How to Effectively Network

For many, it may feel uncomfortable to put themselves out there with the goal of trying to make career-related connections, but networking is an undeniably important skill to develop. Through networking, people can create a world of opportunities for themselves and others. They can be part of a peer group of forward-thinking individuals who actively use connections to supercharge their projects with tailored talent and passionate personalities. Having a network means knowing what other exciting enterprises might be out there for you to be possibly a part of. The opportunities are worth the initial awkwardness that comes with learning how to network. Below are some tips for those wondering how to effectively network.

Get Your Contact Information and Online Presence in Order

Make sure that you’re accessible! Have your business cards ready with your phone number and email address. If you don’t already have a professional-looking email address, i.e. just your name or the name of your company, get one from a reputable email address provider like Gmail. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date as well. Increase the privacy settings on your personal social media, like Facebook or Twitter, which could give off the wrong impression to those Googling your name. Your business should also have a web presence with accessible contact information as well.

Go to Networking Events with the Intention of Talking to Someone New

It can be tempting to go with a friend to networking events, but it usually means that you’ll end up talking to no one new. Go alone and strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know. Ask about them, and what they do both in and outside of work. You don’t need to do much more than have a friendly conversation and get to know who the person is and what they do. Exchange contact information (such as business cards, phone numbers, or LinkedIn profiles) and follow up with a message the next day to remind them of who you are and what you talked about.

Make it Mutual

When you have made a connection with someone, don’t treat them like a resource or one-sided opportunity. Let them know that you are also amenable to helping them find the right people or projects too. A mutually beneficial relationship will last longer and strengthen both parties than an unbalanced one. Even if one party isn’t able to do anything for the other at the moment, they can at least offer to help in the future. Make it clear that you value the person for more than their position or potential. Treat them like a new friend, because that’s what they should be.

Rose Ho | Staff Writer

The Why Behind a Universal Coronavirus Vaccine

In 2020, COVID-19 brought the world to a screeching halt and the effects still linger. Economies are stuck; societies are shaken and tragedy lurks around the corner for many. We have seen a complete and utter disruption. What if we could be prepared to fight the next coronavirus pandemic? Yes, there is still hope for this world; history can be stopped from repeating itself. Scientists in Irvine, California, are working on developing a universal vaccine capable of fighting multiple strains of coronaviruses. There is a bustle at the same time in Pennsylvania as Dr. Drew Weissman and researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) work to find the universal coronavirus vaccine.

What is a Universal Vaccine?

The current coronavirus vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer that primarily aim to ward against COVID-19 are less effective against recent permutations of the virus that originated in the UK and South Africa. These vaccines, classed as mRNA (messenger RNA), inject RNA into the body. RNA is the protein that carries information for the body to make the spike protein that is found on the surface of a coronavirus. Once the body makes the protein, the cell recognizes it as an alien element and sends the message to the immune system to start developing antibodies. This way, if the real virus was to enter the body, the antibodies will fight it off. A universal vaccine works on the same principle as this. However, it doesn’t just replicate the outermost spike protein, which happens to vary in different viruses, but also the proteins in the membrane and the envelope of this outer layer—the proteins in these two other areas are similar in many other types of viruses. A universal vaccine could potentially target many viruses of the same family and even viruses that cause the common cold.

The Case for a Universal Vaccine

If the promise of this universal vaccine is so great, then there is no reason that it should not be made. We must remember that the impact of future versions of viruses can be even more severe; this can be seen in faster-spreading strains of COVID-19, like B.1.351, that have shown greater potential to be an intense form of the disease. We must not downplay the effects on the world economy either. A report by the US Congress’s think tank Congressional Research Service in 2020, stated that the impact of the pandemic on global economic growth is estimated at a negative six percent. Pharmaceutical companies are profit-seeking ventures so they may not prioritize the production of a universal vaccine, but governments can step in and approve funding for projects on vaccine research and development.

