How to Receive Criticism | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

How to Receive Criticism

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Prepare for criticism so you can receive it well.
  • Instead of reacting defensively to criticism, ask for time to process what you’ve heard.
  • Don’t interpret a mistake as a failure.

Last time we discussed how to best give criticism. Now it’s time to get to the really fun stuff: how to receive criticism well. Our talk was inspired by Courtney Seiter’s The Art And Science Of Giving And Receiving Criticism At Work.

It’s never fun to hear about what you’re doing wrong, but if you are open to feedback and have colleagues willing to be open and honest, you’ll be on the fast track to serious improvement!

Pair this newfound knowledge with our fitness business management software, and you’ll be on the path towards success! Request a demo today.

Receiving Criticism

Here’s how to prepare for criticism and receive it well:

  1. Ask for feedback often –  Open communication is key to creating positive change, and you’ll have more opportunities to improve your skills!
  2. Ask for time to reflect on what you’ve heard, one element at a time – Your first reaction may be to put up your heavy defenses. Instead, evaluate what you’ve heard and formulate a thoughtful response.
  3. Cultivate a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset – Your skills aren’t set in stone. You can always learn and grow!
  4. Take responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them in order to grow – It’s OK to take a loss or make a mistake. Just make sure you learn from the experience so you’re better off from it!

See for yourself - Meet with the Exercise.com Team today

Train Anyone, Anywhere in the World.

Check out the videos we found below which deal with receiving criticism/feedback.

Joy Mayer (above) asks “How will you take the feedback and how will you adapt to it?”

Sheila Heen (above) suggests the receiver is in charge because they determine how or if they will change. What if we stop looking for good givers of criticism and hone our skill of sifting through criticism to grow?

Who can you ask to provide some open and honest criticism of your performance?

We’ve got an expert team that’s partnered with some of the best fitness professionals around the world. Schedule a call with our team. Get started today!

Learn more about Exercise.com Fitness Business Management Software.

Schedule your demo today.