Don t Be Hard On Yourself

Don’t Be Hard On Yourself

Since we’re on the topic, let’s talk about criticism for just one more minute. Onlookers can and will criticize. It happens in all walks of life, and it certainly happens to negotiators. “I would have done this,” they say. “He should have said that.” The fact is, it’s just too easy to criticize when you’re not the one who had your butt in the hot seat and had to respond to a person holding hostages, with the lives of innocent people hanging on every word. Even if the negotiation didn’t involve life and death, it’s always easy to criticize. Negotiators shouldn’t shut out constructive criticism, of course. But they should consider the source and remember that they were the ones who had their lives or livelihoods on the line. That’s worth a lot more than armchair lip after the fact.