How to Accept Criticism While at Work - wikiHow

How to Accept Criticism While at Work

originated by:Anonymous, Ben Rubenstein, Krystle C., Jack Herrick (see all)

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Accepting constructive criticism smoothly is one of the most important parts of your job.

So, you just finished what you thought was a great project atwork, and now your boss is listing all the things you need to improve upon. Don't get discouraged; constructive criticism is a key part of any job. Through this article, learn how to accept criticism and do your job as well as possible.

editSteps

1. 1
   Accept that you are not perfect. If you begin each task thinking that nothing will go wrong, you're fooling yourself. You will make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them.
2. 2
   Double check your work. After you've finished, and before you submit it to your supervisor, be sure you've gone over everything carefully. This can help you to avoid silly mistakes and ensure that your boss won't have to bother you about minor problems.
3. 3
   Don't take it personally. If your co-worker has criticism for you, remind yourself that it doesn't necessarily mean s/he doesn't like you, or that you're not good enough for the job. Your co-worker is simply trying to ensure that you do the best work possible.
4. 4
   Listen carefully. If you ignore critical comments, you're doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Take notes and continually remind yourself how to fix the problem. This step is the most difficult, as it can mean that one must "suck up" one's pride and admit one's responsibility in one's work-related errors.
5. 5
   Ask yourself what can you learn from this criticism. If you feel yourself growing defensive or getting angry, repeat the question 'What can I learn?'
6. 6
   Agree with part of the criticism. When faced with criticism, most people focus on the part of the negative feedback that may not be true and ignore the rest. This doesn't solve any problems, and you don't learn anything. When you agree with one part of the criticism, you become open to learning. You don't have to agree with everything; even agreeing with one small aspect of the criticism will create an atmosphere of teamwork. The focus then can become how you'll work together to solve a problem, which will lessen your feeling of being attacked.
7. 7
   Analyze and evaluate what you've heard. You need time to process the information, determine if it's a valid criticism and decide what you'll do to solve the problem or correct the mistake. If this is a complaint you've heard repeatedly, you should think about what you can learn from the situation so it doesn't happen again.
8. 8
   Don't hold a grudge. Staying angry/upset about criticism can affect your future work. Put the mistakes out of your mind and focus on doing the best job possible on the next task.
9. 9
   Clear the air. If you're upset with how your co-worker criticized you, let him or her know as soon as possible, so there are no lingering bad feelings between the two of you. Explain why it upset you, and suggest changes that could be made to strengthen your relationship.
10. 10
    Accept the fact that others may see something that you don't. Even if you don't agree with the criticism, others may be seeing something that you are not even aware of. If they say that you are negative or overbearing, and you don't feel that you are, well; maybe you are and you just don't see it. Allow for the fact that others may be right, and use that possibility to look within yourself.
11. 11
    Be happy whatever the criticism and do not let the criticism bring you down. It may be that the co-worker has problems at home and is just venting his anger off you as an outlet. Be glad you have at least helped him or her.

editTips

• Always remember that it is your work being criticized, not you. For example, if your co-worker is criticizing a letter you wrote, forget that you ever wrote it. Pretend that someone else did, and your co-worker is merely asking you to revise it for them.
• Remember, your co-worker is not doing this because he or she does not like you and/or your work. They are doing this because they want you to improve your work.
• Whatever you do make sure that it is the best from your side. People who have difficulty accepting criticism are less likely to succeed in their profession.
• Always give yourself sometime to think before responding, will save you loads of problems later
• Often coworkers find your mistakes because they want to make a mark of their own. It is a good hack to leave one obvious mistake that is easy to solve; your boss and coworkers can see it and tell you about (and feel they've contributed). Once they found that, their hunger to find mistakes will be satisfied and you can get away with things that would otherwise have been noticed.

