“Speak in anger and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” This popular quote is a cautionary tale of what could happen if we let our emotions get the best of us. Yet, it’s understandable to have an emotional reaction when you receive criticism. You may feel defensive. You may want to explain yourself and defend your actions. So…
“You have a bad attitude!” Even though we know people who could benefit from that negative feedback, that ugly wording is not the best way to share it. There are two reasons that saying “you have a bad attitude” is not the best way to get results: Those harsh words are likely to get a defensive response. It provides…
One of the best things a supervisor can do to build trust is to openly listen to an employee’s feedback—and give an honest reply about what will happen to their suggestion. Then act on it! In my first book If You Can’t Say Something Nice What DO You Say, I share the following sample replies: “Thanks for your input. Although…
Whether it’s at work or home, we can all benefit from becoming better at confrontation. How we handle conflict and stress is directly related to how successful and stable our relationships will be. Sometimes, the first question we ask when dealing with a tricky situation is whether we should confront or not confront. Should you confront the cranky coworker, annoying…
When we’re trying to handle criticism, it’s easy to feel defensive. We want to explain ourselves and defend our actions. However, while doing all that talking, we’re not listening. By being defensive, we can miss out on the opportunity to learn while we’re handling criticism. How to Handle Criticism: Grow From It We spend a lot of time and…
How to Respond When Someone Asks Your Opinion and You Have Nothing Nice to Say Have you ever been cornered by a colleague and asked a potentially incriminating question: “What do you think about the new boss?” or, “What do you think about the co-workers new hair cut?” or “What do you think about the CEO’s new (controversial) policy?” The…