Unfortunately, Dr. Drew Weissman, the man behind mRNA science who spent nearly a decade perfecting mRNA vaccines for human administration, wasn’t so lucky to get his funding proposal for the universal vaccine approved by NIH, a body under the US Department of Health and Human Services. He had to strive on his own funds to conduct more tests before submitting another proposal earlier in 2021. This has been happening simultaneously with the pursuit of researchers at NIH to find their versions of the universal vaccine. As of now, Dr. Weissman’s solution seems to hold the most potential as experiments on mice have shown that his design works against COVID-19, SARS and two other strains of coronavirus that currently only exist in bats. In the meantime, before the universal vaccine becomes commercially available, the best bet is to rely on booster shots by Moderna and Pfizer that aim to counter evolving variants.

Arslan Ahmed | Contributing Writer

Work-Life Balance in the Era of Working Remotely

Many people are struggling with working remotely during the pandemic. The line separating work from personal life has not only been blurred; in most cases, it’s been obliterated.

The challenge stems from having a full house, all the time.

Why don’t we re-envision the work-from-anywhere mentality, intentionally transforming it to managing the day? Let’s face it, without a deliberate structure consisting of key tools, a successful work-life balance is unattainable. Trust me. As a fitness professional, writer and single mom with two dogs, the struggle is real.

Here are a few simple things you can do to calm the mind and get into the flow of your day.

Remote Work Tip No. 1: Create a Workspace

•        Dedicate a workspace in your home and pay attention to noise levels and proximity to distractions.

•        Watch the temptation to make do with whatever seems convenient, as it ultimately impacts your ability to perform.

Remote Work Tip No. 2: Create a Schedule & Identify Clear Boundaries

•        Set boundaries. Work hours should have a beginning and an end.

•        Schedule movement breaks in your daily calendar. Ten to fifteen minutes an hour is good.

Remote Work Tip No. 3: Reduce Distractions

•        Clearly define business hours to your family/roommates. Close the door during designated hours.

•        Eliminate temptations and distractions. Close additional computer tabs. Keep a pad of paper nearby for jotting down reminders instead of using your phone.

Remote Work Tip No. 4: Develop a Daily Ritual

•         Create a ritual to mark the start and the end of your workday, like having a cup of tea while reviewing the day’s to-do list.

•         Create tomorrow’s to-dolist before calling it a day.

Remote Work Tip No. 5: Utilize Tools

•        Have one central calendar for both personal and business schedules. Use colour-coding to mark out personal and business events on a physical calendar. You may rely on specialized apps like Google Calendar, instead, to schedule your life.

•        Implement time blocking. Working in 15-, 20-, or 25-minute blocks maintains focus.

Remote Work Tip No. 6: Plan Interaction

•          Maintain colleague connections. Try arriving at calls early to catch up.

•          Maintain a satisfying social life. Schedule virtual happy hours with friends and family.

Remote Work Tip No. 7: Get Your Family on Board

·                   You might not think that getting your family to agree to the idea of you working from home is a big deal, but it is. It’s up to you to ensure that everyone learns to respect your schedule by respecting it yourself first.

•                 Manage expectations. Let them know that just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’re not working.

Remote Work Tip No. 8: Don’t Be Afraid to Disconnect

•                 Working remotely, we can find ourselves distracted by the outside world. Don’t be afraid to disconnect when you need to focus and produce. Try turning off all notifications.

•                 Don’t check your email first thing in the morning. Instead, tackle one thing on your to-do list, first, and then check emails.

The same applies to your personal life. Prioritize yourself and practice self-care. This can mean many different things to many different people, however, the simple fact remains that you need to relax, recover, and revive for what comes next—no one else will do it for you.

Valérie Dubail | Contributing Writer

Local Business Leader Transition Research Finds that Businesses Could Lose Millions

The retirement exodus of about 3.3 million Canadian employees over the next decade will have an impact on business continuity, financial stability, and business growth.

Kathleen Ozmun and Marielle Gauthier, both experienced professional leadership coaches, conducted discovery research focusing on retiring and incoming leader transitions in Saskatoon.

“A change in leadership is a time of flux and change for everyone – the leader and the team,” says Marielle Gauthier, founder of Redworks Communications and Coaching. “These transitions create potential risks at every level of the organization and profitability, productivity and positivity can be negatively affected.”

The report found that the financial costs to the businesses if the transition failed were significant – from tens of thousands to more than $3 million dollars.

