At some point in your career, youll inevitably have to critique someones work or point out a problem, and its important to know how to do it well. Here are some general guidelines that can help: Open with a compliment. If a piece needs a major overhaul, try to start the conversation with the things that person did right before moving on to problem areas. Be a diplomat. How you word criticism can make all the difference in how its received. Try to find a way to make your point without being aggressive or confrontational. If youre splitting the duties on a project with a coworker who is leaving you with the bulk of the work, for example, you might feel like saying, You arent pulling your weight! Instead, try something like, Why dont we meet to review project responsibilities and make sure theyre distributed evenly so no one is overburdened. Focus on the facts. If a team member misses several deadlines, dont start out by saying, youre never on time. Words like never and always immediately put people on the defensive. Schedule a one-on-one meeting, and try to keep the conversation centered on facts - cite specific deadlines that have been missed and how business has been affected as a result. Then allow the person youre meeting with to tell his or her side of the story. Map out concrete steps for improvement. Telling someone that a piece misses the mark isnt sufficient - or constructive - feedback. Instead, focus specifically on what needs to be changed and why. Try to offer examples of what you would like to see, and provide the rationale behind your requests. The better the explanation you provide, the stronger the outcome youll achieve. This also takes the sting out of criticism by shifting the conversation toward solutions rather than problems. Be timely. While you dont want to deliver feedback in the heat of the moment, you also shouldnt wait too long. If you postpone your criticism, the problem behavior can become a habit. Offer feedback in private. Its always a bad idea to criticize someone in front of others - it embarrasses him or her and makes the audience uncomfortable as well. Try to offer feedback in private, and in person. E-mailing your comments or providing them on the phone should be a last resort. Practice beforehand. Because its never easy to deliver criticism - and you may become sidetracked as you search for the right words - consider practicing what you are going to say in advance. Although it may seem contrived, a little planning can help you find the best way to express yourself. Listen closely. Its easy to assume you have all the information you need and there are no excuses for a persons behavior, but be careful. You may be missing a very important piece of the story - a coworker could be overburdened or unaware of project parameters. You wont know until you ask. Delivering unfavorable feedback can be uncomfortable, but if its done well, a critiquing session can become a valuable learning experience for the person whose work is being reviewed. By delivering your message with tact and focusing on solutions rather than problems, youll build trust and teamwork #sungibear
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 14:39:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015