In the heat of the moment when someone criticizes us, it’s easy to react and make things worse. Too often when I’ve received a critical comment at church I’ve gotten defensive or said something in return that I wish I could take back. Has that every happened to you? When that happens, what can we do in the moment? Years ago I learned a simple acronym that can help us respond appropriately to criticism. Here it is.
Respond to criticism with LEARN.
- L … listen: Simply hear the person out.
- E … empathize: Acknowledge how they feel.
- A … apologize: Even if you aren’t responsible for the problem, an apology for their experience may help ameliorate ill feelings.
- R … respond: Explain that you will attempt to address the issue if at all possible.
- N … notify: Let those who can potentially fix the problem know about it.
The next time someone in your church brings you a complaint, LEARN from it instead of reacting to it.
What has helped you respond appropriately to criticism?
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Concise, to the point, and very helpful. There is always something to learn from our critics.
Thx Brian!
One of the most difficult things for me is that even when it is an unfair criticism, there is still usually some nugget of truth that I can learn from as long as I can put my ego aside.