How to Handle Criticism
One thing I am learning from running my own business is that you have to have the hide of a rhino. I SO care about what other people think of me, that at times it has been detrimental to getting on with what I fundamentally believe is the right course of action for me and my business. Just because I want to please all of the people all of the time.
However, I also know that I can't continue in business with that attitude, I'll either go bust or insane. To prevent one or the other, here's what I've learnt:
1 - You Can't Please All the People All of The Time.
It's a myth that you can make everyone happy, all the time. The majority of what I do or have done for clients is well received. But there is always going to be a situation when however hard you've worked, or however much time you've put into a project, the client's going to turn around and hate what you've done. It hurts, but hopefully from the feedback you can try a different approach next time, or ditch the client..!
2 - Make Room to Make Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. I've made errors of judgement for my business and it hurts like hell! I have made decisions only to find that the situation and circumstances have changed, and the client wants something completely different to what you had originally thought! Don't beat yourself up about it. Next time, ensure that the brief is agreed between everyone involved and focus on getting it right.
3 - Go with Your Gut Instinct.
One of the joys of running your own business is that you get to call the shots. It's also one of the challenges. The buck stops here, with me. There's no-one to pass the responsibility to, or to blame for mistakes I have made. But at the end of the day, I have to trust my own judgement and learn from those mistakes.
4 - Keep Everything in Perspective
It's work, you're going to get criticised. If it stings, you can go and cry in the toilets. However, I would advise to keep all comments in perspective and try and see why that person's feedback feels so sore. What did you do, or not do and how can you moved forward positively?
5 - Constructive Criticism
If someone offers you constructive criticism, see it as a way to get some insight into the way you work. It could be a way to build on your strengths and to learn about the areas that you could work on.
If you have any further tips on dealing with criticism and complaints, do let me know.