“When a transitioning leader struggles, the impact goes beyond individual performance,” says Kathleen Ozmun, CEO of Crossing Point Coaching and Consulting. “The leaders’ struggles and the lack of a transition support plan can affect the business services to the point that whole programs are in jeopardy.”

Based on the findings, there are opportunities for greater attention to better manage the transition for the retiring and the incoming leader and from one leader to another.
It is paramount that businesses look at decreasing and preventing some of the challenges as stated in the findings, to ultimately lower the risks, increase productivity and quality of work, and foster better stakeholder relationships, all of which impact the bottom line.

Ruth Kinzel, PhD, CPHR, Kinzel Cadrin & Associates Consulting says that the research provides rare insight into the lived experience of local leaders in transition. Kinzel also states there is a backlog of unaddressed transition issues in every sector, the costs of which continue to accrue and it is in the best interests of organizations and the people within them to move forward proactively.

“The stakes are high and the wave is upon us and these research findings can inform your way forward. Gauthier and Ozmun identify key issues as well as productive ways to address transition challenges,” says Kinzel.

The study findings included challenges and struggles of the leaders; impacts and potential risks to the organizations; levels and types of supports in place and the financial costs if transitions failed.

Business owners can create successful transitions for both their organization and their new leaders by establishing consistent key practices.

Download the full report at https://crossingpointcoaching.com/leader-transition.

Kathleen Ozmun | Contributing Writer

8-Point Startup Checklist

Opening a new business is always an exciting prospect. You spend months, if not years, thinking of all the fun things associated with a business, like calculating profits, being your own boss, and building the best team imaginable.
Before you earn a single dollar from your hard work, however, you need to make sure you have certain aspects squared away. As anyone who has gone through the process can attest to, the true essence of a startup is rolling up your sleeves to ensure the success of your business.
So, what does an entrepreneur need to do before cutting the proverbial ribbon on their new venture?

  1. Understanding Relevant Laws
    Building a foundation of relevant legal knowledge isn’t the most exciting part of being an entrepreneur; in fact, it can be quite daunting. Regardless, you need to spend time creating a better-than-rudimentary understanding of the laws that will regulate your business with respect to employment, taxes and anything specifically related to your industry.
    Consult with both a lawyer and an accountant to learn how to structure your business in a way that is compliant with relevant laws. When it comes to legal matters and protecting your business, details matter. Don’t be shy about asking questions, even if it costs a little more. It’ll be worth it in the long term.
  2. Own Your Business Name
    You need to register your business name with the Canada Revenue Agency and, if possible, secure all pertinent internet domain names. Depending on your type of business, you could look to register it as a trademark. This will give you sole use of your business name for 15 years, at which point you’ll have to renew.
    This is an important early step for every startup. It also reveals whether your business name is already in use, meaning you might have to come up with another clever moniker or pun, or shift to a slight variation on your original idea.
    And don’t for a second think that by using your own name as your business name that you’re in the clear. Your name doesn’t have to be “Tommy Hilfiger” for it to already be in use.
  3. Figure Out Your Personal Finances
    Launching a startup could mean living without a salary for a year or two. That’s the reality and you’ve probably already accepted it, which is great. But acceptance is only a small part of what you need to do.
    While your business is still in the planning phase, make sure your personal finances are in order. Get your savings and investments as high as possible since there’s a good chance you’ll be dipping into them at some point relatively soon. Additionally, make a new household budget that includes what you can spend on non-essential business expenses like lunches or coffee.
    You need to keep your non-work life operational and not fall into personal debt while your business ramps up. This will only compound stress, and there will certainly be enough of that in the early going.
  4. Develop a Marketing & Communications Plan
    Business hours should be devoted to sales and operations, so the best advice is to have your marketing and communications plans in place and ready to be executed on day one. These plans need to be comprehensive and involve tactics that will impact the bottom line for both the short and long term.
    These strategies should cover marketing and communications with respect to digital, print, experiential and community outreach. They should be constantly evolving as more opportunities present themselves. Taking your first year of operations to develop these plans could result in missing out on growing your customer base.
  5. Choose a Payroll System
    Unless you’re the only one working and wearing every hat, you’ll need to pay your employees. The last thing you want is to be so overwhelmed that you miss a payday, which can result in disgruntled employees or even disruptions to your operations.
    With the advent of digital payroll systems, your employees and vendors can be paid promptly and automatically. Before you launch your business – even if you’re the sole employee in those early days – choose a system and familiarize yourself with every aspect and feature.
    Some of the more popular ones are Wave Accounting, Payment Evolution, Quickbooks, and SimplePay. Each is different, so you’d be wise to take advantage of demos or free trials to discover which best suits your needs.
  6. Hire an Advisor
    Having an advisor can be invaluable. Ideally, this is an experienced person who understands your industry and knows how to navigate the challenges of running a startup. If you went through the early stages without a mentor or advisor, try to bring one or more onboard for your official launch.
    This is someone to bounce ideas off, to seek advice from, and to also help you make connections when needed. If you have the capacity, an advisory board can be even more valuable, but make sure you vet every person and use contracts to establish roles, responsibilities, and legal parameters.
  7. Secure Financing
    Opening your business with only one month of financing in your coffers could be problematic, especially when things get bleak around day five after you check your bank account.
    The best advice is to have all your loans secured and all your numbers crunched before launching. You would be well advised to have enough money in the bank to run without interruption for at least a year. If the funds aren’t readily available, you’ll be spending all your time worrying and hustling when you should be selling and managing.
  8. Hire Your Core Team
    It’s unrealistic to think you need to have every role at your company filled in the first week. What you do need is to have key hires ready to start immediately. During the pre-launch period, you should outline the roles that are most important for your daily operations and those that will enable growth. From there, start interviewing and get hiring. This is also a good time to create concrete hiring protocols.
    The Keys to Startup Success
    There’s nothing nobler than being an entrepreneur. Do everything in your power to give yourself the best chance at success so that your business – and you – can thrive. Even when things are tense prior to launch, keep pushing and making sure to take care of the small details. They matter.

