The Upside of Criticism

Learning how to take and receive feedback is critical to your success.

Why is it that performance-driven professions such as sports or the arts are traditionally more successful than the business sector when it comes to cultivating higher levels of human performance? It’s not that companies aren’t trying. Businesses regularly attempt to maximize employee potential through training, reviews and incentives. But, it’s the kind of feedback, instruction and practicing (until it hurts) that’s inherent to sports and the arts which eludes other industries. As a result, companies create environments that are more paranoid than productive.

So why doesn’t the same kind of performance management used on the stage or field translate into the workplace? In a word? Perception. In two? It’s difficult.

Learn to Love Criticism
In professions where people “perform” for a living, coaching is not seen as negative, nor is feedback. Criticism isn’t considered bad either. In fact, the performers rely on it, appreciate it, crave it and apply it. Why? To get better at what they do.

On a cognitive level, businesses get that. But in practice, it’s another story entirely. While companies send a message to employees that performance is everything, it’s a mixed one at best, because they don’t know how to execute a strategy that aligns what they say with what they do. So when it comes time to actually confront what it will take to drive talent and shape skills, business leaders, by nature, shy away. The problem is, denial isn’t any more effective in organizations than it is for individuals. If the goal is to grow, advance and develop skills that drive success, leaders must learn how to help their employees and team members improve; and team members must learn how to receive and incorporate that input constructively.

Think about it. Every move an athlete makes is scrutinized and corrected when necessary. The instruction itself is the bridge to achievement that produces results that please everyone—from the performer to the teacher or coach to the audience. It’s a simple, linear path that leads to the kind of optimal performance most businesses want, but only few obtain. Instead, feedback exists in corporate America today as something to fear, dread and hate.

Applying this Best-Practice to Business
The best thing organizations can do to dispel the myth that feedback is bad is to cease tippy-toeing around it. Continuing to subscribe to an avoidance model ensures that neither the individual’s nor organization’s performance will ever reach their full potential. The key is to borrow from the handbooks of the pros and create cultures where employees want to hear the truth about how they are doing. It is no small undertaking, but one well worth the “sweat.”

Whether you provide formal or informal feedback, or both, it can be challenging to change people’s appreciation of correction and critique. But, if you provide employees with accurate, constructive and actionable information regarding their performance, you can begin to retrain them to see that these conversations are nothing to fear. Eventually, they’ll come to view feedback as valuable tool that actually benefits them.

From an individual perspective, it is critical that people don’t take feedback personally. That prevents them from learning.

From the team perspective, managers need to provide coaching in the spirit of improving performance, not naming flaws or faults or trying to change what makes someone who she is. It is simple, developmental instruction.

From an organizational perspective, company leaders need to recognize and reward the people who have the courage to remain open to giving and receiving feedback. There is no better way to exploit talent.

Here are a few pointers to help ensure your discussions around performance are as productive and organizationally relevant as they can be:

1. If you are providing written feedback, give the person a chance to read and digest it privately beforehand. Encourage him/her to make notes and jot down questions for your discussion.
2. Share your observations of overall strengths and weaknesses and provide examples.
3. Be clear and concise. The message gets lost with any attempt to sugarcoat or tiptoe around the point.
4. Remain objective. Never become emotional and never, ever argue about the legitimacy of your input. If it is what you think and how you feel, then you have a responsibility to share it.
5. Get feedback from the employee and set future goals and objectives together.

About the Author
Donna Flagg is the founder and president of The Krysalis Group®, author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations and blogger for Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. She is frequently featured in the press for her workplace expertise in outlets including CNBC, the New York Times, WOR, and XM Satellite Radio.

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