Telling an employee or coworker they have done something wrong is one of the hardest and most stressful conversations.  Criticizing effectively is a skill that is useful both on the job and in everyday situations.  Here are a few helpful hints.

1. Focus on the action and not the person.

2. Make the criticism specific.  Don’t say “You forgot to send an e-mail,” but instead, “You forgot to e-mail the report to Ms. Anderson yesterday.”

3. Be sure the behavior is something they can change.  Poor grammar is not going to change overnight.

4. Start the conversation by giving positive feedback or a compliment about

their work.

5. Use words like “we” and “I” to show that you are willing to work on a solution together.

6. Don’t lecture.  Make your conversation short and concise.

7. Promote change by offering incentives and assistance.

8. Don’t be counterproductive by being angry or sarcastic.

9. Show compassion and understanding.  Realize that different personality types will take criticism differently and need to be handled accordingly.

10. Reaffirm your confidence in them.  Remember people are unique and what works with one person may not work with another.  Our clients have often commented that by knowing a person’s DiSC® type, giving criticism has become easier and more effective.  You can’t avoid the need to criticize but you can learn to do it more productively.