strategy to accept constructive feedback is the most effective step you can take. We’d advise you to begin with analysing the cause of the flaw and then work towards finding the solution.

And once you’ve found your solution to accepting constructive feedback, you must ideally break it down into small bits and slash them one by one. What this does is that your journey of accepting criticism doesn’t overwhelm you and it increases your chances of achieving them, enhancing your mental well-being and adding to your lifestyle’s quality.

8. Seek Feedback Constantly

Now, lastly, no matter how much discomfort the idea of accepting criticism brings, we’d like to remind you that, it’s the surest way to success. In the sense that identifying your shortcomings, not letting them define you, working on taking constructive criticism and finally growing out of them, brings with it the realisation of your true potential.

Our advice to you is to find people who are more knowledgeable than you and are brutally honest because they’ll help you look at unintended mistakes in a candid light and with an air of positivity. Remember, truth might offend you but it ultimately liberates you.

So, all in all, it is clear that criticisms are a nudge to bring out your best version; both in terms of your personal and professional self. Also, it’s a chance to be brutally honest with yourself and confront your shadows because you see, it’s not enough to get stuff done, it should also look flawless, only then are you actually going to get your projects and yourself to be respected with an untarnished reputation. And if you want to maintain your mental well-being while rebuilding yourself, check out our blog on 7 Best Exercises For Mental Health.