Rob Shapiro | Contributing Writer

The End of 9 to 5? How Work Schedules Are Changing

Is the traditional 9-to-5 workday obsolete? Many would say so. There seems to be a consensus among both employers and employees that a shift needs to be made in how the traditional workday is structured. The present-day model doesn’t really promote a healthy work-life balance or stimulate productivity. Too much of a routine can be dangerous. Longer, more rigid hours don’t always equal more work being done. Employees may be coming in for 40-hour weeks, but if they aren’t using that time wisely, then businesses actually lose out in the long run.


The History of the 9-to-5 Workday 

The idea of working from 9 to 5 is a product of socialism during the 19th century. It wasn’t until 1890 that the U.S. government started to track workers’ hours. Up until that point, employees could work up to 100 hours a week and there were no laws protecting children. In 1926, Ford Motors was one of the first companies to adapt the 9-to-5 model and helped to make it more mainstream. In 1938, the U.S. congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which made the workweek 44 hours. In 1940, it was readjusted to the five-day, 40-hour workweek that remains the basic standard today.


The Mindset of Millennials and Entrepreneurs

A 9-to-5 simply isn’t for everyone. If you feel trapped easily, especially sitting in a cubicle, dislike routine and/or mundane tasks, and have a problem with authority, then maybe a job in a more creative setting, or of an entrepreneurial nature, would suit you better. At the top of the list, millennials seem to feel the most dissatisfied with the traditional workday structure, placing greater importance on factors like flexibility, impactful or purposeful labour, and economic security. They’re also more willing to seek employment on their own terms and work freelance.


Structured Benefits

The 9-to-5 model does, however, have some major benefits. While some find the routine repetitive, others may find the predictability comforting. Stability and financial security are two of the main reasons many people in years past stayed at the same job for decades. A 9-to-5 job gives people a set schedule they can plan around, as opposed to shift work, where employees don’t always know what their upcoming schedule will look like from one week to the next.


