CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND FEEDBACK

We are all human beings, and no one is entirely perfect. Even in the fields that we are most passionate about, we don’t need to be perfect. And that is why people ask for feedback. As per survey done by schools in India, constructive criticism and feedback play a significant role in enhancing our skills and abilities. It draws our attention towards details that we might not have been able to catch, but others could.

This is why even the most prominent companies ask for consumer feedback. It helps them make their goods and services better and improve their consumer base by giving them a better experience. Even in art and writing, people ask for feedback to improve their skills and abilities and thereby understand their audience. By doing this, they can provide their audience what they expect.

Another survey done by a top international school in India shows that criticism helps us in identifying our weak points and working on them. However, most of us find it hard to take criticism positively and healthily. While criticism might not always be a perfect thing, most of the time, it is. We need to understand that feedback will only help us improve, and the person giving even negative feedback does not profit from it.

Many of us seek validation for everything that we do, and that is why even if someone criticizes our work for our betterment, we tend to take it negatively. We might get upset because of it and give up on the job, or we might ignore it and continue our work the way we were doing it before. Both of these reactions are highly wrong ways of dealing with criticism.

First, it is unnecessary to think that you were not doing well enough, especially if you had just started this activity in the first case. And in the second case, if you do not take the feedback seriously and do not work on it, your growth will become extremely slow.

Hence it is important to take constructive criticism positively and work on it. But if you think that the person is criticizing you only with the motive of proving they are superior or attacking your self-esteem and confidence, then, of course, one must forgive and ignore them as they do not deserve your precious time.

If you are a person giving someone feedback, you might be confused about how to put your words in the right way so that you do not hurt the other person’s feelings. For that, there are various methods that you can use, such as the sandwich method in which you compliment them along with telling them where they can improve.

Try to give specific feedback rather than passing a general statement. Also, keep in your mind to focus on the situation and not the person you are criticizing.

Along with that, also point out things on which action can be taken and tell how they can improve. Avoid leaving them in a dilemma, and make sure you tell them exactly where they have to bring changes and how they can do that. You must realize that it is for them to improve and do not feel shy in giving constructive criticism to someone.

One must be open to taking as well as giving criticism. This helps in improving faster, and the consumers get what they want. The cycle works best for both sides. Criticism need not always be wrong. It is one of the best ways to enhance one’s skills and abilities with the help of others.