Criticism at workplace

Samarjit Kambam *

Criticism is a common practice that takes place at every workplace be it a government organisation or a corporate one. It is usually a 'pull down' factor or a tool for the criticiser against the target individual who is being criticised. There is no denying the fact that this practice is prevalent and rampant and is considered an awkward and inelegant one.

This unhealthy practice usually stems up from the lower rung of the organisational hierarchy. As of now this is an unstoppable practice and there is no law to prevent it.

When one criticises another at the workplace, he gets a feel of being professionally better than the one who is being criticised. Many factors come into play when it gets down to criticism. One criticises another at the personal level out of enmity, some criticise others to please their superior bosses so that the lacunae in his performance and professional weakness is concealed, some do so to get other's attention, some just for the sake of leisure while to some, criticizing others has become a habit.

No two individuals have the same capability, sustainability, intelligence, loyalty, integrity, dexterity in handling given tasks at hand etc. It is usually those who possess lesser qualities amongst the above mentioned ones who are more prone to criticise others. It is clearly perceptible that criticism also comes into play with jealousy as one big reason.

Another ground for cropping up of criticism is the schedule of the incumbent at the workplace. A worker with a hectic schedule doesn't have the time to criticise and gossip at the workplace. So criticisers usually turn out to be average or below average workers and their contribution and productivity to the organisation turns out to be very scanty.

On closer scrutiny, criticism is a cover up for low self-esteem. One criticise others because he wish to lower them in the eyes of others, and may be through the same action raise his own worth. It's a sign of self depreciation. The more we criticise others, the more our self esteem and integrity goes down. A person who is not resourceful or has an inferiority complex or a person not qualified for the job belongs to the category of criticism mongers.

He believes that by pulling others down he grows taller in the professional front. Criticising others helps one to feel better about himself. Pulling down others in order to appear good is a sign that he is not worth it. So, staying angry or upset just because someone criticises you is bound to affect your future work.

Putting the irritation out of the mind and focusing on doing one's job is the best possible way or a good alternative to counter criticism. It is always better to give ourselves some time to think before responding to criticism as it will save us loads of problems later.

If you are being criticised, then whenever opportunity arises, discuss the criticism with someone you trust to give you an objective view. In this way you can see if the criticism is reasonable or just someone using his status to assert his authority over others. It is better not to lose our cool. Being calm and rational is one of the best tools to overcome criticism because if emotionally charged, our instincts or impulse may not be the best guide to follow.

The first thing to do is to remain calm whether the rhetorical slap comes from a colleague or a boss. Criticism can give rise to the criticised anger or feelings of inadequacy. Expressing these emotions will only dig you deeper into a hole, and give your critic the high ground. When the hammer drops, react with courtesy – and a pause. A couple of deep, quiet breaths will help settle you.

Criticism comes alive and kicking in many ways. Some criticise others as a part of gossiping just for the sake of fun and to pass the time usually practised by gossip mongers oiling and running the gossip mill smoothly. To them it's a part and parcel of life and comes as a daily routine whereby criticising others is a menu in their recipe of gossip.

They include criticism without taking seriously at the target individual. But there is always a class of people in the workplace who criticise others deliberately and with great seriousness. They are the ones who want to lift themselves up in front of their bosses by criticising their peers. Such persons have a loophole in a certain area of their capacity and it is one way to cover it up by criticising others so that their boss overlook it. Such kind of criticisms are considered as negative criticisms.

Its not that all criticisms are bad. Sometimes it comes as a necessary evil, for there is also constructive criticism which is important and help us grow as a part of the learning curve. A person carries out constructive criticism only when he is truly concerned about the critical one and wishes to help in the growth process.

Majority of the bosses practice constructive criticism to their subordinates as a way of improvising them as it will become useful in the long run for the organisation.

Sometimes, even after putting your best efforts, instead of getting praise for it if you get criticism in return from your bosses, it is very difficult to come back and do the same thing with similar enthusiasm. For that we have to re-strengthen ourselves and also must have the courage to accept our mistakes and make sure not to repeat them so that we become accountable and responsible in our work.

We must reassure to ourselves that the remarks made by our bosses are not criticism but comments, most particularly positive comments for it is their duty to evaluate, monitor and supervise our work. That is one of the best means to bring up and improvise ourselves. We should do away with "What I have done is the best" attitude and accept the reality that nobody's perfect.

So in which category do you belong – the criticiser or criticised? My honest appeal is – please feel happy to be the criticised. It shows that you are a true worker and doesn't waste time. Of course if you are the in the 'criticised' category you should be glad that there are characters in the workplace which watch your every step and they are consuming their own time and effort for your sake without taking any honorarium from you.

My message is "Before you criticise another, take a hard look at your own self and ask yourself "Am I qualified to criticise others?". And also please remember, every time you point a finger to someone, three of your own fingers remain pointed back at yourself.