Constructive criticism: The art of giving & receiving

What is constructive criticism vs. destructive criticism?

Not all criticism is created equal. A negative feedback session can help identify areas for improvement, but it can also have a demotivating effect. Especially if it is not delivered in a supportive manner with developmental feedback.

Constructive criticism is essential to help individuals grow and develop. It encourages them to be the best version of themselves, and it can help to dispel any misconceptions they have about their abilities. The ability to accept and incorporate constructive criticism requires flexibility of mind. This is a valuable trait in both personal and professional settings.

An example of constructive criticism would be: “I noticed errors in your code have been more frequent lately. I know the entire engineering team is under pressure to meet this upcoming deadline. Is there anything I need to be aware of that can help you do your best work? If I’ve placed too much on your plate, let me know so I can rearrange your workload. I'm happy to talk about it.”

On the other hand, destructive criticism seeks to tear the other person down. It makes it seem as though their personal errors and blind spots are part of who they are. This type of bad feedback is unhelpful, delivered tactlessly, and can damage a person's self-esteem and confidence.

Destructive criticism would be something like, “Another error in your code. You’re just not cut out to be a developer.” Using judgmental language about the person doesn’t offer any help for them to improve. It is not a useful form of communication.

Destructive criticism can also lead to anger and reduced trust in the person delivering the feedback¹. Those are not desirable results for any manager hoping to motivate their employees.

When is the right time to use constructive criticism?

Constructive criticism can improve individual performance and team development. It must be used at the right time and in the right context. The feedback recipient should be in a good frame of mind to benefit from developmental feedback. It's also important to consider the intensity of criticism and to provide it in a sensitive way.

One appropriate use of constructive criticism is when a company policy has been violated. Managers need to use professional criticism to address the issue promptly and directly. Team leaders should provide constructive, actionable feedback. This helps the employee understand the impact of their actions and how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

This type of feedback can help with team development. It promotes open communication, collaboration, and harmony among individuals.

Team leaders can use the feedback sandwich technique to provide supportive, actionable feedback². The sandwich technique gives balanced feedback that includes positive and negative aspects. It involves sandwiching the negative feedback between two positive comments or statements.

Constructive criticism is necessary in the following situations:

• When company policy is violated, unwittingly or otherwise
• When an employee is affecting the wellbeing or performance of another
• When productivity could improve by taking actionable steps
• When behavioral or attitudinal issues affect an employee’s prospects for progression

Why you should give constructive criticism

1. It shows your employees that you care

Sometimes, it may feel like ignoring a person's shortcomings is kinder than calling them out. But Gallup research revealed employees are more engaged when their managers focus on their weaknesses instead of ignoring them³.

It seems any feedback – even negative feedback – that is grounded in factual evidence is better than none at all. A lack of feedback can communicate that the employee doesn’t matter to the organization.

The Gallup research concluded: "The best employees don't want to be coddled; they want to matter. They want to be part of something greater than themselves, and they want to know how they contribute to that something. They want to be heard, and above all, they do not want to be ignored."

2. It helps employees improve

Constructive feedback prompts employees to address underperformance or identify areas that require support. Delivered well, it encourages a growth process and adaptation in employees. And, although it may be challenging to receive initially, it can lead to self-improvement and even gratitude⁴.

3. Employees want it

Constructive criticism may be preferred over positive feedback, according to a study by Zippia⁵. The study found that:

• 68% of workers who receive precise and regular feedback report feeling satisfied with their job
• 1% of employees who received positive feedback reported being actively disengaged, while the percentage of those who didn't receive feedback was 40%.

The statistics suggest that constructive criticism may improve employee engagement and job satisfaction more than positive feedback alone.

Tips for giving constructive criticism

1. Be specific

Specificity is helpful; vagueness is not. When giving negative feedback avoid broad statements such as, "Your work has been lacking lately". That doesn't help the employee pinpoint the behavior that is problematic. Provide relevant evidence to support your feedback and factual criticism of where the employee went wrong. It's better to say, "Your last three financial reports had major mathematical errors that we had to correct." And don’t forget to use the sandwich method the criticism between two positive statements. You can refer to the employee’s value to the team or organization, for example.

