Constructive feedback: 5 things to remember

Giving and receiving criticism (or “constructive feedback”) is perhaps the hardest part of a manager’s job. Yet criticism as a constructive tool is vital to developing staff abilities, working as a cohesive and effective team and improving professional performance.

1) Criticise important things

Be selective in your criticism. Does it really matter if Joe wears odd socks to work? In some cases it might, but in many cases it does not. If you criticise Joe for unimportant things then he will become resentful, and important criticism will be less effective.

2) Try the ‘sandwich’ technique

This means delivering the criticism within two positive observations.

“Yes, I really like the way you’ve handled the opening paragraph. You’ve really given it some style. I think we might improve the wording of these questions here. But overall you’ve done a really good job!”

“I was impressed with the research that you did into the finer legal points of the issue. I thought the study would benefit from further consideration of the practical effects. This part, though, I thought was great – the section on the history of the cause of the issue.”

3) Never blame

Remember: criticism is only useful when it is used as a tool for correction and improvement. You are not criticising a person, but an action or a behaviour.

Avoid using the word ‘you’ when criticising. Focus on what needs improvement, not on the person who needs to improve it. This will make the recipient far more likely to accept and act on your criticism.

4) Always suggest a solution

If you say to Joe, “Everybody hates your odd socks,” then Joe might feel hurt and picked on, but he won’t necessarily know what to do about it.

If you say: “Joe, I think it would be a good idea to wear matching socks to work,” then Joe knows exactly what to do to make the situation better.

5) How to receive criticism

As a manager, you are not immune to criticism. Sometimes your staff may dislike the way you flare up, or your failure to defend them in front of senior management, or even just the way you fail to say good morning at the start of the day.

To be a successful manager, you must be able to accept constructive criticism. Your staff will respect you for your willingness to listen, your treatment of them as equals and your attentiveness to their concerns.

As is so often the case, good management – in this case good criticism – is about communicating with your colleagues. Communicating criticism can be particularly precarious, but handled in a positive, sensitive way it is a powerful tool for staff- and self-improvement.