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Tell about a time you faced criticism on the job. How did you handle it?

How do you deal with criticism constructively?

How do you handle feedback?

Situation

Being a software developer, when you work for a company, the code you write does not belong to you. It belongs to person who paid you. Code is a “product.” Your task was to deliver the best code possible. But I do have short comings and blind spots.

When I wrote code with the programming language that I am most comfortable with. In my case, I wrote in bash. I knew other languages, but for this instance, I mostly wrote in Bash. That's because most scripts are easier to run on jenkins.

Problem/Task:

  • While it was easy to script in Bash. It was not always easy for newer developers to understand Bash.
  • I had many young developers in my team. My manager saw the younger developer struggling and suggested that I pick an easier language for the younger developers.
  • Initially I disagreed with him because I thought the younger developers need to learn bash to keep up. It later hit me that my previous manager forced bash on me. And at that time, I didn't agree with him either.

Solution/Action:

  • Seen in that light, I decided to change my approach. I still felt that we should have some sort of standard and uniformity but maybe we should extend it to 3 languages. That way the hurdle or burden of entry is not too earl.

### Result - As a result, newer developers can contribute sooner. - Also, it make work fun since they feel like they are adding value to the company

### Lesson - It's important to see from the other point of view - See why developers are struggling - Treat everything as an experiment. There are no failures only failed hypothesis. We keep trying and experimenting until we get the desired outcome.

When giving negative feedback: 5 ways to give criticism people actually want to hear

  1. Understand the psychology of feedback (and how it’s going to impact the person receiving it)
  2. Reframe feedback as “advice” or “guidance”
  3. Forget the sandwich method and focus on candor instead
  4. Be informative and focus on areas of improvement
  5. Continually work on building a culture of trust

When receiving negative feedback: The Dos and Don’ts of how to properly accept criticism

  1. Don’t: React right away
  2. Don’t: Take it personally
  3. Don’t: Try to justify, deflect, or ignore it
  4. Don’t: Always wait for others to offer up feedback
  5. Do: Take time to gather your thoughts and not get overwhelmed
  6. Do: Ask for explicit feedback and clarification
  7. Do: Set expectations for what kind of feedback you’re looking for