Criticism in office

When i was adding some comments to our company discussion forum, I have commented on a topic on 'criticism'. So i thought of sharing that comment in my blog.

In any culture, each and every one should respect others, when that happens around you, you will be comfortable in the env and you feel that you are in a free and open culture.

Criticism is another good aspect of an open culture. The criticism should be done in professional manner. If not it will lead to lot’s of problems. Why it leads to problems? That’s an area where lots of people feel personally. So it’s really important how you do it. If you do that publicly then people may get offended, may be de motivated and may lead to conflicts. It’s really important how you put it out. So you should not do criticism, you should do Constructive Criticism.

I extracted below theory from CSTE CBOK on how you do Constructive Criticism.

“In giving constructive criticism, you should incorporate the following tactics:

• Do it Privately

Criticism should be given on a one-on-one basis. Only the individual being criticized should be aware that criticism is occurring. It is best done in a private location. Many times it is more effective if it is done in a neutral location, for example, in a conference room or while taking someone to lunch, rather than in the boss' office.

• Have the Facts

General statements of undesired performance are not very helpful. For example, statements such as "That proposal is not clear, fix it" or "Your program does not make best use of the language or technology" leave people feeling confused and helpless. Before criticizing someone’s performance, have specific items that are causing the deficiency or undesirable performance.

• Be Prepared to Help the Worker Improve His Performance

It is not good enough to ask the worker to "fix it.” You must be prepared to help fix it. Be prepared to train the subordinate in the area of deficiency. For example, in a proposal, indicate that a return-on-investment calculation was not made; or if a program failed to use the language properly, state specifically how it should and should not be used. You should not leave an individual feeling that they have performed poorly or unsure as to how to correct that performance.

• Be Specific on Expectations

Be sure your subordinate knows exactly what you expect from him or her now and in the future. Your expectations should be as clear as possible so there can be no confusion. Again, in a proposal, indicate that you expect a return-on-investment calculation included in all proposals. Most people will try to do what they are expected to do—if they know what those expectations are.

• One last recommendation for criticism:

Avoid making threats about what will happen if the performance does not change. This will not cause any positive behavior change to occur and normally produces negative behavior. Leave the individual with the assumption that he or she has the capability for improvement, and that you know he or she will improve.”

When you do criticism acceptably, you will respect the other party and you will gain the respect from others.

“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” ~ Abraham Lincoln