We’ve all experienced criticism, whether from clients, coworkers, or friends, and it can often feel overwhelming. However, criticism doesn’t have to be negative; it can be an opportunity for growth and improvement. Dean explores practical techniques to help you steer critics, ensuring that the feedback you receive is manageable, focused, and ultimately beneficial.
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In the business world, we all face criticism, and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. We work with a lot of professionals who deal with the pressure of presenting, speaking, or pitching as a team—and we’ve learned a lot about how to steer critics so their feedback genuinely helps you get better.
I learned this watching an interview team—basically a sales pitch team—gearing up for a big project. When they felt ready, they brought in leadership and a mock audience to watch a run-through. When the team asked, “So how’d we do?” they were hit from every direction with carte blanche feedback.
It was overwhelming. It almost felt mean-spirited. But it wasn’t—people were trying to help… just randomly and without direction.
You can—and should—steer your critics. Tell them what you want feedback on. Narrow the aperture.
For example, if a presentation team is concerned that their message isn’t landing, they might say:
“We’d love feedback on whether our main points were clear. Did you understand the message? Were we concise?”
Just like that, the feedback is no longer everywhere—it’s focused.
Or maybe the team is working on stakeholder engagement. They might say:
“Our goal was to help you feel listened to. Did you feel heard? Did your input feel valued?”
Again, the feedback is now guided. Instead of random commentary, it’s targeted insight.
One of the most powerful moves is to prime your critics before the presentation:
“As you watch this, here are the three things we want you to pay attention to…”
This does two things:
This avoids the trap of “So… what do you think?”—which is basically an invitation for a comprehensive personal assault.
This isn’t just for pitch teams. You can use this with your:
Tell them the kind of feedback you’re looking for. Paint a picture of the experience you’re trying to create. Share the targets you’re working on.
By doing this, you organize what could have been chaotic criticism into constructive, manageable insight. You turn random critics into helpful collaborators—because you guided them there.
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