NFIB

When You Have to Give Criticism
03/ 28/ 2002


No one likes to give or receive criticism, but in a business environment it is inevitable that managers will need to reprimand and criticize employees from time to time. Fortunately, there are techniques to make these times less stressful for both parties. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses describes these techniques.

Before criticizing or reprimanding an employee, take a moment to determine how you can make the conversation instructive, rather than destructive. Everyone can learn from criticism, but it may be hard for the employee being criticized to remember that in the heat of the moment. It's the manager's duty to plan the conversation so that the employee is encouraged to look at the criticism as a learning experience.

How to accomplish this? First, prepare specific details that you can present during the talk. Don't resort to vague accusations, they serve only to arouse hostility. Be prepared with details of the activities or job performance that need to be improved. Second, stay calm. If you're composed and organized, knowing exactly what you want to say, you'll be able to keep the talk on a positive level without arousing undue antagonism. Third, offer a solution to the problems you're bringing up. If a person isn't performing adequately, suggest specific steps the individual can take to improve. Again, don't be vague.

While reprimanding or criticizing, always let the person speak from time to time. Don't monopolize the conversation. Doing so will only make the person feel worse, and can potentially cause them to shut off listening altogether. Letting the person speak will help the person realize that your criticism is meant only to help, not to demean.

Unless the employee has been reprimanded numerous times before and is on the verge of being let go, avoid giving ultimatums such as: "If I catch you doing this one more time, you'll be looking for a new job!" Always try to criticize in the spirit of helping, to suggest ways to overcome problems the employee may be having.

At the end of the conversation, suggest that the person think about what has been discussed, and talk with you about it later. Try to give the person the chance to speak with you the same day, or as soon as possible, so that resentment won't build. When you do meet again, reassure them that you were criticizing only their activities, not them as a person.

Always avoid criticizing a person when other employees are around. The cardinal rule of business is: Compliment in public, criticize in private. This will help you retain the respect of all involved, and will give you time to prepare your talk so that you can emphasize the instructive aspects of your criticism.

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