Picture the scene – a breakout area in a refurbished office block. Josh and his manager, Fran are sat on the uncomfortable green chairs, with their laptops and steaming coffee each sitting on the cold matt-black metal table in front of them. Josh, a talented marketing manager, has just finished presenting his latest ideas to the team, and Fran, his boss, has asked him to stay behind afterwards to discuss the results.
Uh-oh. This could be bad for Josh. He’s aware of his shortcomings and is already worried about things he might have missed out from his presentation.
Fran doesn’t rip into him, though, Nor does she offer a generic “good job” and move on, either. She spends time providing thoughtful feedback, during which she highlights specific strengths in Josh’s approach. She also points out areas where the campaign could be a little stronger, too. And, although Josh was a bit wary coming into the session, he left it feeling motivated and armed with clear, actionable advice to make his work even better.
The example above shows how constructive criticism can be done right. You don’t need to tear someone down or sugarcoat the truth. Instead, people can grow through honest, respectful communication. In a modern workplace, the ability to give and receive constructive criticism like this is more than just a ‘nice to have’ skill - it’s essential for professional development.
Criticism on its own is a great way to sabotage your own growth. That’s something that you’ll obviously want to avoid. Constructive criticism, on the other hand, can dramatically improve knowledge and performance when you do it correctly. That’s what this blog explores, and if that interests you, read on.
So, what is constructive criticism?
In a nutshell, it’s just feedback, really. Albeit feedback designed to help someone improve. You aren’t pointing out flaws and errors for the sake of it, but instead, it’s guidance to help people grow.
You’ll have to make peace with the fact that you are going to have to tell people that they are doing things wrong and understand that they could be upset by that. People can get very defensive. But it’s a necessity, and if you do this in a supportive way, you’ll both come out of the meeting better at your respective jobs.
But how do you do this? The key is to strike a balance between empathy and honesty. Obviously, you’ll have to be truthful about areas that need improving, but you must do it in a way that motivates your employees, rather than discouraging or upsetting them.
While constructive criticism in the workplace is a valuable part of a management and leadership arsenal, it can really help employees. It’ll sharpen their skills, boost their confidence and become more effective overall. Let’s take a look at some techniques you can use.
Be Crystal Clear – If you want to point out areas for improvement, don’t be vague and skirt around the issue. That’ll just muddy the waters. You need to be clear – the clearer you are, the better they’ll understand what is expected of them.
Be specific. Instead of saying things like “Your reports need work,” try, “I noticed that the projected metrics section of your report was lacking detail. Next time can you include a breakdown of potential customer reach in your next one?”
If you’re specific about what you want, that’s a clear roadmap for them to improve. They’ll know what they are supposed to focus on, and since they know exactly how to improve, it can make them more confident and motivated.
Listen carefully – Giving feedback shouldn’t be a one-way street. You’ve got to listen to your employee’s thoughts and questions about the feedback you’re giving. You can’t always be right and try as you might, you won’t always be as clear as you could be. Communication works both ways, after all.
It’s also key to give the conversation room to breathe and give them the chance to respond. Entwine your feedback with questions like “What are your thoughts on this?” or “Is there anything you’d like to add, here?”. Doing so shows that you value their input and perspective, plus it breaks up the conversation nicely, giving time for feedback to sink in and for you to keep your focus.
These are your people. When they feel heard, it works wonders for morale. They feel like they are invested in their improvement, and again, they will be more motivated to enhance their knowledge and improve their skills.
Don’t forget to show some love – Pointing out areas for improvement is important, but don’t forget to highlight what they are doing well, too. Using positive language and an upbeat tone can change what might seem like a negative experience into a positive one.
For example, you might say something like, “I was very impressed with how you handled that presentation. Your public speaking skills are really improving lately”.
Things like this can give their confidence a real boost. And when they think their efforts are being recognised, they’ll feel valued, and they’ll be more eager to improve and expand their skills.
Stay professional – When you’re giving people feedback, ensure you’re focussing on the work, not the person. Don’t make feedback personal or place blame on the individual. There may be factors at play that you simply don’t know about.
For example, instead of saying things like, “You’re always late with your reporting, and that’s making things difficult down the line,” say, “I’ve noticed that your monthly reports have been arriving after the deadline. Is there something making it more difficult for you to meet the deadline?”
Phrasing like this helps to open a dialogue. Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding or miscommunication about the deadline date. Or perhaps they are facing time challenges elsewhere that you weren’t aware of. Keeping the conversation professional rather than accusatory means you’re more likely to get to the root of the problem, and that means you can work towards a solution together.
You don’t really want to sabotage your growth at work, skilfully or not. And you certainly shouldn’t be sabotaging the growth of your team. So, swap the criticism for constructive criticism instead. There’s a real difference, as you’ve seen in this article.
Let’s recap. Being open and honest with your feedback is crucial, but you also need to be honest in a constructive way. Be specific with your feedback, too, and listen to your employees. Ensure you show them appreciation for the things they are getting right and keep feedback professional rather than personal. Doing these things will help you create an environment where people are eager to learn and improve.
Don’t forget that tearing your team down is not your goal, even when they are wrong or have made errors. It doesn’t help. Instead, you must build them up, recognise their strengths and work on their weaknesses in a constructive, supportive way.
If you get it right, you can wield constructive criticism as a powerful tool to improve your team’s skills and overall knowledge. It’ll open honest conversations and show them that you really care about their performance. In turn, that motivates them to try harder and keep growing.
Next time you're giving feedback, consider the example of Josh and Fran. Using their approach, you can also turn potentially awkward conversations into opportunities to grow and improve. A team who are constantly growing and learning is the perfect platform for success.
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