Occasionally, I like it when someone tells me “Hey, you got it wrong” – I do. I believe that positive criticism is the greatest gift one can give/receive. Heck, even a negative one can be valuable if you know how to deal with it and transform it from a demoralising experience into an opportunity for self-improvement.
As bloggers, we cannot afford to dismiss any criticism, no matter how trivial it is. Remember that the person reviewing your work is also a part of your audience. We will never be able to please everyone, that’s true, but by evaluating their feedbacks we can create a picture of what needs our attention and which we may have to live with.
New Balance WR996 Grey / White from newbalance.co.uk
Recently, I received some criticism of my blog. My first reaction was “How come I’ve missed that?”. I learned that, listening to others is worth the effort because it helps you realise what you can’t by yourself. I wouldn’t have notice these design flaws or the fact that I need to keep posts more open to discussions if it wasn’t for this bit of criticism. This is why criticism is necessary: it helps us grow.
I appreciate it when someone criticizes my work, especially when well deserved, because I care about providing the best experience possible for my readers when they visit my blog. The best thing I can do about criticism is assume that it’s valid and work harder next time. Underestimating it would only lead to failure.
However, dealing with criticism is quite a challenge. If you’re not a patience person, you will find yourself having a hard time taking negative feedbacks. Aiming for success requires doing everything within your means to achieve that, including listening to others. So, patience and tolerance are key.
So, let’s say I’m not really patient. How should I handle critics? Listen what they have to say. If criticisms are unfounded and based on speculations, then simply ignore them. Otherwise, do some good listening, solve the problems and improve what needs to be improved.
We’re all exposed to criticism. Even in the real life scenario. How do you handle it?