How to Give Constructive Criticism

You are here: Home » Guides » business-guides » How to Give Constructive Criticism

How to Give Constructive Criticism

Written by: suzanne rodriguez 1,200 views

Employees sometimes need to hear about the ways in which they can improve their work, but it’s important to offer constructive rather than destructive criticism. What’s the difference? If you’ve delivered constructive criticism, the employee will walk away from the critiquing session energized and enthusiastic, ready to improve habits and skills. If you’ve gone negative, you’ll release an angry and humiliated employee—one who is probably unwilling to change—back into the workplace.

Each situation is different, but here are some fundamental “rules” about giving constructive criticism:

The “Do Not’s” of Giving Constructive Criticism

Never criticize someone when you’re angry. If you can’t control your emotions, choose a different time for your critique. Remember: good criticism isn’t about making a person feel bad; it’s about helping them to change and grow, ultimately doing a much better job.
Don’t indulge in personal attacks. Focus on the problem—not the person. If you attack someone, all you’ll do is make the person on the receiving end feel defensive, and then they won’t really “hear” the important points of your criticism.
Don’t use words like Never and Always, as in “You never listen!” or “You always make a mess of things!” This too will end up making the employee feel defensive—and, most likely, angry and unwilling to change.
Don’t criticize in public. No matter how badly someone might have erred, allow him or her to save face. Keep the criticism process private.

The “Do’s” of Giving Constructive Criticism

Plan what you’re going to say. First list the person’s good qualities, and then focus on the qualities that need improvement. When you begin your critique session, mention the positive qualities first. This not only reinforces those qualities, but allows the person receiving the criticism to relax.
Be specific. Vague generalities will only confuse the employee. Instead of saying “Your presentation skills need improvement,” say “You need to speak clearly and loudly enough for the audience to hear.”
Offer concrete suggestions for improvement. In the example given above, you might suggest that the employee join a speaker’s club like Toastmasters to practice speaking skills.
Preface a specific criticism with a positive statement. Continuing with the poor-speaker example, you could say: “The new research included in your talk was terrific, but I suspect it was lost on the audience because you didn’t speak clearly enough for them to hear what you said.” Another example: “Your report on year-end sales made some excellent points, but they were hard to find because they were buried in too much verbiage”
End the session on a positive note. In an optimum situation, the employee will be enthusiastic about correcting the criticized behavior, and you will express confidence that the behavior will, indeed, be corrected.

—————————-