2. Give the why behind your criticism

For a feedback session to be meaningful, it needs to be put into context. What's at stake here if the person doesn't change their ways? Make it clear to the feedback receiver how their actions are negatively affecting your team or company, and they are much more likely to take it seriously. It's also possible they didn't realize they were hurting the organization.

For example, you might say, "When you turn in reports with factual errors in them, it creates extra work for the people who then have to correct them."

3. Tell them what you'd like to see next

Giving negative feedback without outlining your expectations can create anxiety in the recipient. To avoid this, be clear about what you'd like to see next with a specific type of feedback and plans for improvement.

Here's an example: "In the past month, you've made three major decisions regarding this project without consulting your team first. Excluding them might have been a missed opportunity to optimize their decisions. Moving forward, please notify the team and allow 24 hours for their input before making decisions affecting the project.”

4. Provide support

As a general rule, if you're pointing out a problem, it's best to offer a solution too. Offering a definite answer in the form of a practical solution shows that you care about the success of your team member.

If you're providing criticism about communication skills, consider offering enrolment in a workshop. Or, if you've noticed your team member struggles with time management, offer to review their workflow and provide tips to improve it. Insights gleaned from Marlee's motivational analysis will enable you to refine how you deliver feedback. It also offers solutions tailored to team members’ particular strengths and weaknesses.

5. Tailor constructive criticism to their communication style

Delivery of constructive criticism should match the recipient's communication style to be effective. Some people prefer direct communication, while others prefer a more casual approach. Introverted or more autonomous individuals may prefer to receive criticism in writing rather than in person. Aim to be flexible in your form of communication.

Within Marlee's 48 motivational traits, there are two motivations that can affect how you deliver feedback and how likely someone is to receive it:

• Affective vs. neutral communication. Affective communicators need to see your facial expressions, hear your tone of voice and watch your body language to understand what you really mean. For people who lean toward this motivation, a video call or in-person meeting is the best way to deliver constructive feedback. On the other hand, neutral communicators focus on the meaning of your words. For them, an email might be just fine. Regardless of the communication medium, you'll need to choose your words carefully.
• Decision inputs refer to your learning style. These workplace motivations affect how people prefer to receive information to make decisions. Some people respond best to verbal communication while others prefer written or visual communication.

6. Cultivate your emotional intelligence

Criticism can be unpleasant to receive. Being able to recognize how the other person is feeling about the feedback is useful in guiding your delivery and gauging if you’re doing it well.

When delivering constructive criticism, it’s crucial to lead with empathy, a core component of emotional intelligence. Empathy requires you to consider how it might feel to be the other person, and what it might be like to receive such feedback. This allows you to avoid judgmental language and focus on positive criticism. By practicing empathy, you’ll be able to deliver your criticism with care and kindness.

If recognizing emotions in other people is tough for you, that’s okay. Emotional intelligence is a skill you can build! Try taking our personalized coaching program, Increase EQ. You’ll learn how to read and express emotions, use physical gestures for impact, and deepen connections.

7. Reward improvement

Believe it or not, feedback doesn't end once you've delivered it. If the feedback was helpful, you'll see positive changes in the person. This is an opportunity to acknowledge and reward them.

Praising improvement after constructive feedback encourages them to keep improving. It also shows that when you critique their work, you’re doing so because you want to see them succeed. Receiving critical feedback also becomes easier for them in the future because they know it’s coming from a good place.

How communication preferences impact performance reviews

Understanding the preferred communication style of team members is important. When it comes to providing feedback and performance reviews it’s crucial.

By answering questions on what motivates you, Marlee is able to provide instant insights. It's an effective way to determine a team’s culture, work style, and the communication approach individual people prefer. These are insightful things to know when you deliver constructive criticism. This will give you a clear idea of what developmental feedback should look like. Then you’ll be able to communicate with confidence and provide actionable advice.

For example, if Charlie has a visual learning style and your performance review is solely conversational, you're likely to lose Charlie's interest. The best way to engage Charlie and provide meaningful feedback is by using visual charts and even words that are visual.

Anyone can get started with Marlee for free, and can uncover their communication preferences. You can even invite your colleagues to join and set up your entire team for success. We also offer free AI coaching to help you meet your professional goals. Supplementing an employee performance with a coaching program sets a positive tone that you are invested in your team's success.