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“Man is a social animal” - all of us know this! We also hardly lead our life without social activity or outside society. By design, we have to mingle with lots of people and need to talk about them. In the process, we are criticized for some of our deeds and also criticize others if we don’t like what they do. I won’t be entirely incorrect if I say that most of us don’t like being criticized! But the truth is criticism can be of constructive help to everybody if he or she knows how to put the criticism without hurting the person and at the same time putting the point across. One must also be adept of receiving criticism in his or her stride and use it for self benefit.

So here we go –

Making Criticism

• Complain to the person directly and not in front of others.
• Try to avoid criticizing your partner if there are other people present.
• Don’t compare the person’s behavior with that of others.
• Make your complaint as quickly as possible and at earliest opportunity so that you can talk it over.
• Don’t repeat a point if you have already made it and the other person is considering it.
• Object only to actions that is directly related to you.
• Try to make only one complaint at a time.
• Make your complain sponteneous.
• After making your point in good faith, don’t apologize for it.
• Avoid sarcasm at all cost.
• Don’t talk about other people’s motivation during the interaction.
• Avoid words like “always” and “never”.
• If you have not complaint to the person earlier, don’t expect him to remain open to your criticism.

Taking Criticism

• Remain quite while you are being criticized and make it clear that you are listening to it.
• Look directly to the person talking to you.
• Under no circumstances, find fault with the person who just criticized you.
• Don’t create the impression that the other person is destroying your spirit.
• Don’t caricature the complain.
• Don’t jest.
• Don’t change the subject.
• Don’t imply that your critic might have some ulterior motive.
• Convey to the person that you understood his point.

The ideal path is quite narrow. On the one hand, you must be open to criticism and on the other you should not allow yourself to be terrified by it.