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How to Be More Effective at Work - wikiHow

How to Be More Effective at Work

originated by:Ramos1167, BR, Flickety, Fighting Irish Fan (see all)

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Feeling ineffective at work? Here are some suggestions to spruce up your work style and to get you back into a zone of working effectively.

editSteps

1. 1
   Avoid distractions.
   • Clean up a cluttered desk.
   • Reorganize your files.
   • Shut the door if people keep interrupting you as you work.
   • Set aside a time for answering emails and phone calls and only perform these tasks at the set time.
2. 2
   Overcome procrastination. Do what you can do now rather than wait until later.
3. 3
   Seek further training. If you feel that you're not effective at doing something because you don't know enough about it, ask your supervisor or boss if you can attend training to improve your knowledge and ability to use it.
4. 4
   Eat well. Do not skip breakfast or lunch and cut down on the sugary snacks. Eat healthy foods most of the time, to increase your effectiveness through being wide awake, and focused.
5. 5
   Get adequate sleep every night. If you're not refreshed every day, you'll lack effectiveness at work.

editTips

• Read all manuals and instructions related to your position, even if you think you know it already. If your workplace manuals or instructions are updated regularly, it's important to keep up-to-date. Equally, always ask questions about changes if you're not sure what to do.

editThings You'll Need

• Clean desk
• Dedicated email and phone checking times
• Diary

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Menghargai toleransi peribumi

Mingguan Malaysia 7 Februari 2010

Menghargai dan membalas toleransi pribumi

Sekali lagi isu bukan Melayu boleh menjadi Perdana Menteri (PM) dibangkitkan oleh beberapa sarjana Melayu Islam. Kesempatan dan peluang ini disebar luaskan oleh laman-laman web ultra kiasu dan mereka anti Islam. Saya tidak pasti apakah muslihat serta maksud tersurat dan tersirat di sebalik membangkitkan perkara ini. Kalaupun benar bukan Melayu boleh menjadi PM, tidak perlu dibangkitkan kerana ia sukar menjadi realiti, apatah lagi ia menyentuh sensitiviti bangsa pribumi ini. Lagipun pada saya, orang kanan selepas Melayu adalah bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak, bukannya orang lain. Kalaupun mereka layak, tidak seharusnya mereka menerima jawatan PM. Ini kerana masih ramai majoriti orang Islam yang layak dan lebih berhak di buminya sendiri. Jangan pula bandingkan dengan Thailand, kerana bukan Siam di sana lebih Siam dari Siam. Saya tidak bertujuan untuk membela Melayu, tetapi saya cuba memahami psiki bangsa Melayu berbanding bangsa lain, setelah memahami psiki bangsa saya sendiri. Tidakkah itu lebih baik kerana kita semua berada dalam komuniti majoriti masyarakat Melayu?

Sebagai bukan Melayu, saya amat bersyukur berada di bumi bertuah ini. Walaupun saya lahir selepas merdeka, tidak dapat melihat bagaimana kontrak sosial dipersetujui, namun saya amat bersyukur kerana nenek moyang saya diterima menjadi warganegara di bumi ini. Nenek moyang saya diterima secara pukal tanpa sebarang syarat. Nenek moyang saya tidak dikenakan syarat sehingga boleh mengubah dan mengganggu-gugat cara hidup dan jati diri mereka. Mereka seperti seadanya sebagaimana asal, tanpa ada ubah suai walaupun sedikit. Mereka bebas berbahasa sendiri, hidup dalam kelompok sendiri, bersekolah sendiri, malah dapat mengaut kekayaan tanpa sekatan dan halangan, sehingga kekayaan melimpah ruah. Sejarah sebegini tidak pernah berlaku di dunia negara lain. Di negara lain, bukan sahaja mereka ditolak, malah akan dikenakan syarat-syarat yang ketat sebelum diterima menjadi warganegara. Paling ketara mereka akan diasimilasikan. Beruntung sungguh kita di sini. Inilah nikmat yang mesti disyukuri bukan dikufuri.