The Possibility of a 4-Day Workweek

One alternative suggestion that’s been gathering support in recent years is for a “compressed” four-day workweek. Employees would work four 10-hour shifts instead of five eight-hour shifts, with Friday becoming a third day of the weekend. Experts have argued for and against it; some say that it would motivate employees to work harder, doesn’t disturb workflow, cuts down on time-consuming commutes (which in turn reduces workers’ spending on gas or transit), eases burnout risks, and promotes other activities. The counterarguments to the new working pattern are that longer standard workdays would be more draining and stressful, and a revamped workweek would potentially affect working parents, who have to deal with things like daycare services.


Our lives are much more than just our jobs. “Work to live, don’t live to work” is a common mantra. The 9-to-5 model may have worked in decades past, but times are changing. Our world is constantly evolving, and so is society. Thanks to recent advances in technology, many businesses can run from a home or out of a remote location. The traditional ways that most workplaces have run are quickly becoming a thing of the past, as the workweek becomes increasingly fluid.


At the end of the day, however, work schedules hardly matter if you have purpose in your life. Regardless of the time of day or week, the hours will fly by if you’re doing something you enjoy.


Rhea Braganza | Contributing Writer

How to Conquer Business Plateaus

Do you have a business that was launched with tremendous success and maintained a steady growth but despite a continuous flow of customers, lately seems to have become stagnant? If your revenue chart has flattened and your company is struggling to increase its monthly bottom-line, it has likely reached a business plateau.

 

Almost every business will reach a static period at some point but only businesses that are able to rise above and move forward will thrive.  When business growth levels off, many owners and leaders find themselves perplexed and unnerved as to what can be hindering further development. Often hiring more employees or increasing marketing efforts are the ‘go-to’ solutions for an easy fix. However, simple solutions such as these don’t effectively solve the problem. In order to create a more permanent solution that will push the company forward, it is vital to thoroughly assess the situation and determine the underlying cause for this lack in momentum.

First and foremost, assess current processes to identify inefficiencies. Are your employees overly occupied with manual tasks that are limiting their output or removing them from time that could be spent on sales? As businesses grow, simple tasks that may not have consumed significant time as a start-up may now be dominating periods that could be used more efficiently. If tasks that can be simple are involving too many steps, they may be creating inefficiencies. For example, when information is input in a database, it should be integrated with other databases so that it need not be entered more than once. If this is not occurring in all facets of your business, more automated systems could be beneficial.

Get motivated. When a business is launched, founders are typically very motivated to make the business thrive. This sense of enthusiasm usually trickles down to all levels of the organization, creating a culture of highly driven staff. Once the business becomes more established however, owners tend to decelerate their momentum which can cause a more laissez-faire attitude amongst staff. If this is the problem, then the same determination and drive that existed when the company began needs to be injected back into the culture.

Finally, constantly seek improvements. There is always room for improvement and if you don’t find it, your competitor will. When businesses experience steady growth and revenue is established, leaders may start to decelerate the pace at which they seek improvement – seeing that the processes they have implemented brought them growth in the past. When this happens, a business is more likely to reach a plateau. To avoid this, it is important for leaders to acknowledge that in order to maintain continuous growth, constant improvements must be made. No business will ever be perfect and strategies must incessantly be revaluated to keep up with the times.

 

Safiya | DBPC Blog

Photo credit: Aisyaqilumaranas

The Benefits of Investing in Continuing Education for Employees

As businesses continue to strategize about growing in size and strength, finding and retaining employees is a crucial factor. Many companies look at hiring staff as investing in their potential. An entry-level position, if the successful candidate should stay with the organization for many years, can yield significant long-term benefits for both parties.

Some staff may start out in one area of the company but find, through collaboration and osmosis, that they’re actually more interested in another. Rather than lose them altogether, allowing these workers to transition to other departments or roles in which they’d be happier can often benefit the business in the long run. Helping them with additional training and education can aid in this process.

Employee Growth

In ideal cases, companies can help their staff become more versatile and effective by supporting or reimbursing them as they take outside courses. A writer may become interested in graphic design by working closely with the design team on projects, or a clerk may want to help out with sales or finding new clients. While the person may have some of the skills required, taking specific courses or training related to this new field can make them much stronger in it.

Encouraging employees to enroll in related continuing education classes and funding them in the process can actually turn the employee’s position into a dual role. The employer may feel it necessary to increase their salary as a result, but the organization will still save money in the long run by having one person who can perform two different tasks, rather than paying two different people.

