Criticism is something you can avoid easily by saying
nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.
- Aristotle
Being a volunteer treasurer can be
difficult. Not everything to do with your finances is in your control. So how do
you cope with criticism when people think you should have done something better
or differently?
The natural reaction is to be hurt and
angry, but neither of those emotions are positive. They won’t get you anywhere,
but you do need to allow yourself time to get the emotions out of your system
before you take any sort of action.
A couple of years ago we brought you a post
that offered some constructive ideas. Called “Have You Got Critics?’ The post covered 5 steps in the coping process. There is one key point from
that post that I’d like to remind you of.
It's about them, not you.
"If you're truly being
criticised unfairly, then it's likely the other person has got some background
issues that are feeding their maniacal nastiness. Pity them. Life is too short
to get wound up by someone else's drama.
May
you have many days free of critics, backstabbers, gossips, and other yuckiness!
If not, stuff 'em! You're better than all that."
Criticism is the first weapon people call
on when they feel challenged by something you’ve done. It might be as small as
asking them to explain their expenditure or as large as pushing them to change
the accounting processes within the NFP. Either way, the reaction is either defensive or fearful, and the
criticism is not really targeting you.
How
do you know if the criticism is real?
The answer lies in these 3 steps.
1. Stop and listen to what is being said. Suspend your judgement and
hold back your emotions so you can hear without bias.
2. Consider who is speaking. How credible are they? How valid might
their point be? Alternatively, is it possible that they have misunderstood what
you said, or might need more information to fill in the gaps in their
understanding?
3. Consider the outcome of giving in to their criticism. What would
change? What project might be halted? Is there an agenda behind the criticism
that you need to pay attention to.
When you have thought through each of these
steps, you will know if the criticism is valid or if it’s really nothing to do
with you. Then you are in the right head space to choose what action you need
to take, if any.
