To test your sensitivity to criticism, ask yourself how receptive you were to the critical words of your immediate supervisor during your last performance appraisal.

Dealing with criticism is not easy. On the contrary, analytical thinkers are convinced that their way is the only way. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Follow these 10 steps from TechRepublic Premium to get a better grip on the unwanted and unsolicited critical words hurled in your direction.

Featured text from the download:

5: Don’t respond emotionally

“Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Regardless of whether the criticism is valid, a defensive attitude is unprofessional and irresponsible. You may not like the “helpful advice” that has been handed to you. We all too often want to respond to criticism with a knee-jerk defensive attitude or with a verbal attack of the criticizer. Lashing out with an angry emotional response like, “you are a clueless buffoon” may help you feel better, but it’s unwise — especially if said to your boss. Defensive, angry emotional responses are almost always regretted later when the heat of the moment has passed.

After all, professionals who are secure in their abilities let their work do the talking for them.

Enhance your handling of criticism with our eight-page PDF guide. This is available to download for FREE. Get access to more content with a Premium annual subscription. Click here to find out the details.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 14 hours of dedicated writing, editing and research.