Thank you for your feedback Learn to embrace criticism to achieve success
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Many people are dissatisfied because they haven't reached a high level of success. Sometimes it's simply because they don't know exactly what success means to them.
But even if people can clearly articulate their desired path, many don't want to hear the truth about where they need to improve to get there. They, of course, say that they are open to constructive criticism, but then they get hostile or defensive or shut down when they hear the truth about their flaws, even when gently delivered.
During my time working in theater, most of us thrived on criticism. We would spend hours working hard, only to receive pages and pages of notes on everything we did wrong, and very little we did right. We didn't really mind because we craved feedback so we could get better and hone our craft. Getting it right for the audience was the most important thing.
This should translate well in the business world, but it's rarely taught in school, and often isn't even taught on the job. Bosses and colleagues are insincerely positive and scared to offend, instead of giving the real feedback their employees need to achieve success.
It would be much easier to provide real insights if more people were willing to receive honest feedback. Unfortunately, most don't really want to hear it, and even if they receive criticism, they reject it and don't make the effort to understand it.
If you're genuinely interested in success and willing to put your ego aside, here's how to use criticism to your advantage:
Hearing that you're doing something badly can be painful, which is why most people avoid seeking out feedback and why others avoid saying anything negative. They don't want to hurt your feelings.
But until you get real insight, you won't be able to advance. So when you get a piece of information that stings, recognize the moment and act on it. If your default mechanism is anger, you're in trouble. Your ability to reason goes out the window when you get angry and you aren't able to take in what the other person is saying. Take a breath and then internalize the feedback.
And most importantly, express real gratitude to the person brave enough to share it with you. This person likely cares and deserves your respect and gratitude.