Pastor Ron Edmondson wrote a post today entitled “10 Problems with Doing the Best You Know How.”  There’s lots of wisdom in this article and  felt I needed to share it. You can get to it by clicking here.

One of the most difficult things I have learned is how to take and process criticism.  Nobody likes to be criticized, but if you are a leader – criticism will come.  Part of the leadership identity is determining who to take criticism from and what to do with it. Those of us with a job, receive feedback from our direct manager/supervisor. It is hard to get a poor performance review, but it is necessary criticism when not meeting expectations. Every person should have an inner circle of friends and mentors to filter criticism through.

What to do when you receive criticism:

Proverbs 1:5 [Amplified Bible]

The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]

Step 1: Hear

Receive the criticism. Do not defend yourself even if you feel justified. Your emotions are kicking in at the time of receiving criticism.  It is not the time to react. Take time to process what you’ve heard. Talk to your inner circle. This is a wise thing to do.

Step 2: Increase in Learning

There was a period in early my career where “tacky” repeatedly showed on my performance review or I heard it from co-workers.  I resisted the criticism because I felt I was a “sista that just kept it real and folks just can’t handle my blackness!” I finally got REAL tired of hearing that criticism not just at work but from friends.  I increased my learning in the area of people skills. I didn’t see the value of changing myself in order to succeed.  Become a lifelong learner of human dynamics if you consistently receive criticism in the area people skills or personality flaws.

Step 3: Acquire Skill

If the criticism is a weakness in skill to do the job, then take the initiative to fix the weakness.  Job shadow someone who’s performing similar work or the job itself. Find mentors, take classes, come up with a plan and talk to your manager. Your company may pay the bill for classes.  Above all, when you come up with your plan talk to your manager; this shows initiative, maturity in handling fierce conversations.  In other words, this earns you cool points.

Step 4: Attain Sound Council

A phenomenon I see in church I also see in Corporate America: negative people find each other, cling together and swap their stories of hardships and pain.  They hang out in packs never attaining anything but a emotional fix of someone agreeing with them. Sound council comes from people who care enough to tell you the truth. They tell you what you need to hear not what you want to hear.  I live and die by my inner circle. I don’t make decisions in a vacuum. This does not mean throw the responsibility of the decision on someone else. I hear the council and still make my own decision going in knowing what dangers may be out there and the repercussions of the decisions. Don’t listen to people who will tell you what you want to hear. That will get you nowhere fast!

Step 5: Steer your course

If you do steps 1-4, you can rest assured YOU are steering your course right!

How do you handle criticism?

In project management, we plan from the desired end state.  I have found this technique helpful when it comes to planning for the goals I’ve set for my life.  Project management provides processes and structure to achieve that end state.

For example, last year I set a goal to climb Mt. Rainer this year.  I read lots of books and created a plan. This plan included a training plan, gear purchase, picking a date for the climb and making travel arrangements.  At the end of every quarter I re-evaluate my progress towards. As with my Mt. Rainier goal, it has now become a Mt. St. Helens goal. Unplanned travel for work during January and February put me too far behind to climb Mt. Rainier by the end of summer.  I either had to move the date out and change the goal.  Climbing Mt. Rainier in October seemed too dangerous for a novice climber.  Mt. St. Helens in August was the wiser choice.

1. Set Goal
2. Deconstruct the goal – that is list everything that needs to be done in order to reach that goal. These becomes milestones or mini-goals that you can now start working towards
3. Order those steps in sequence.  Some may be done in parallel.  In my example, it doesn’t matter when I buy my gear to climb Mt. St. Helens.
4. Add dates to those steps
5. Execute
6. Celebrate at every milestone.  You are making progress.  Even if the goal needs to be adjusted, the feeling of accomplishment will be there.

4^th quarter of every year, I begin setting goals for every area of my life.  After each area has at least one goal, I then complete the above exercise.  By year’s end I have plan for the following year.  By New Year’s Day I’m ready to begin execution.

How do you create a plan to achieve your goals?