Healthy criticisms promote emotional intelligence

Maria Luciana said in her Forkomil presentation: “Praise others to encourage them!”.

Fine. Agree. Praises and compliments spur people to work harder in a happier state of mind. I myself have received a few compliments on my teaching, my blogs, my works, my façade, and . . . . .I find them ooooohh . . . how sweeeeett!

BUT, . . .

As I grow older, I need something else that will keep me alert and wary about my shortcomings. And that is criticisms. Criticisms, sincere and constructive criticisms are what I need in addition to honest compliments.

‘Criticisms are like manure’ I wrote in one of my postings last year. Without criticisms, I’d be lulled into self-complacency. I would think that nothing in the way I do things and the way I behave needs some improvements.

But here at Ma Chung people are very stingy in giving criticisms. They would rather compliment me, or, as the majority do, keep tight-lipped. The only criticisms addressed to me was given by my former staff member, who said that I need to talk more and discuss more with my staff. But that’s all.

Will 2009 watch me receiving healthy criticisms? Or will it just be the same as 2008? Let us wait and see.

So, coming back to Maria’s point above, I would recommend her my piece of conviction: “Emotionally intelligent people can strike the balance between giving praises and giving criticisms.”

How about that?