Tidak perlu saya kemukakan bukti, jeling-jelinglah negara-negara jiran seperti Thailand, Burma, Indonesia dan Filipina. Bilangan mereka yang diterima hanya di sekitar tiga – sepuluh peratus, selebihnya ditolak. Berbanding negara kita, bukan pribumi melebihi 40 peratus. Pada masa sama, kekayaan yang dikuasai dan diperolehi melebihi 70 peratus sehingga menimbul keresahan kepada pribumi. Inilah bentuk toleransi yang tidak ada tolok bandingnya yang perlu disampaikan kepada generasi akan datang. Menurut Amy Chua, seorang Profesor Cina berasal dari Filipina yang telah berhijrah ke Amerika Syarikat, toleransi bukan bermakna persamaan atau penghormatan, tetapi toleransi adalah memberikan peluang kepada orang yang berlainan cara hidup, bekerja, berpartisipasi dan berjaya dalam masyarakat tanpa melihat latar belakang etnik atau agama. Walaupun Amy Chua ini telah berhijrah ke Amerika, pendapat beliau agak berpijak di bumi nyata, tidak ultra kiasu. Kita perlu ramai orang seperti ini. Toleransi bukan sama rata atau sama rasa. Apa yang berlaku dahulu dan kini di negara kita bertepatan dengan apa yang dikatakan oleh Amy Chua. Orang Islam tidak pernah menghalang bukan Islam untuk hidup lebih berjaya dalam apa jua sektor pekerjaan dan berpartisipasi. Apatah lagi untuk campurtangan dalam hal-ehwal agama mereka, kecuali jika agama kita dicabar.

Selaku warga yang memahami sejarah, saya dapat merasakan betapa bertuahnya kita pada hari ini. Jika ditakdirkan, tidak berlaku penerimaan pribumi, apakah saya masih hidup hari ini? Sepanjang pembacaan saya, mereka yang telah keluar berhijrah, tidak akan diterima kembali, kecuali mempunyai bakat dan kebolehan yang luar biasa ataupun mungkin mereka yang belot dengan menjual rahsia kedaulatan negara atau menjual harta negara seperti membawa wang keluar negara atau menjual pasir ke negara jiran.



Justeru, adalah tidak menghairankan jika orang seperti Tan Siew Sin dan Sambanthan pernah mengeluarkan ucapan di sekitar tahun-tahun 1950an, yang amat menghargai toleransi yang telah ditunjukkan oleh pribumi. Mereka benar-benar merasa bersyukur kerana diberi peluang dan diterima seadanya. Sejarah ini mesti difahami oleh setiap rakyat Malaysia tanpa ketinggalan. Jika tidak, mereka akan menjadi ultra kiasu. Menuntut sesuatu yang tidak seharusnya dituntut. Mengungkit sesuatu yang tidak perlu diungkit.

Ramai yang tertanya-tanya kenapa tidak ramai pribumi yang berjaya atau menguasai kekayaan di bumi sendiri? Fenomena pribumi tidak berjaya di bumi sendiri bukan fenomena baru. Ia berlaku di mana-mana, terutama di negara Asia Tenggara dan juga dunia lain yang sudi menerima kedatangan mereka yang berhijrah. Kenyataan ini diakui oleh semua sarjana, kejayaan dan harta yang dimiliki oleh mereka yang berhijrah menenggelamkan kekayaan pribumi di bumi mereka sendiri, sehingga menimbulkan keresahan atau iri hati pribumi kepada mereka. Namun, ramai sarjana tidak mengatakan punca-punca yang menyebabkan ia berlaku sedemikian rupa. Saya mempunyai jawapan mengenai perkara yang masih belum dijawab oleh sarjana-sarjana ini termasuk Amy Chua.

Pada saya, pribumi merasa selamat dan selesa di bumi mereka sendiri. Mereka bersangka baik terhadap rakan mereka yang datang berhijrah. Mereka tidak dengki dengan kekayaan yang dimiliki walaupun hidup terpisah dalam kelompok sendiri mengikut cara hidup yang agak ekstrim. Pribumi sudah bahagia dengan kehidupan ala kadar atau cukup makan, walaupun sikap ini tidak sepatutnya berlaku. Inilah sifat pribumi yang saya kenali. Tidak tamak, bersyukur dengan apa yang ada. Jika kayapun, sekadar boleh hidup mewah bukannya untuk membina empayar. Sikap rendah diri, lembut, sopan santun menguasai diri. Itulah Melayu menurut sajak-sajak Lim Swee Tin, Usman Awang dan Muhammad Haji Salleh yang saya teliti.

