Starting a new business is a huge accomplishment. You have every right to feel proud of your hard work and should draw confidence from your achievement.
However, for most new business owners, it’s not long until reality sets in. As an entrepreneur or a new business owner, it can be difficult to gain experience and you may encounter a fair amount of negative feedback while you learn the ropes.
Rather than seeing negative feedback as a bad thing, you must learn to see constructive criticism as helpful. Criticism is usually designed to help improve your skills and point out areas for further development.
Growth Mindset
The beauty of being an entrepreneur or a new business owner is that you’ll learn something every day. Having this perspective is not only imperative, but it will help you grow personally and professionally.
A growth mindset can help you handle negative feedback and see the positive in criticism. A true growth mindset pushes you to go out and ask managers and coworkers for feedback, in the hopes that they’ll have constructive, useful feedback to help you push on.
That said, negative feedback can be tough to handle. Fortunately, you aren’t the first to receive bad feedback and you certainly won’t be the last. Follow in the footsteps of professionals like doctors who work in high-pressure environments. Doctors receive bad feedback all the time, but they learn how to handle negative feedback by:
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Respectfully acknowledging the review and the reviewer
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Keep some elements of feedback private if you’re worried about how it will affect your career growth
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Learn from feedback, even if you think it is inaccurate
Learn from the pros, and see negative feedback as an opportunity to grow, rather than a setback. Listen to each review you receive, and take time to consider every opinion — even if you think it is unfair or unwarranted. More often than not, some quiet reflection will help you see the wider context of the feedback and help you grow.
Unfair Criticism
Sometimes, the feedback you receive will be deeply unfair and meant to undermine you. This may be due to personal conflict, prejudice, or issues that originate with the person giving the feedback.
Unfair criticism is usually vague, unspecific, and delivered in a harsh tone. There’s no real substance to the feedback if you push back against it, and you’ll quickly realize that the feedback is meant to hurt, rather than help, you.
Try to respectfully remove yourself from the situation if you realize that you’re being dealt unfair criticism. There’s nothing wrong with taking a minute to cool off before you try to engage with unfair criticism. A few deep breaths can help you stay emotionally balanced and rational during a disagreement.
Sometimes, the person giving the criticism doesn’t realize they’re being unfair. Repeat their remarks to them, and give them a moment to reflect on what they’ve said. This can help you both move on politely and will garner a relationship built on mutual respect.
Avoiding a noisy argument can help you hone your professional skills and develop your leadership abilities. Everyone will respect you more for a professional, considerate approach to unfair criticism and you’ll gain some valuable experience along the way.
Seeking Guidance
Well-timed, constructive feedback is worth its weight in gold. However, you may find that everyone — no matter the industry — will try to give you feedback on your business ventures — even if they aren’t qualified to do so.
Increase your chances of receiving valuable feedback by finding a mentor that understands your goals and is experienced enough to help you in your career. Ideally, this person should be emotionally mature and well-connected in your industry.
Approaching a new mentor is an important skill to establish earlier in your entrepreneurial career. Some prospective mentors are already busy with their own responsibilities and need to see that you’re worth their time. When you approach a mentor, prepare a few questions and be clear about your professional goals and aspirations. If, after a short conversation, you realize that your goals or ideals don’t align, move on to someone else.
Try to set up a regular meeting time when you find a mentor that suits you. Meeting once a month keeps you on track to achieve your goals and ensures that you remain focused on the big picture of your professional development.
If you’re struggling to set goals, take a look at folks above you in the company, and see what their roles and responsibilities are. Use these insights to set your own goals, and give your mentor a chance to offer you feedback based on your current progression.
Conclusion
Good feedback can help you grow and achieve your goals. However, some feedback that you receive will be negative. This is part of the learning process and shouldn’t be avoided. Make the most of negative feedback by adopting a growth mindset that can help you learn from the experience. If you aren’t getting enough feedback, consider working with a trusted mentor who can help you develop your skills.