No matter what you do, someone isn’t going to like it. For me, hearing from my critics is one of the best parts of my work!
My speaker evaluation forms, blog comment box and even my email is filled with a wealth of information. All of it, by my definition, is positive.
While I love to get testimonials on the benefits people are receiving by hearing, reading or in some way experiencing my work, I also love to receive the comments that some others might consider negative.
In the phrases “the On Success audio clip is too short” or “your presentation was too long”, I’m actually getting practical information that I can perhaps use another time. Feedback like this is primarily about personal preferences, but if I get the same information over and over again, it’s clear I need to consider changes.
But the best so-called negative comment I ever get is simply this – “Nancy, I don’t agree with you.”
Excellent! Great!
What that tells me is the person is considering what I’m saying. They are evaluating my antithesis against their thesis. One way or another, they ultimately end up with a synthesis of the two, and that is called growth.
No, I don’t want everyone to disagree with me all the time, of course. But that kind of feedback is not negative for me. Nor should it be for you.
Action – Remember disagreement ultimately creates development for you and the other person. Welcome and even encourage the critics, for they have valuable insights to share.