Kefahaman dan latar belakang inilah menjadikan saya amat terharu dengan majlis perasmian pelancaran buku terbaru professor tersohor Syed Naguib Al-attas oleh Raja Nazrin Shah baru-baru ini. Penghormatan Raja Nazrin terhadap ilmuan amat tinggi di luar jangkauan saya dengan sifat baginda sebagai anak raja. Teks ucapannya yang begitu menyanjung tinggi ilmuan begitu mengkagumkan dan baginda hampir sebak membacanya. Ini tidak termasuk aksi penghormatan baginda terhadap ilmuan Syed Naguib ketika berada di pentas. Syed Naguib dipimpin dan diminta duduk ketika bangun untuk memberikan penghormatan kepada baginda. Inilah sifat orang Melayu yang amat saya puji. Tidak bongkak, tetapi amat merendah diri, tanpa melihat darjat keturunan. Tetapi janganlah pula diambil kesempatan oleh orang lain pula.

Hari ini kita lihat seolah-olah kita mengambil kesempatan. Sikap pribumi yang sedemikian diambil peluang untuk menangguh di air yang keruh. Benar, mereka tidak berapa pentingkan kekayaan kerana kekayaan tidak boleh dibawa ke mati. Hanya iman dan takwa nilaian Allah SWT. Tetapi janganlah pula kita mengambil kesempatan dengan merosakkan mereka melalui rasuah, wanita, riba, wang dan sogokan lain terbentang di depan mata.

Janganlah kita ikuti atau meniru perangai Yahudi. Kenapa Yahudi begitu berjaya dan dapat membina empayar walaupun bukan di bumi sendiri? Jawapannya mudah, Yahudi mengambil kesempatan di atas kelemahan atau sikap tolak ansur orang lain, terutama orang Islam. Ketika merempat, Yahudi berbuat baik dengan umat Islam di Palestin. Namun, sedikit demi sedikit mereka khianat, untuk menguasai pribumi dan kekayaan buminya. Antaranya ialah dengan memberikan pinjaman melalui sistem riba dan merasuah mereka. Bila pinjaman tidak berbayar, ditambah dengan faedah yang tinggi, maka tanah sebagai galang gantinya. Tanah milik pribumi diambil seinci demi seinci. Lama-kelamaman, kini hampir seluruh bumi pribumi Palestin terlepas ke tangan Yahudi. Bangsa yang dahulunya sehelai sepinggang, berjaya menjadikan pribumi berdagang atau merempat di bumi sendiri.

Perkara yang sama berlaku di Singapura. Singapura perlu membesar untuk membina kekuatan. Cara paling mudah untuk membesar ialah dengan membeli pasir daripada negara kita berbanding dengan Indonesia yang terlalu jauh dan kosnya amat tinggi. Bagi memenuhi keperluan itu, mereka akan mencari orang Melayu melalui pengantara sekutu ultra kiasunya, di pejabat tanah yang mudah dirasuah dan mereka yang mudah belot, untuk mendapatkan dan membeli pasir. Hasrat mereka sudah tercapai. Negara ini bukan sahaja sudah membesar berkali ganda, malah hari ini mereka mahu negara ini terus membesar berganda-ganda. Tidak hairan nanti akan bercantum dengan Pulau Batu Putih yang telah terlepas ke negara ultra kiasu ini. Masihkah kita mahu duduk diam melihat maruah dan kedaulatan negara tergadai dan dipersenda? Rela menjual kedaulatan negara semata-mata untuk mendapatkan kekayaan yang sedikit. Manakala orang tengahnya mendapat kekayaan melimpah ruah. Semakin membesar Singapura, semakin kuat ancamannya terhadap negara kita. Tidak hairan suatu hari nanti mereka akan menguasai kita, jika kita terus leka dan lena dengan tipu daya mereka yang licik ini. Apatah tanah-tanah berharga di negara kita sudah terlepas ke tangan mereka, termasuk sebuah pulau lagi yang masih tinggal kepada sekutu mereka. Masihkah kita mahu berdiam diri?