Funding Staff Training

As one of the biggest companies in the world, Amazon understands the value of helping its employees grow. The online retail giant funds degree and certificate programs for staff even in areas that are unrelated to its industry. Software firm Adobe offers its workers $10,000 annually for eligible education-related programs and materials, while online education software company Pluralsight reimburses staff up to $3,000 for “pre-approved college classes meeting specific grade requirements.”

Financial news provider Bloomberg and health-care company Kaiser Permanente also provide continuing education opportunities to employees, such as workshops and classes. PayPal offers a rotational education program for qualified candidates, and Microsoft reimburses its staff for courses and grants them access to the company’s own development classes, library, festival, and speaker series.

Investing in Employees

Not all companies excel at retaining employees once they hire them. However, making the company as appealing to work for as possible will help entice more people to stay with the organization. One way to help ensure staff don’t rush out the door for better opportunities is to contribute to their ability to improve themselves. While a company will often benefit from employees improving themselves, the individuals will not only feel a sense of personal accomplishment, but also gratitude towards their employer for investing in them. Some employees may feel increased loyalty to the company as a result; some may not. However, a successful company can afford to take the risk.

Offering incentives like continuing education and taking an active interest in employees’ long-term career development will encourage staff dedication and growth. While it may not always pay immediate dividends, this kind of investment in people is almost always worthwhile in the long run.

 

Robyn Naster Karmazyn | Contributing Writer

The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing

Third-party outsourcing is growing in popularity among big and small businesses alike. Outsourcing, or “contracting out,” refers to the practice of hiring a third-party to perform tasks typically done by in-house staff. Jobs affected range from customer support to manufacturing. Outsourcing was recognized as a business strategy in the late 1980s, and later became an integral part of international business economics throughout the ‘90s.

The most common tasks businesses choose to outsource usually fall into three categories: repetitive, specialized, and expert tasks. Repetitive tasks include data entry, specialized tasks comprise of jobs like IT support, and jobs such as financial analyst fall under expert tasks. One trait these jobs have in common is that it’s not necessary for them to be done in-house.

Businesses can lower labour and overhead costs substantially by outsourcing tasks such as bookkeeping, graphic design, and customer/technical support. Virtual receptionists can also be outsourced: a remote first point of contact that usually performs the tasks of trained customer support personnel – sometimes around the clock – without having to maintain a receptionist’s office.

You may have the skills in-house to do it all, but while you handle all the minute details on your own, you might not be able to concentrate on expanding the core areas of your business, which can hurt you in the long run. However, there are downsides to outsourcing as well. It all depends on the needs of your business.

 

PROS

Cost advantages

Perhaps one of the most obvious benefits to outsourcing is the savings. When you have a good outsourcing partner, you can get the job done at a lower cost, usually due to the difference in wages (since most of the work is done overseas where labour costs are much lower).

Increased efficiency

When you outsource certain work, you’re handing it over to someone experienced and with understanding of the job. This leads to an increase in productivity; you’re not just adding these tasks to the bottom of somebody’s to-do list within the office. Access to skilled resources also means faster and better services, depending on your outsourcing partner.

Focus on main goals

Outsourcing certain tasks means everyone in-house is free to focus on building your company and brand, as well as investing in research and development to take the steps necessary to expand.

Save on recruitment/infrastructure costs

Outsourcing cuts the need for investments in infrastructure since the responsibility of business processes falls on the partner. You can also avoid investing in expensive recruiting and training resources for your business.

 

CONS

Communication issues

A lack of communication between your company and the outsourcing partner may cause delay in the completion of projects or other issues. Different time zones could also contribute to communication problems.

Security risks

If you decide to outsource things like human resources, payroll, or recruitment, you risk exposing confidential information to a third party.

Shortcomings in expectations

If you don’t choose the right partner, it could result in delays and sub-standard quality in output. Add to that the difficulty of regulating these factors outside an office and it defeats the whole point of outsourcing.

No customer focus

Outsourcing partners may be doing work for multiple organizations, so they may not be completely focused on the requirements of your specific business.

