How to Handle Criticism

Accepting feedback with good grace


Consider the points being made calmly.

© iStockphoto/syagci

How do you react to criticism? For many of us, our first reaction is often one of anger. After all, nobody enjoys being told they haven't done well, and some of us go out of our way to avoid any kind of negative feedback!

When you come to it with an open mind, however, you can use criticism to help you grow and become more effective. No one is perfect, and criticism can contain valuable feedback that can help you to see your weaknesses, and perform better next time.

This article shows you how to tell whether criticism is fair or unfair, before offering tips on handling fair criticism with good grace.

Fair Versus Unfair Criticism

There are important differences in how you should respond to fair and unfair criticism, so you need to be able to tell them apart.

Fair criticism is ...

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