Terbaru, pihak gereja katholik mahukan majalah Al-Islam meminta maaf secara terbuka di atas, artikel berjudul “Masuk Gereja Cari Gadis Bertudung Murtad” melalui tinjauan mereka di dalam gereja. Saya tidak nampak keperluan untuk meminta maaf terhadap mereka yang ada niat tersembunyi kepada kita yang terlalu bertoleransi. Kenapa kita mesti tunduk kepada ugutan mereka? Cukuplah dengan kita gagal untuk mempertahankan penggunaan kalimah Allah. Pihak gereja janganlah bertindak seperti kaduk naik junjung. Mereka ini tidak ubah seperti kumpulan ultra kiasu yang mana asyik mahu menang sahaja.

Apakah tindakan mereka melarikan dan memurtadkan orang Melayu seperti Azlina Jailani dan orang Islam yang lain itu tidak salah? Tidakkah mereka sedar bahawa orang Melayu tidak boleh dimurtadkan mengikut perlembagaan perkara 11 dan 160 (2) yang berbunyi “Melayu adalah seseorang yang menganut Islam, lazim bercakap Melayu dan menurut adat Melayu”. Pernah pihak gereja meminta maaf terhadap orang Melayu yang telah dimurtadkan yang amat nyata bertentangan dengan perlembagaan? Kenapa toleransi ini tidak dihargai?

Justeru, saya meminta mereka supaya menghargai toleransi ini. Janganlah mengambil kesempatan ketika orang lain lemah. Saya cukup bimbang jika kita terlalu mendesak, kesabaran Melayu akan tergugat. Bila kesabaran telah hilang, saya bimbang bangsa yang saya kenali ini akan hilang pertimbangan. Hargai mereka. Kita tidak akan menyerang jika tidak diserang, tetapi kita tidak menyerang tanpa tentangan.

Dr. Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, Pensyarah Kanan, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia merangkap Setiausaha Agung Dewan Perdagangan Islam Malaysia. Penulisan ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis 0 ulasan

theedge: A guide to happiness, no matter how bad things are

Written by Reuters

Monday, 08 March 2010 16:05

SINGAPORE: Being happy is just like being fit, with a new guidebook saying you need to hone the skills needed to attain this coveted emotion, a little every day, and remain upbeat even during the darkest times, according to Reuters.

"Roadtesting Happiness: How to be Happier (No Matter What)", by Australian journalist and author Sophie Scott and published this month, is a self-help book with a difference.

Instead of prescribing a formula, Scott "unpacks what happiness is" and experiences for herself all the tips, tricks and scientific methods supposed to guarantee happiness, drafting a tried-and-tested list and encouraging readers to come up with their own.

"Being happy is something you need to focus on, it doesn't come as a matter of course," Scott, 42, told Reuters by telephone from her home in Sydney.

"You always need to make an effort, even if you reach the point of saying, yes, I am happy, you still need to keep focusing and working on the things that made you happy."

Scott said the book, her second, was born out of her interest in the human psyche -- she's the national medical reporter on the Australian Broadcast Corporation -- as well as how difficult she found it to cope after her mother died of cancer two years ago.

"It was very cathartic," she said. "I was always interested in psychology, but a lot of happiness books don't address the fact that you can be happy if your life isn't going according to plan. The key is managing expectations."

She admits that trying to put a scientific spin on such a personal and intangible emotion was quite hard, but says that her interviews with various people, and her own experience, showed her that there is no, one-size-fits-all happiness "cure".

