According to Karen Burns, the two most important parts of being published are learning to handle criticism and being persistent.
These two qualities aren’t limited to writers, however. To be a successful admin, you have to be able to take plenty of job-related criticism.
Many times, our natural reaction to criticism is to argue. If someone says we’re doing a task incorrectly or that we’re inefficient, our defense mechanisms kick in. We can even become indignant. “Who are they to question my job?” we think to ourselves. “I know what I’m doing, and I do it just fine.”
Still, once that initial moment of defensive denial passes, job-related criticism starts eating away at your confidence. You’ll start to wonder if the criticism was not only valid, but if it might be worse than the person shared. The pendulum swings the other way, leading you into a downward spiral of self-criticism.
The best way to handle job-related criticism is to use the criticism to build a bridge. What kind of a bridge can criticism build? Well, if the criticism is valid, it can build a bridge to success.
By addressing the problem and improving your performance, you increase your skills and become a more valued employee. Even if the criticism isn’t valid, it can be an opportunity for positive communication. Discuss the criticism with the person. It may be that they’re really not criticizing what you were doing, but something else altogether.
If you learn to use criticism to your advantage, you dramatically increase your effectiveness in the office.
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