There is only one way to avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing and be nothing - Aristotle.

In other words, if you don't want criticism, then you don't want growth. Criticism is a two way traffic, It takes these two people; a giver and a receiver to complete the feedback loop. In this article, I'll talk about types of feedback (criticism) and roles each party has to play.

The word criticism is often viewed as negative, a mention of it can get people scared because it sounds as if someone intends to attack them and their work. The word Feedback has a nicer, softer ring to it and is less likely to activate your fight-flight instincts. I would be using both words interchangeably in this article.

CRITICISM? WHAT'S THAT?

Criticism is the action of sharing thoughts, opinions and suggestions on something that has been shared for that purpose. It could be on a business idea, your portfolio, your outfit, projects, parenting style etc. Everything falls within the radar of criticism. Criticism is an informed opinion provided on request. It is impersonal, focuses on the matter being discussed and provides actionable recommendations that are supposed to lead to improvement or further exploration on the subject.

WHAT IS NOT CRITICISM?

The concept called Destructive criticism or negative feedback, is the opposite of what criticism should be. It is often done in the way of a personal attack on an individual, berating the capabilities and highlighting their personal and professional shortcomings. While this may not always be done with the intent to tear people down emotionally, in private or publicly, people who receive negative feedback often find themselves doing or feeling some or all of the following:

• Feel demoralised
• Feel scared to share their work with anyone.
• Feel resentful of the person who just attacked them.
• Feel incompetent.
• Become defensive of their work and errors.

Now, while the person who gave the negative criticism may have elements of truth in their tirade, it is never received well, and its impact is always negative.

WHERE DOES EMPATHY COME IN?

I'm glad you finally asked, following the design thinking process, the first one on the wheel is Empathy, this means an in-depth understanding of the needs and circumstances of clients, users and everyone it applies to. It's not the same as sympathy which means to feel sorry for someone. You can say that empathy is a designer's primary job, because understanding users and client needs solves half the problem.

Bringing this principle to criticism, we gain the concept of constructive-criticism. This is the stellar opposite of deconstructive feedback.

CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK?

Well, it is a form of feedback that focuses on delivering critique and negative feedback positively. It uses empathy to identify challenges. Understand the position of the person who seeks feedback and deliver it with a positive impact that would build morale not tear it down. Constructive and deconstructive feedback both point out what was done wrong. The major difference between both is in the manner of delivery. It's not so much what is said, but how it's said and the intention with which it's said.

THE TWO WAY STREET OF CRITICISM

As a person in a professional environment, you would always have opportunities to either give or receive feedback. Whether giving or receiving, feedback is essential to growth. Let's talk about each category.

RECEIVING FEEDBACK.

As an individual with a skill in the professional world, you would often have to showcase your ideas and solutions, have them tested and receive evaluation. This could be you as a junior designer or an intern seeking feedback from a senior, an executive member, friends or even strangers from a community you belong to.

Definitely, they would all have ideas for improvement and they would share it. At this point, you have little influence over the kind of feedback you would receive, whether constructive or deconstructive. What you have at the end of the day is power over your reaction to their criticism.

Here's a number of ways to help you deal with negative feedback.

Be Open-minded:

Remember the reason you seek feedback is for improvement. Be willing to listen to others, they might see something you haven't seen.

Detach your feelings from your work:

When seeking feedback, keep your emotions in check. Yes, you sacrificed flesh and blood to put together that work of art, but perfection does not exist in the vocabulary of a creative. You should be open to exploring and iterating. Putting emotions aside would help you see the future of your work better.

Call People Out:

When you receive deconstructive criticism from someone, call them out, tell them, politely, that they do not have to speak to you that way. This is helpful because, there is a chance that they are not aware that they just gave deconstructive feedback, calling them out would bring their attention to it and hopefully lead to some sort of introspection. On the other hand, it's better for you to speak up to bullies because if you don't you would always berate yourself, underestimate your work or worth and generally feel like you let yourself down.

Seek alternative opinions:

Take your work to someone else who would understand, appreciate and relate to you better. Constructive feedback from them would help you fix whatever errors you have and boost your morale.

GIVING FEEDBACK?

Any fool can criticise, condemn and complain - most fools do, but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving. - Dale Carnegie.

Reviewing the work of others helps you build perspective, reflection and also gives you depth generally. When you identify what's missing from their work, discuss with them and propose a solution, you internalise the process. This is helpful both to you and the person seeking feedback. This is also essential for your growth. Bottomline, be empathetic.

CRITICISM DOs

Use Empathy:

Be sure you understand the position of the person seeking feedback, experience level and their goals before you deliver feedback. This would help you gain insight and perspective.

Be User focused:

Feedback should be given from the perspective of the user and with their best interest in mind. This would put everyone concerned in a better state of mind to look at solutions objectively.

Avoid Personal Attacks:

Do not make negative declarations on the person seeking feedback. What's under review is the work they did, not their character. Also be sure to phrase your opinions as that- opinions- not fact. Remember you aren't infallible.

Ask Questions:

Try to find out what they are trying to achieve, have them talk and listen to them while they explain their point of view, you might be missing something.

Be Actionable:

Don't just show what is wrong, suggest improvements, discuss what can be made better and how. Just be nice and decent, everybody wins that way. Don't know which side of the wheel you fall on while giving feedback? Ask yourself how well you do the above while giving feedback.

FINAL WORDS

The art of criticism is as important as learning a skill to both givers and receivers. When people feel confident in themselves, everyone is happier and the work environment is livelier and generally better. This article might focus on designers, but I believe the principles apply to people from other disciplines and well.

Cheers.