Here's how you can effectively manage criticism and feedback in a professional setting.

Feedback is an opportunity to grow. We, as humans, aren't well designed to take feedback - we get emotional and defensive. Recognize when that's happening (which is pretty much always) and try to take that out of the equation. It might be that it's feedback you don't agree with or don't want to action, but at least have a mindset of being open to it. View it as an opportunity, not a challenge. You will never be smarter than the collective perspective and intelligence of the people around you.

Stay positive when receiving criticism or feedback. See it as a chance to grow, not a personal attack. Take a moment to process it calmly. Appreciate the effort someone made to give you feedback. A positive attitude helps you stay open-minded and learn from the feedback.

When you receive feedback, listen attentively without interruption. Focus completely on what the person is saying. This shows respect and helps you understand their perspective fully. By listening carefully, you may discover valuable insights that can help you improve.

The first I do after collecting feedback is to come up with an action plan I can realistically stick to and send my plan via email so it's there for everyone to go back. I would say something like "Thank you for x feedback, these are 3 things I will focus on in the next month in the hope it will improve. It would help greatly if you could support by doing XYZ." I find that this creates accountability and empowers people around me to follow up on the status and also makes people comfortable to keep the feedback coming as they know it won't just be parked in the corner of the office somewhere.

Regularly think about the feedback you have received. Look at the changes you have made and how they have affected your work. Consider how you have dealt with feedback before and how you can do better in the future. This self-assessment helps you grow stronger and use criticism to succeed.