When you receive criticism from Chinese colleagues, supervisors, or partners, understand that the feedback typically assumes you can fix the problem. The criticism is not about your innate limitations—it’s about a current gap between your performance and what you’re capable of achieving. This assumption actually explains why feedback can seem quite thorough and direct about deficiencies.
If problems are solvable, identifying them comprehensively enables comprehensive improvement. When delivering feedback yourself, consider framing it similarly: focus on specific behaviors or outputs that can be changed rather than characteristics or abilities that seem fixed. “This report needs stronger supporting evidence” rather than “You don’t understand this area.” The former invites correction; the latter suggests limitation. This orientation keeps feedback constructive even when it’s critical.
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