6 Helpful Tips for Providing Constructive Criticism (Part One)

The poet Arthur Christopher Benson (A. C. Benson) says, “People seldom refuse help if one offers it in the right way.”

Improvement requires both giving and receiving feedback, whether in a professional or personal setting. Don't withhold ideas that could help someone be better; instead, offer constructive criticism.

You should consider others' feelings and wait to offer feedback until you believe the recipient is ready; otherwise, it will appear you are forcing your opinions on them, especially if you constantly give them instructions without regarding their opinion.

6 Tips to offer constructive criticism to others

1. Use the feedback sandwich method

According to the feedback sandwich method, which is a popular technique for offering constructive criticism in businesses, feedback should be split into three sections:

• You start by focusing on strengths, i.e., what do you like about the item in question?
• Next, you offer criticism and talk about things you don't like and areas that need improvement.
• Conclude your feedback by repeating the positive comments you made earlier in your feedback, then discuss the benefits that should follow from making adjustments in response to criticism.

This method is called a “feedback sandwich” because you put your criticism between an opening and a closing, like a piece of candy between two cakes.

An example of this method

Here's an illustration of this approach: If you would like to provide feedback on someone's website, here is how to do it:

• Layer 1: You describe your preferences: "What a great site. I love the general format and how it is easy to use. The design is nice, decent, and compatible with your brand. We can easily access the list for different sections of the site, and I found that the introductory video was useful in giving me an overview of what you do."
• Layer 2: You discuss areas that could be improved: "However, there are two improvements that I would like to recommend. Firstly, the sidebar is overflowing with content, making it difficult to use. Maybe just the essential items should be in the sidebar to make it easier to navigate the website. Secondly, I find that the font size is too small. I had trouble reading and couldn't stop staring."
• Layer 3: When addressing areas for improvement, reiterate the good aspects and anticipated positive outcomes: "It's a great site; I really liked the design, formatting, and presentation video. I think you will offer a great user experience for any visitor if you can simplify the sidebar and increase the font size."

Constructive criticism can be effectively provided within the framework of a feedback sandwich, as it conveys to the recipient that you understand their perspective and do not intend to cause them offense. In addition, you compliment them on their accomplishments rather than just discussing issues, which makes you seem impolite, particularly if you are just getting to know one another. The recipient will then be more open to your criticism after that.

Once you've discussed the things you feel need improvement or that you don't like, wrap up the critique with more positive remarks. Reminding the recipient of what they are doing right and highlighting the advantages of their actions based on your criticism helps you end your criticism positively rather than irritating them.

This approach works best when you criticize someone you don't know well. If you start with harsh words, you run the risk of appearing extremely combative and impolite. Eventually, though, as you understand the recipient and your thinking style becomes familiar to them, you can start giving direct criticism.

The purpose of this technique is not to give false praise or mislead people, even though some people may find it absurd to compliment someone just for the sake of praising them.

People tend to be quick to judge, criticize, and even humiliate one another, which undermines the efforts and good work that others have done. Hence, a feedback sandwich is an excellent way to be kind with your feelings, as we must unquestionably encourage others in their laborious efforts. This method helps determine the right things to do and is a basis for sharing points that need improvement.

2. Focus on the situation, not the person

Giving constructive criticism concentrates on the situation at hand rather than the individual.

Example: comments on someone's presentation style 

• The negative approach: "You're really boring. You kept talking about a certain point even though we were past the deadline, and you made me sleepy." Even though you may have said it with the best intentions and a genuine desire to assist the person in improving, this is not constructive criticism, as it appears to be directed at the individual and casts them as the issue.
• The optimal approach: First talk about the good points (as in the previous advice), then move to criticism as follows: "I thought that some points we could communicate more briefly; for example, the time allocated for the presentation is 30 minutes, but we took 10 minutes longer, which is one-third of the time specified because there are 5 points. We can allocate 5 minutes for each point, which may take 25 minutes for 5 points, and then 5 minutes for the conclusion, and this will make the presentation go at an appropriate pace. " This is how we separate the situation from the person and direct criticism at the situation itself.

Second example: Provide feedback on the person's qualities

• The negative approach: "It exhausts me to spend time with you because you're constantly so negative." This feedback is not constructive criticism; rather, it is personal abuse that offers no suggestions for improvement.
• The optimal approach: “Sometimes the comments you make hurt me because they are somehow insulting. For instance, you told me I looked very ugly the last time I cut my hair, which shocked and annoyed me."

Constructive criticism is hard to give when it comes to a person's personality, but you can effectively do so if you can separate the person's actions from their personality. That will help you criticize the behavior without making the person feel bad about themselves.

This is how this advice is applied

• First, keep the situation and the person apart. This division is crucial. Instead of concentrating on the individual, pay attention to the behavior, situation, circumstance, or problem at hand.
• Comment on the issue and not the person, for example: “The clothes are dirty,” not “You're dirty,” or “The report is late,” not “You're late,” “The food is bad,” not “You can't cook.”
• Avoid directly offending the person. Remarks like "I am exhausted and very tired of your actions" or "You are stupid, negative, lazy, or disorganized" seem like accusations, so avoid making them.
• Use of the passive voice. Instead of saying, “You made a bad presentation,” say, “The presentation was bad.” Notice how the passive voice draws the focus on the subject rather than the speaker.
• Instead of focusing on how horrible the situation is, tell the other person how it affects you. That will cause them to refocus their attention on you rather than on them, giving them time to consider the circumstances and understand your criticism.

Not only is constructive criticism expected, but it’s also necessary and one of the cornerstones of success. This part covered the first two suggestions for giving constructive criticism that can positively influence and actually assist others.

Continue reading the remaining advice and how it helps everyone succeed in the second and final part of our article.