At some point in every employee’s life, they going to receive feedback and constructive criticism.
There isn’t a person on the planet who is 100% perfect at their job and if you want to keep improving and developing within your role, perhaps moving towards a new role in the future, you have to take feedback on board and learn from it.
We hear about two main phrases linked to this subject, and we’ve already mentioned them in passing - feedback and constructive criticism. Are they the same thing?
They’re very similar, but they have a subtle difference that must be taken into account by managers.
When you give feedback you’re passing on comments based on evaluations. The information you give is designed to help the employee improve and gain better results. Feedback is generally more positive than negative, however, there will always be a hint of something you could do differently or even better.
On the other hand, constructive criticism has slightly more negative connotations. It isn’t meant to be about finding fault and giving a lecture, but it is about pointing out something in a gentle way that perhaps the employee needs to do in a different way, or something they need to stop doing. The difference between constructive criticism and general criticism is that in this case, you’re making a point but you’re giving them information on how to improve and how to change the picture. You’re not just telling them not to do it and leaving it at that.
As you can see, the difference is only very subtle, but managers need to understand this in order to deliver both feedback and constructive criticism in the right way.
Check out this infographic which talks in more detail about constructive criticism in particular.
Source - https://elearninginfographics.com/giving-constructive-criticism-at-work-infographic-9-no-fail-tips/
Understanding whether you need to give general feedback or whether you need to delve a little deeper into constructive criticism is an important decision. It really depends upon whether there is an actual problem at hand, or whether you’re simply feeding back to your employee about performances or how a particular project has gone. Feedback tends to be a little more light-hearted than constructive criticism, but it should still be taken seriously.
Of course, employees need to be able to take both feedback and constructive criticism in the right way. That depends entirely upon how the manager delivers it. If it’s done correctly, if a positive spin is put on everything and the right language is used, the overwhelming majority of employees will take it in the way it is intended and won’t become upset or insulted. However, if a manager doesn’t use the right words or they come over as being a little lecturing, it’s easy for an employee to feel embarrassed or perhaps even annoyed.
It’s a tricky business and it’s something that you have to get right. Of course, it also falls on the shoulders of the employee to understand that it’s all about self-development and improvement and it isn’t meant as a personal attack.
Most people welcome feedback but aren’t too thrilled about constructive criticism. The ‘constructive’ part is important, however. Giving guidance alongside the problem you’re focusing on helps to take the harshness away from it and gives the employee something actionable to focus upon.
Think about the last time you received constructive criticism, how did it make you feel? Do you think that your manager delivered it in the right way? It’s vital to ensure that you use the right words, you choose the right time, and you deliver it in a way which is positive, even if the news you’re giving has a slightly negative overtone. At the end of the day, when both feedback and constructive criticism are delivered and accepted properly, good things happen.