Friday Coffee with MAP - June 21, 2024

Hello , and welcome to Friday Coffee with MAP!

This week,

We live in an age of criticism. In the internet age, criticism is easier than ever to dole out, and we’ve never been more exposed to it. Online platforms enable us to critique restaurants, teachers, businesses, and each other with ease. Naturally, both the perceived threat of– and the experience of actually receiving– negative feedback can be emotionally devastating. But it does not have to be. This week’s article offers key tips for not only handling negative criticism, but using it to grow and thrive.

Happy reading!

"How to Take– and Give– Criticism Well”
_{by Arthur C. Brooks for The Atlantic}

It is natural to react negatively to criticism, especially when it feels like “destructive” feedback rather than “constructive” commentary clearly meant to help you. But to allow your emotional response to criticism to overshadow the opportunity for improvement it offers is both unproductive and detrimental.

The only way to flourish amid negative criticism, and despite it, is to adopt new habits of both getting and giving it. Here are some research backed tactics for doing just that:

1. It’s not personal (even when it’s personal): When criticized, we often jump to consider it a judgment on our inherent abilities, rather than on our performance. Remember to assess criticism at face value, looking at it as separate from a direct statement on your worth. “Depersonalize” it. View feedback objectively and analytically, focusing on the content rather than taking it as a personal attack.

2. Treat criticism like insider information: By depersonalizing criticism, you can see it as a valuable insight into how others view your performance and an opportunity to improve. This turns the opinion of others into key learnings. When you empower others to criticize your performance, it becomes less painful when they do, leading to rapid improvement and a reduced fear of critics.

3. Make criticism a gift, never a weapon: This is a reminder about giving criticism well. In criticizing another, remember the gift/weapon rule: “If I am criticizing to help, I am doing it right; if I am doing it to harm, I am doing it wrong.” Criticize with the care of the recipient in mind; be respectful in delivery; be conscious of your own good intentions; provide a pathway to improvement; and targeting of the recipient’s needs appropriately.

4. “Praise in public, criticize in private”: This is a quote from legendary coach Vince Lombardi, whose instincts were correct: A 2014 study found that publicly given positive feedback was 9% more motivating for students, whereas privately given negative feedback was 11% more motivating than when given publicly.

With these practical tips on board, we hope you can embrace the power of both giving and receiving negative feedback. A healthy relationship to criticism will foster improvement and, over time, enhance your wellbeing.

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So tell us: How do you react to criticism, when it arises? Can you recall moments where you wish you had reacted to criticism differently?

We’re looking forward to hearing from you! Have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you,

The MAP Team

10345 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 110
Los Angeles, CA 90064
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WEB: www.mapstrategic.com

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