"In the book, I focused on what were the things most likely to make people happy, the ones with the most academic or scientific research, but not everything works for everyone. You have to find what works for you," she said.

"For example, I don't use meditation very often, because I don't get as much as other people out of it, but for me, exercise is a fantastic mood lifter that really clears the cobwebs."

And before you start thinking that being happy, like leading a healthy lifestyle, is yet another task you have to do and then feel guilty when you don't do it, Scott said the road to a positive outlook begins with very easy, small steps.

"Women in particular today feel overloaded: they've got to be thin, got to have a career, got to have a perfect relationship and the last thing you need is to be thinking you've got to be blissfully happy all the time," she said.

"But it is important to improve your quality of life. Stop rushing around, filling each moment of the day with things to do, and sit down and think about your life, and how you're feeling."

"The things I got out of this were not things that take a lot of effort: feeling more grateful for the things I've got; modifying my reaction to situations and people. It's about changing minor habits, more tinkering around the edges instead of overhauling your life," she said.

Scott's top 3 tips for being happy? Read on:

- Focus on being grateful for the people around you and the good things in your life.

- Use your strength to help others through volunteerism, altrusim -- all research shows that this is crucial to attain a sense of fulfilment.

- Listen to your thoughts how they affect your feelings. Stop any negative thoughts before they take over. This is especially true for women, who tend to have a "running commentary" in their heads and who are more prone to unhappiness and depression. - Reuters 0 ulasan

theedge: How leaders can rebuild trust

Written by Aznita Ahmad Pharmy
Monday, 15 March 2010 12:38

THE dust from the global financial crisis may have settled, but one consequence is that many companies have lost the trust of their customers and corporate leaders are going to have to work hard to regain it.

“Think about all the bank failures that we’ve seen. We’ve seen huge institutions like Lehman Brothers fall apart. Who would have thought that? So people don’t have a lot of confidence and trust in the things that they depended on in the past,” said David M R Covey, COO of global operations at FranklinCovey, a leadership development organisation.

According to Covey, companies and people can rebuild trust and the way for them to do so is by “performing their way out of it”.

“The only way to get out of the current low trust environment is to behave your way (out of it) — start being trustworthy, start exhibiting actions and behaviour that will cause people to trust you,” said Covey, whose father is leadership guru Stephen Covey. The younger Covey was in Kuala Lumpur and Penang in December to meet business leaders in sessions organised by Leadership Resources (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

In order to develop trustworthiness, both character and competence are needed. Character includes values such as integrity while competence is a company or person’s skills and abilities.

According to Covey, trust-building is a long-term process and people need to change their mindsets, especially since it was a different sort of mindset that contributed to the global financial crisis.

--Covey. The only way to get out of the current low trust environment is to behave your way (out of it)--

“I think part of the problem was because of short-term ‘let’s-just-make-a-quick-buck-now’ mindset,” he said.
“But if you want to build a trusting relationship, you have to build for the long term. Warren Buffet said it this way, ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to lose it’.”

One point worth noting, said Covey, is that cover-ups never work and what leaders need to do is achieve congruence between their public and personal life.

“What we teach is that you need to live your life as if there’s a camera on you all the time, so that there’s no disconnect between your private and public life. A great example of that is Gandhi, whom I admire as one of the great leaders. You know, he had congruence between his private life and his public life. There was no secret, there was no disconnect.”

Covey told the story of a woman who approached Gandhi for help in getting her sugar-loving son to stop taking it. Gandhi told her to come back and see him in 10 days. The lady agreed and came back 10 days later and Gandhi sat down with the son and explained to him why sugar was bad and why he should stop consuming it. The son finally committed to give up sugar.

The lady asked Gandhi why he couldn’t have done that 10 days ago. Gandhi’s reply was that 10 days ago, he himself was still consuming sugar and therefore, he could not have taught someone else to give it up.

“That just shows you the kind of person he was. He wouldn’t teach a principle that he himself hadn’t lived,” Covey said.


This article appeared on the Management page, The Edge Financial Daily, March 15, 2010. 0 ulasan