Criticism

When I am criticized I feel pensive. I reflect on the feedback given to me and decide whether it was expressed with my best interest in mind or with the intention to belittle me. Most often I find that people give me criticism because they see potential in me. They know I can do better with a little advice from an outside perspective. However, I’ve experienced situations when people have pointed out my flaws to feel better about themselves.
In the life of a performer, receiving constructive criticism is second nature. Today I am very open to feedback and suggestions from others because it’s something I’ve been subjected to since I began taking voice lessons at the age of 10. Through the nitpicking of my voice teachers, I’ve excelled in my singing ability. Had they told me I was perfect all the time, I wouldn’t have learned anything. I’ve been trained to appreciate criticism, and quite honestly, I’ve learned to thrive off of criticism.

I receive criticism every day in rehearsal for the fall musical, Cabaret. I contemplate the director’s suggestions and decide how I can incorporate his ideas into the scene. While I don’t always agree with the director’s decisions, I do believe that it is good to see things from a different viewpoint. It’s important to know that there’s always room for improvement.
It was a tough transition for me and my fellow RA staff this year when a new supervisor arrived to run the freshmen residence hall. He had been hired late in the game, so he missed a large part of training. Needless to say, he didn’t know much about Rider University, nor did he understand how we conduct freshmen move-in. At first, my co-workers and I grew frustrated with our boss quickly. We understood that he was new, but we didn’t feel like he was pulling his weight.
Separate from the other returners, I started to feel sorry for our boss. He seemed really overwhelmed and definitely wasn’t getting through to all of the staff members, so I decided to confront him. I let him know my feelings about the situation, and he expressed his feelings too. I was right. He was frenzied being in a new environment and didn’t feel that everyone was giving him a fair chance. I gave him some advice on how to connect with the other staff members and he was very appreciative.
Looking back on the situation, I realize that I used the LMX theory to cultivate a positive relationship with my boss. “Both superiors and subordinates must engage in the process of perspective taking. To avoid falling into the trap of stereotyping one another, each party must be open-minded and committed to learning from the other’s perspective” (Eichhorn 318). I encouraged my staff members to give our boss another chance and to rid their minds of previous judgments. I felt really confident after this encounter because I took a step toward changing my peers’ attitudes for the better.
In the workplace, I always act as the mediator who keeps the group in balance. I’m an open-minded person by nature, so I most often see two sides of a story. I was told by my boss and my co-workers that they trust me very much with personal information and that I’m also a steady dependability on staff. I agree with their observations and I make a strong effort to bring light-heartedness and laughter to difficult situations. I wouldn’t consider all of my co-workers friends, but I do get along with everyone. I believe it’s very important to maintain a civil environment.