Here's how you can effectively handle constructive criticism in your Enterprise Software career.

Listening is your greatest skill and asset, regardless of the situation. When receiving solicited or unsolicited feedback it's always important that you give yourself an opportunity to learn. This is the point of feedback. Feedback is as much about you as it is about the person providing it. Don't assume what you hear, don't fill in the gaps or misconstrue the words being used. Take them face value, with out tone or emotion. Typically those that do provide you feedback want you to succeed. Don't make it personal (even if they do), but take what you want from the feedback and turn it into action - you can even ask for a follow up to see if you are understanding the feedback

There's always something to be gleaned from criticism. If one can stand back, assess the place from which the observation is coming from, endeavor to understand the "criticism" vs take a defensive stance, it's an opportunity to possibly learn something, and demonstrate grace. It's likely not the "thing" you were criticized for that will be remembered - but how you reacted to said observation.

Of course, listening carefully to criticism allows us to take it constructively, which, in turn, helps us grow and learn how to handle similar situations in the future. This process is fundamental to gaining practical experience and refining our skills.

It is not always easy for another person to provide feedback in a constructive way. But, as the term would imply, if it is constructive, then it is something that is able to be used to build oneself, to improve. If you disagree with the feedback, I think the important thing is to use active listening and clarify/validate the other person's perspective. You do not have to agree. The only commitment you need to make is to listen and consider what the individual is saying and to be grateful that they took the time to give you constructive feedback. Feedback is how we can improve so it should be welcomed.

So In my starting days of career I struggled alot with taking constructive criticism. One day, My senior, XYZ(won't be pointing fingers :P), pointed out this issue. Realizing the importance of feedback, I decided to change approach, I started listening carefully, asking questions, and seeking feedback proactively with 1-1. As a result, I had improved in coding skills , resulting in more dependency in team . Embracing criticism became my path to professional growth.

Make sure you're prepared to receive feedback. It's OK to ask for 24 hours to regroup and regain composure, so that your walls are down and you're ready to approach the feedback session with curiosity.

Some time ago I read and adopted this valuable insight “Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you’re not failing, you’re not moving forward. If the swings are small enough, the misses will be too. If you learn something from each try that doesn’t work…well then maybe it wasn’t a failure after all.”

One important thing to remember is that the whole purpose of providing and receiving feedback is improvement. It’s in the best interest of both parties to reduce confrontation and deliver positive change based on the feedback session.

I did a massive demo one time and followed my bosses guidance and direction, and the demo was rocky at best. We salvaged it, but a lot of people were concerned. When the talk happened that afternoon, I started to fight it, and realized it would do no one any good to throw myself and my boss under the bus, so I shut up and took my whipping. I knew the direction was incorrect when I was told how to act, and I should have followed my 25 years experience and done it the right way. If you get criticism, shut up, listen and find a nugget or two of truth you can incorporate into your talk track. 2 ears/1 mouth. Within weeks, I was back to getting praise and shout-outs from my peers and management.

After receiving criticism, take some time to reflect on the feedback. Be honest with yourself about whether there is validity to the points raised and how you can use the feedback to grow professionally.

After receiving criticism , reflect or ponder on the things either concerning your job or behaviour and make sure to change. Change is constant and making sure you honestly repent will go a long way.

Some ways to get started are firstly, request for feedback from your colleagues occasionally, especially from the ones that are willing and able to analyze your abilities without fear or favors. Secondly, try to work on those areas of criticism with a positive mindset to only improve for the better

I had a coworker that delivered a horrible presentation, and a horrible demo. It hurt me to watch. But he was a good guy, so I wanted to help him. I pulled him aside and after pointing out a few things he already knew that had gone south, I realized he was totally unfamiliar with the product, and scared and nervous to deliver a demo. He followed a script word for word and didn't even know that well. I could do no good criticizing the 30 things he did wrong, when I could sum it up on one comment: Learn the product. like the back of your hand. Study it, drill it, try to break it. Knowledge yields confidence. He spent the next couple days offline studying, and came back renewed, refreshed and ready for the next battle.

If you're unsure about any aspect of the criticism, don't hesitate to seek clarification. Ask questions to ensure that you fully understand the feedback and what is expected of you moving forward

It's vital to make sure that you have a clear understanding of what success looks like to the person providing the feedback so that you can plan your actions around achieving that goal.

Once you've reflected on the criticism, develop a plan of action for addressing the areas for improvement. Set specific goals and timelines to track your progress.

Probably the step that gets neglected the most, turning the feedback into real-world action. Intentions are not enough to demonstrate commitment

Check-in with the person who provided the feedback to update them on your progress. This demonstrates your commitment to improvement and can help build a positive professional relationship.

I would validate the feedback with other clients and make sure that I fully understood the consequences of any change before taking any action. It's possible that the person making the comments is an outlier or that acting on their feedback would negatively impact other clients.

Consider keeping a record of the feedback you receive and the actions you take in response to it. This can help you track your growth over time and identify any recurring patterns in the feedback you receive.