Accepting and Giving Criticism Effectively for the New Hire

You were recently hired after a long job search. It’s been a while since someone scrutinized your daily performance at work. Maybe you’re a new hire and yet to receive feedback to gauge if you’re adequately learning and performing. If you fit either of these categories, then you are the receiver of criticism rather than the giver. We will learn about the value of criticism, its importance, and how it can be a positive tool for your first 90 days of your new job.

Dr. Deb Bright is our guest today. She will help us understand the positive attributes of criticism as a giver and receiver.

How important is feedback to you? Do you embrace as a necessity? Or are your experiences mostly a nightmare? I would love to hear your thought in one of the following ways:

1. 1. Call and leave a message at either 708.365.9822 or go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press “Send Voicemail.”
   2. Email me at [email protected]
   3. Leave a comment  on the blog

Dr. Deb Bright (@DrDebBright) is the author of the book, The Truth Doesn’t Have to Hurt: How to Use Criticism to Strengthen Relationships, Improve Performance and Promote Change. Her goal is to help people give and receive critical feedback positively and productively. Deb’s clients include companies such as, Chase, The New York Stock Exchange and ITT. Again, I would like to thank AMACOM for my free review copy of Deb’s book, and arranging our conversation.

Here are highlights of our discussion:

• Accepting criticism should be viewed as a skill set. Employers need to ask where did they receive training to receive and give criticism
• New employees need to look at themselves as a product. You are being hired for more than your technical skills, but the ability in working as a team, including you manage feedback
• Once you gain the skills, view it as a life enhancement, not just for the job but for life
• The receiver is in the control of the criticism exchange process because the receiver can challenge the giver. The receiver is also the one who decides if he/she accepts or rejects it
• The lack of training feedback is best addressed during downtime. Once you receive feedback, be sure to follow-up with your boss  know you have been working on what he or she pointed out during the exchange
• Deb described the building of an “expectation package.”  It is a two-way exchange that makes critique work to build trust and respect
• We also discuss Deb’s experience as a potential Olympic Diver being coached by someone who clearly set expectations. Listen to how Deb accepted criticism from her coach and the impact it had on her life
• Deb embraced her coaches’ directness in dispensing criticism but pointed out there was a common goal. This reflects a key in accepting criticism. There were common goals and rules in giving and accepting critique

We will not publish a show next week since it is Thanksgiving week. Look for a new episode December 2, and for the Dec. 9 & 16 episodes we will have our regular segments plus holiday job search tips sprinkled throughout the show. After that we will take a holiday hiatus retuning Jan. 6 with new episodes!