Why We Need Criticism

We all have blind spots that hinder performance and keep us from achieving our goals.?Blind Spots are personality traits and/or unhealthy behaviors that we don’t see but are often evident to others.?They sometimes prevent us from having meaningful interactions with others, winning deals, getting promotions, and seeing the big picture.

I worked with a C-level executive who would rage whenever challenged.?They were very smart, but because of their behavior when pressured, it was hard to talk things out and resolve issues together.?It was their way or the highway and this eventually led to their dismissal.?They had a blind spot.?If they had accepted criticism and changed this one major personality flaw, they could have been great.

Previously, I reported to Larry Tankeloff, a man who dedicated his life to the credit union industry.?We were discussing plans for future growth.?Larry looked at me and said, “Jim, you are trying to do too much”.?He challenged whether I had the capital or resources to complete such ambitious plans.?I explained my position, but Larry disagreed.?Then he said, “…you are going to be so far out in front of everyone that you are going to look back and no one will be behind you.?I want you to be successful, but you are trying to do too much.”?In the end, I adjusted, narrowed the focus, and everything worked out for the best.?Larry saw my blind spot and offered excellent criticism.

I worked with a brilliant employee that understood and could fix everything effortlessly.?However, they didn’t want to listen to others when they understood the issue and knew the best answer.?Instead of working to convince others that they understood the issue, they wanted to hang up and work on more challenging endeavors.?Sometimes they did just that, hanging up on managers and appearing to run roughshod over others.?They had a blind spot they couldn’t see.?To work productively with others, you must listen to their ideas and opinions, no matter how crazy or inept they may seem.?

Accepting criticism is what makes us better.?We need to change the negative stigmatism around criticism.?It is how we learn what works and what doesn’t. People don’t want to accept criticism or even listen in general.?They want to be heard…fake it until you make it!?It doesn’t matter if I know what I am doing, listen to me.?People like that rarely change or improve.

The last point I would like to make is that we also need to be willing to give criticism.?That may be harder than accepting criticism, but as leaders we cannot turn a blind eye.?When we see someone working hard and really trying, but they have a noticeable blind spot, please give your criticism freely.?Some will accept your criticism and others will not, but at least you are trying to make your place of work and others around you better.

Also posted on United Solutions Company Blog, The Core.