Mastering Criticism
Kevin Hogan
Page 4
One of the biggest reasons people fail is because they continue to attend to what one person out of a group might say that they didn't like. One person in a group will *always* be polar to you.
The most valuable criticism I receive is from those people who I consult with, my most loyal customers. I pay close attention to them because I know they have my best interests at heart just as I have theirs at heart.
When you hear criticism from your customers and clients, you MUST listen.
That does NOT mean they are "right." It means no such thing.
It means you listen.
When possible, you make the person who criticized you a hero.
Face it. When one person writes and criticizes you, someone else WAS thinking the same thing.
Bush got elected by 47% of the voters in 2000. Clinton got elected by 36% of the voters in 1992. The reality is that the more people know you, the greater the number of people will be there to criticize you. Reality. Even if you are the President of the most powerful nation on the planet.
The only way you can never be criticized, is to do nothing.
People often criticize when they feel THEIR OWN self-esteem threatened. They compare themselves to you and see that they don't want to discipline themselves to do what you have done. They criticize to "throw a dart" to make themselves feel better.
It's their idea of unconscious justice.
Here are some criticisms and complaints I've gotten over the years and how I responded. The first thing I do is to see if it is about "me." If it is "personal," then I figure out just what the criticism might mean. Here we go...
"Kevin, these CD's are great but the paper labels can get stuck in the car CD player."
Six years ago I heard that several times in the summer. Maybe it was the heat of the cars, maybe it was faulty labels. Didn't matter. I hated the paper labels. They were, at the time, an irritating necessity.
I heard that for a few weeks and didn't need to hear it again. We switched to shiny face CD's.
"Kevin, the manual got here with the package but it was ripped up in the mailing process."
We switched to putting ALL MANUALS onto CD-Rom. That way a person can print them out as many times as they want. They can take their manual on their computer with them wherever they go. We've never had a complaint since.
"Kevin, my program still hasn't arrived and I'm ticked off. It's been two weeks. What's going on there?"
Well obviously nothing is going on "there." The problem is out of our control. The person paid for a specific type of mailing service. We ship same day and their country postal system (or UPS system) simply is terrible.
This happens about 15 times per year. We always write back and explain in gentle terms that we shipped instantly as requested and if the package doesn't arrive shortly we will send another one. About half the time we send another one and the original package arrives a day or two later of course.
I feel bad for the customer. I hate waiting for things in the mail too. But this criticism is misdirected because they don't know how to complain to their postal service. (Don't worry it is a waste of time...they don't listen. You fill out a form... and they throw it away... I think!)
When criticism is misdirected, you have to try and solve the complaint against you.
Then there are other kinds of criticism....oh man...
What about criticism that's more personal, especially when they say it is NOT? Check it out... 
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Kevin Hogan
Network 3000 Publishing
3432 Denmark #108
Eagan, MN 55123
(612) 616-0732
