Imagine your manager or client contacting you for a leadership or performance review. In the course of the process, you’ll no doubt find yourself on the receiving end of constructive criticism.

Many tend to react with anger or defensiveness in the heat of the moment. At worst, they may attack the person giving feedback.

Are you the type of person who may do any of the above?

The fact of the matter is that you need to get over it and yourself. How you deal with the critique will set the stage for either your success or failure. Other people tend to see your flaws better so you must learn to accept their comments if you want to improve at work.

Realize that there is always value in opinions that are delivered politely. However, receiving it right is going to be a challenge. We’re here to guide you on how you should respond when not-so-savory remarks comes your way—all the while ensuring that you look professional in the process.

Step 1 – Take a deep breath

At the first sign of criticism, try not to react at all and draw a breath instead. Don’t jump at the chance to defend yourself as this will only make it seem that you’re unable to handle negative comments.

You’ll at least have one second to stop yourself from giving in to anger.

Step 2 – Ask for time to process

Rather than come up with excuses or deny whatever was said, it’s better to request for a few minutes to process the information.

This will buy you time to tell yourself to remain calm and compose your facial expression, even if you do have to sit in awkward silence in the middle of a video call for a while.

Step 3 – Remember the benefits

Remind yourself of the advantages of receiving constructive criticism. These include improving the quality of your output and building stronger relationships.

You’ll also meet the expectations of the organization and your superiors better when you learn what others think of your current work.

Step 4 – Determine the triggers

Examine why you got upset or defensive in the first place. Was it your pride or just embarrassment?

Dig deep into your heart and mind so you can avoid negative emotions from clouding your judgement in the future. Being aware of the reason will make it easier for you to overrule it with logic.

Step 5 – Set goals for yourself

Think about what you’d like to achieve in the end. This will allow you to focus on the things that actually matter and not on just saving face.

It’ll also enable you to align with company or team objectives more strongly. Anyway, it’s harder to become a top employee if you don’t listen to people, for instance.

Step 6 – Mind your body language

Having bought yourself time, examine if you’re unconsciously rolling your eyes, crossing your arms or frowning.

It’s harder for your boss or colleagues to pick up on emotional cues online, but it doesn’t mean they’ll ignore facial expressions or body languages that blatantly show that you want to end the conversation.

Step 7 – Check the source

The opinion of a person you don’t like may still be legitimate in the same way that critique from work friends might be insincere.

Always consider where it’s coming from and why they could be saying it. Don’t close the door in someone’s face and miss your chance to become a better remote worker.

Step 8 – Realize the struggle

You have to understand that giving feedback isn’t any easier than receiving it. The majority of clients and leaders aren’t trained to do so. They won’t be perfect in sharing their observations but you shouldn’t call them out for that. That’ll only make it look like you’re passing the blame to them.

Step 9 – Listen as closely as possible

Allow the other party to share their complete thoughts without interrupting them. When they’re done, repeat what you heard to confirm that you’re on the same page.

Avoid analyzing or questioning their assessment and focus on understanding their perspective. This helps avoid or minimize miscommunication as well.

Step 10 – Accept it graciously

Don’t take it personally and act as if you’ve just been insulted. Constructive criticism is a person’s observation of your work in a professional setting.

As long as they’re not talking about who you are as a person or outside of work, thank them for taking the time to call or chat you about the matter.

Step 11 – Raise questions objectively

If you need clarification or advice on how to overcome your faults, don’t be afraid to request for concrete suggestions or additional information. Hearing specific examples of your mistake will aid in understanding whether the issue is isolated or not.

You can think up clearer solutions to resolve it too.

Step 12 – Create a battle plan

Now that you’ve identified the specifics of your shortcomings, consider how they’ll obstruct you from reaching your goals.

Let’s say your colleagues feel that you don’t listen to them during meetings. That’s going to be a problem if you want to get promoted to a leadership position.

Step 13 – Seek support

Share your strategy with others, particularly to the one who gave you their critique to begin with. Not only will this show that you’re taking action, but also will provide you further ideas for improvement.

Ask your direct superior for assistance in making changes if you got comments from your teammates.

Step 14 – Request for a follow-up

Towards the end of your conversation, ask for another sit-down in a week to address any additional concerns or questions that may arise. Doing so will show that you are serious in improving yourself.

Give yourself time to internalize the remarks that you heard and the steps you need to take moving forward.

Step 15 – Continue to look forward

So if you’ve taken concrete steps to become someone who receives feedback well, keep going in that direction. Celebrate small victories but never be complacent after achieving something.

Keep pushing towards being the best version of yourself as you may get more negative comments in the future too.

Becoming a Better Virtual Worker with Remote Workmate

Constructive criticism is a gift that’ll help you transform from a good employee to a top performer. It may be a hard pill to swallow at first but you must learn to overcome the initial fear.

Beating yourself up is only a waste of time and energy though. Developing and following a strategy for improvement is a smarter move.

When you need ideas for your battle plan, consider turning towards Remote Workmate. We offer articles like this one to provide you with inspiration. Additionally, we’ll give you post-hire support if you choose to seek online employment through us.