Criticism at Work

My work pays me to stand by while people fling mud at my product.

Okay, maybe that's a little melodramatic, but no less true. As a writer, I get paid to work hundreds of hours to produce a product that should not only entertain people and make money for my publisher, but also be a work God can somehow use for his glory. In my paycheck (somewhere) is the stipulation that I turn the other cheek when people don't like my product and publicly bash it on Amazon.com or other book review forums.

Before writing full-time, I was a biologist researcher working in the corporate world. If someone criticized my work there, sometimes I could refute it. However, sometimes the situation was too delicate or the people involved were too idiotic for a fair hearing.

Whether I'm writing or researching, my coping mechanism is the same. It has to be, because God is not glorified in petty retaliation attempts—although trust me, I've thought of some clever ones. He's glorified by how I respond and learn from what happens to me.

Because life isn't fair. Get over it.

Criticism in the workplace—whether warranted or not—is ugly, dirty, slimy, and it sticks. There's only one way to clean things.

Distance.

At your workplace, make sure you have a haven. Some place you can go and be undisturbed by phones or people. In one biotech company, it was my office with a closed door. In another company, it was a women's restroom stall or my car out in the parking lot.

We all need some place to distance ourselves from the criticism. From the situation.

Don't feel like you have to whip out your Bible and immediately start reading. I'm a woman, so usually I get emotional and hormonal first. But that is okay, as long as that Bible comes out eventually.

I never pick good verses when I'm upset, so I have a few good ones bookmarked. Verses to calm me down. Verses to remember God. Verses to realign my perspective.

Prayer works when it's not all just ranting and venting. I try to remain calm enough to hear God's voice, to ask for his guidance and be willing to listen. Sometimes I'm at fault and need to ask for forgiveness or adjust my attitude. Sometimes not. Regardless, I need a clear head and a submissive heart to know the truth only God can show me.

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Prov. 16:2

Will this distancing time make everything all better? No. Will it get rid of all bad feelings? Unlikely. Will it please God? You betcha.

That submissive heart is more important than a job done perfectly or the accolades of my peers. And submissive hearts are only molded by trial. God calls us not only in what we do, but also how we do it.

When people's lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them. Prov. 16:7