How to make effective criticism?

Criticism is often perceived as a negative thing because it can make people feel bad. However, if you are a leader, manager, or boss, criticism and feedback are part of your job. If you don't point out people's mistakes to spare their feelings, those mistakes will persist, and after a while, the person making those mistakes will feel worse due to their failure. Moreover, this can lead the whole company or community down the wrong path.

The purpose of criticism is to identify the reasons for mistakes and find a way to prevent them from happening again. Or if the work being done is not good enough, it's about finding a way to do it better. Unfortunately, criticism rarely serves this purpose, and the reason for that is often not knowing how to criticize effectively.

Let's take a look at the secrets of effective criticism under the following five headings:

Care about the person in front of you:

Even if criticism is well-intentioned, it can be perceived as insulting or belittling. This is because you may not know the person you are criticizing. Would you want someone you don't know to judge you? Probably not. But if there is a trust relationship with someone who knows you and tells you about your mistakes, you would appreciate it, wouldn't you?

So, make sure you have developed good relationships with your employees or the people you manage to achieve the purpose of your criticism. You've probably encountered successful bosses who, despite acting like jerks, directly point out their employees' mistakes without caring about others. We'll explore the reason for this in the next heading. But why be a jerk when you can be a good person? Also, your employees always look at you as a dictator who needs to be overthrown. Remember, being a good person is more satisfying than being successful in your work (especially if you believe in the afterlife).

Be frank and clear:

There are two reasons why a person doesn't provide straightforward criticism: They twist their words not to hurt the other person, or they neither tell the truth nor care about the other person, just like politicians. Their goal is to manipulate people for their benefit or not to make themselves look bad. Both of these prevent your criticism from achieving its purpose.

As mentioned earlier, the reason aggressive bosses succeed is that they tell the truth directly without twisting it. This helps others know their mistakes and correct them. Also, being clear requires seriousness. Never joke while giving criticism; it will prevent your criticism from being taken seriously. When telling people about their mistakes and shortcomings, don't forget to show that you care about them.

Be constructive: 

There are two types of criticism: Ordinary criticism, which only identifies mistakes and points them out, and constructive criticism, which not only points out mistakes but also offers solutions. People generally dislike those who criticize them because they only point out mistakes without providing any solutions.

The most important feature of effective criticism is being constructive. Provide guidance on how they can correct their mistakes, improve themselves, and be better. If you don't know how to solve the problem, show them who can. This way, you will not only help them do a better job in the future but also earn their respect.

Be open to criticism: 

One of the types of people I dislike the most is those who constantly criticize others but can't stand criticism themselves. I'm sure you don't like such people either. These people rarely succeed, especially if they are in a managerial position.

If you want someone to take your criticisms seriously, you must take their criticisms seriously too. If their criticisms are valid, implement them; if they are not, explain why you think they are not. This way, you at least show that you respect their opinions. Create an environment in your team or community where everyone can comfortably criticize each other, even subordinates can criticize their superiors. Such an environment will have fewer mistakes and more success.

Don't personalize:

Critiquing someone's mistake directly and saying, "You did this wrong because of that," can be challenging, and we often attribute the mistake to their character traits. "You're clumsy, you're incompetent," and so on. This is very wrong. Nobody likes their character to be criticized.

There is a huge difference between saying, "You messed up the job," and "You're a terrible person." Therefore, when you criticize, focus on the mistake of the moment without thinking about who made that mistake.

Summary:

1. Care about the person in front of you

2. Be frank and clear

3. Be constructive

4. Be open to criticism

5. Don't personalize