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How to Effectively Deal With Criticism from Your Boss

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How to Effectively Deal With Criticism from Your Boss

Decide If Criticism Is Warranted or False

Unless you are a consistently under-performing employee, all of the criticism you’ve received has probably not been deserved. However, unless you have a totally unreasonable manager, some of these comments probably were on the mark.

Ask yourself a few questions to analyze your reactions and to learn which criticism is valid.

  • How do you typically react to criticism? Do you simply “suffer in silence,” accept all criticism as valid, and say nothing? Do you immediately fire back justifications to explain the circumstances?
  • Do you feel an odd sense of relief when called on an issue that you feel is warranted? Do you accept this type of criticism gracefully or with humility?
  • Do you immediately get agitated, sometimes before your boss has finished his/her thought? Do you automatically vocally react badly regardless of the subject?


Understand that, should you always react the same way to criticism, warranted or undeserved, you may create more long-term problems than the event that caused your boss’s displeasure in the first place. Feeling the need to vocally justify or argue with every criticism could hurt your perception and credibility in the workplace. The opposite reaction, silent suffering, regardless of the merits of the criticism may create the perception that you are a “victim” and only lead to more expressions of displeasure by your manager.

Be honest with yourself. If you’ve made an error that was unnecessary, exhibited a bad attitude, or engaged in unacceptable behavior, accept any criticism with some style and grace. Should you be undeservedly criticized and have solid reasons proving you were blameless, calmly make them known. Here are more tips to deal with criticism emanating from your boss.

Tips to Better Deal with Criticism from Your Boss

  • “Roll with the punches.”  This classic boxing phrase has become a cliché for all the right reasons: It describes how best to handle warranted criticism. Instead of steeling your mind and body for the painful whiplash of expected criticism, relax and accept the attack with a soft, understanding exterior (and, hopefully, interior, too).
  • Don’t explode, lament, or show any reaction immediately.  Simply acknowledge the comments, showing your boss that you heard the criticism, and suggest that you’ll address his/her concerns after you’ve given the comments some thought.
  • Get back to your boss.  If you use the prior tip at the time of the unwelcome critique, be sure to get back to it, as you indicated you would. Don’t simply bury it in the sand, hoping it will go away. If the criticism was warranted, admit it gracefully. Should you decide that the critique was without merit, calmly state the reasons for your disagreement. You’ll feel better as will your boss.
  • Have empathy for your boss.  Just as a parent truthfully tells their child that some impending punishment will “hurt me as much as it hurts you,” your boss may also feel personal pain in making the criticism. 
  • Understand (or learn) the reasons for and the source of the criticism.  If your boss is being unreasonable or there is another criticism source with a hidden or malevolent agenda, you should consider standing your ground in firm terms. Should you receive dramatically unwarranted criticism, particularly for “agenda reasons,” you might consider playing hardball with your accuser. Obviously, there are some career risks with this action plan. However, if you strongly state your position on the matter or decide to communicate your strong displeasure to higher management, you might learn that others agree with you (including upper management) and are aware of a further-reaching problem with your supervisor.
  • Treat warranted criticism as a learning experience.  As always, attitude is a critical component at the workplace. Should your boss criticize you for good reasons, instead of reacting negatively, consider his/her comments as an opportunity to improve your performance in the future. Having a specific item noted that needs improvement is a perfect new goal for which to strive. You don’t even have to read minds or guess about goals to achieve as your boss has clearly outlined at least one to top your list.


Notice that none of these tips offers a medicinal reduction of the pain you feel when criticized by your boss. Unfortunately, there is no “anesthesia” for the hurt you’ll feel as the object of criticism. More importantly, these tips offer you some effective healing actions. Ideally, you’d like to avoid the pain and injury of criticism. However, it is more important to learn how to heal yourself and become a stronger, higher performing professional after experiencing this workplace injury.

Even if you are the best of the best, you’ll also need to be very lucky to avoid some criticism during your career. The way you handle this adversity is much more critical than the problem itself. Your understanding of which criticisms are warranted and which are not, along with your reaction to each type, will determine your long-term success and happiness with your chosen career.