One of the greatest burdens on any leader is the responsibility to give constructive criticism to team members and those around you. Particularly in a work environment, you are expected to be a voice of reason and pick apart others’ ideas, but it’s difficult to do so when emotions run high. Some people become naturally defensive when their ideas are critiqued, while others become emotional and even start crying. To avoid starting a dramatic scene and still be honest about your opinions or evaluations of ideas, you can learn how to give constructive criticism.
Give the Good News First
First, before you critique the idea, report, or thing you have been asked to review, point out the good! People like to hear about what they’ve done right, and this can even help them improve upon the good things to make them even better. Try a genuine compliment like, “I really enjoyed this music at this year’s Christmas party, everyone at my table commented on how it wasn’t the usual boring stuff and it was fun to dance to.”
Sandwich the Problem
Whatever the major problem with what you are critiquing is, you can point it out after complimenting its strengths. To continue using the same example, you might say now, “The only comment I’d like to make is that the food was a little undercooked, we thought that perhaps the catering company isn’t very experienced with their business yet.”
Soften the Blow
Particularly if it’s something that the other person wrote, they will probably be at the most risk for defensiveness or overly-emotional responses now. Head this off by pointing out more good things about what you just critiqued; for example, “Overall, it was a great party, though. I hope next year’s goes as smoothly!” This softens the impact of any criticism they just received, while not making them completely forget about it.
Give them an Out
If it’s something that you can help with, offer to help fix whatever the major problem is, or give them resources to do so by themselves. For the example above, you might say, “I know a great catering company that I used for my wedding last year, would you like their contact information for next year’s party?” For things you can help fix, you might offer to set up a time and date where the two of you can go over it in more detail, then reinforce again that it’s a “great start” or something similar.
Be Sincere
If you are faking enthusiasm for a person’s hard work, they will be able to tell – and they won’t appreciate it! Be sincere when you talk about aspects of it that you liked or didn’t like; honesty is the best policy, and even if people don’t agree with you, they will respect you for saying what you really think.
Giving constructive criticism is a skill that nobody is born with. We have to learn how to do so most effectively, and practice will help you as a leader.