Before approaching a service provider or outsourcing partner, it’s beneficial to consider all aspects of outsourcing, and whether your company is in a position to benefit from its services. Once you’ve analyzed your requirements and are confident you would benefit from outsourcing, you can move on to researching a suitable partner. Consider these six elements when searching: reliability, quality, experience, range of services, good communication, and value for money. Don’t just select one that provides the lowest cost. Choosing a successful vendor will lead to first-rate results and benefit your organization in the long run.

Helen Jacob | Contributing Writer

5 Steps To Handling Criticism

Taking criticism is rarely easy and can oftentimes be downright unpleasant. But it’s a part of life, particularly in the workplace. To succeed in business – and life in general – you must be able to handle constructive criticism.

In an office environment, this can be feedback from a manager, a supervisor, a co-worker, or a colleague. Regardless of who’s giving it, constructive criticism is an important tool in any workplace, and how you handle it could very well determine the trajectory of your career, for good or ill. There’s no foolproof or guaranteed way to deal with criticism, but below are some steps to dealing with criticism in a positive and professional manner.

 

  1. Whatever Your Initial Reaction Just STOP

This is a tricky one, but it may also be the most important. A lot of times, when you’re being criticized, your first instinct will be to get defensive. Whatever your initial response is, do your best to stop it, immediately. Try to control your facial expressions and/or body language – no reaction is the best reaction – and don’t vocalize any knee-jerk quips or replies that pop into your head.

The natural human response to being attacked is to defend. But the absolute worst way to handle criticism is to attack the person offering it. Remember that criticism in the workplace is intended to help you improve, so don’t take it personally, and make yourself a silent promise to do better moving forward.

 

  1. Listen and Process the Criticism

Listen to what’s being said to you, rather than just reacting to it or getting defensive. Your boss (or colleague) is likely coming from a place of genuinely wanting to see you grow. Acknowledge the feedback (which is not the same as agreeing with it), and don’t look to lay blame or make excuses. Just take it in, and don’t interrupt.

Remember, evaluating staff is literally part of a manager’s job. Criticism is a crucial part of quality control in any business, and if you’re an employee who doesn’t handle it well, you’re marking yourself as a problem for management. Make it clear to your manager that you understand the criticism being offered, and pledge to improve your performance in that regard. Demonstrate an understanding of what needs to be improved upon and commit to making those improvements.

 

  1. Thank Your Critic

This may be tough for some folks, but it’s important. Taking criticism the right way has a lot to do with being a professional. Look your critic in the eye and thank them for the feedback. It shows that you’re a true professional, and it also shows that you acknowledge the time the other person took to share their thoughts and observations with you.

 

  1. Ask Questions

Now is the time for you to respond to the criticism, and a great way to do is to ask questions. Try to get to the centre of the issue at hand, and don’t focus on little details – it’s not a debate.

For example, if you’re being criticized for being too blunt with a colleague, ask if there was something specific that you said or did that was problematic, or if there are any other examples of that sort of behaviour on your part. It’s also crucial for you to acknowledge that you’re not disputing the feedback; in this example, admit that you could have handled the situation better, or that you wouldn’t necessarily appreciate being dealt with in that manner yourself.

Perhaps most importantly on this point, seek out solutions on moving forward. Ask for tips on how to deal with a similar situation in the future, or how to avoid a repeat incident. It shows that you’re sincerely engaged in the process and are making a true effort to improve.

 

  1. Follow Up

This last one is less crucial than the others, especially in a less formal constructive-criticism situation (e.g. from a colleague, rather than your manager), but in many situations dealing with constructive criticism, ask for a follow-up discussion. It will provide you with an opportunity to return to the issue, and for you to ask any more questions once you’ve had time to think about the feedback and truly process it, as well as think about solutions, and even ask others for advice. Once again, it shows engagement and a genuine desire to take in the feedback and improve your performance, which are traits that any manager would want in a member of their team.

It’s not always easy to hear constructive criticism, and for many managers, it’s not a lot of fun to give either. But this type of feedback is one of the best tools for improvement and development available to both managers and employees alike. Keep that in mind, and follow the steps outlined above, and you can become a better employee, colleague, and person.

 

Justin Anderson