Six tips to offer constructive criticism to others
3. Provide accurate feedback
When providing feedback, be specific. The feedback will be more applicable when it is more on point.
Instance of feedback; one ambiguous and one precise
- Ambiguous: “I wish you could write some articles about communication.”
- Precise: “I don't know if you need some suggestions, but if you do, I hope you write some advice on public speaking.”
The first example is highly ambiguous since "communication" is a broad subject with many subtopics, including "networking," "body language," "short conversations," and "public speaking."
The second example is more applicable because it is very accurate. It immediately tells you that there is a demand for articles about public speaking, and then you can plan an article or a series on this topic, and there is no confusion.
That is not to say that ambiguous feedback is dumb or stupid, but precise feedback makes it easier for you to understand other people's needs and thus fulfill their requests. That also applies for you. You need to share precise and detailed observations if you want tangible outcomes and more accurate assistance from others.
Another example: Let's say you provide feedback on a report
- Ambiguous: "Good try, but I didn't like this report; I think you can do better than that." This is not constructive feedback at all. What do you mean by "you didn't like"? Liking is subjective; solving the problem will be challenging if the report isn't assessed using subjective standards.
- Precise: "A commendable endeavor, although certain aspects, particularly the report's structure and synopsis, require refinement. There is no standard format. Certain sections have text written in various fonts. It is preferable to standardize the font in official reports. Regarding the summary, the concepts are sound but succinct, particularly the first and third ideas. More information will be required for the administration to assess them.” In this way, it gives the recipient accurate and helpful feedback by outlining the main issues, their root cause, and the precise locations in which they manifest.
How to make feedback actionable and accurate?
- Prioritize objective information over subjective viewpoints. Saying something like "I didn't like it" doesn't help; however, it is better to mention the specific things you didn't like.
- Instead of presenting the feedback as a single, long block, break it into smaller, more manageable sections, and then go point by point with your comments.
- Provide detailed examples to support each point. What are the precise instances where the person's actions are demonstrated? It's not necessary to concentrate on every instance. For every point, merely mentioning two examples is sufficient. The objectives here are to make the other person aware of things they might not be aware of and clarify what you mean.
4. Comment on changeable things
Giving someone feedback is meant to help them get better, so pay more attention to the things that the person can control than the things that are beyond their control. The first makes your criticism constructive. The second frustrates the person because, despite their best efforts, they will be powerless to change them. If necessary, you can comment about things beyond their control, but ensure you quickly return your attention to the things they can control.
For instance, suppose your friend is competing in a singing competition and has advanced to the finals. She asked for your feedback. Here, you have to discuss her entire performance, her tone of voice, her body language, and possibly even the song she selected if you want to offer her constructive criticism.
If you say, "Her voice is too gruff," you did not help her. That is because, first, she managed to reach the finals, so her voice was not a real problem in the first place. Second, it is not something you can change. Third, this feedback is very personal. Some people like gruff voices just as others prefer other sounds, so you can point to things you may not like and make them your criticism center, but that is probably not useful to her.
In a different scenario, suppose your friend recently opened a new restaurant in a medium traffic volume area, signed a 12-month lease, and contacted you to ask for marketing advice.
Saying, "Change the restaurant's location," won't help because they signed the lease. Instead, you should point out the location issue and suggest they consider high-traffic areas if possible. However, concentrating solely on criticizing their poor decision won't accomplish anything.
On the other hand, it is helpful to suggest some ideas that can alleviate the problem of the location. Actionable ideas include arranging for food bloggers to taste the meals, conducting an information campaign and offering promotional discounts, holding a big party to attract people, and placing advertisements in magazines.
You must have empathy, comprehend the other person's circumstances and objectives, and then base your criticism on that understanding to determine what is and what is not feasible.
5. Give your recommendations on how to improve
After following these tips, make recommendations on what the person can do to get better.
The suggestions will first provide a summary of your concerns. Since every individual has a unique point of view, there are various ways to interpret each criticism. As a result, the suggestions help the other person understand what's on your mind. Second, since it is preferable for the person to follow the recommendations rather than put them off, the recommendations greatly encourage action.
You should be detailed in your suggestions and briefly explain the rationale for each one.
Example: Provide feedback on a presentation
- Weak suggestion: "The presentation is too long; make it shorter" isn't a good idea. There are many ways to shorten a presentation, like cutting out some examples, cutting down on the number of points, speaking more quickly, and so on. What exactly do you mean? As mentioned above, to provide constructive criticism, you must be accurate.
- A well-thought-out suggestion is to "give one example for each point rather than two or three, which takes away from the main issue; this will make the presentation more succinct and impactful and allow it to be easily shortened from thirty minutes to twenty minutes." It's a really potent and detailed recommendation that also provides the person with the reasoning behind your point of view.
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6. Assume nothing
Lastly, don't assume anything when offering constructive criticism. It is not necessary to make assumptions when criticizing someone or anything; instead, you should only criticize what you know about them or their situation. When your assumption is incorrect, it not only places the other person in a difficult situation but also puts you in one as well.
Here are three examples to highlight the difference between an assumption on the one hand and a critique or comment on the other:
The first example of public speaking
- Criticism: “The speech was below expectations, and the speaker seemed nervous and couldn't lead the audience.”
- Assumption: "He has no prior public speaking experience." That is merely a supposition, and it might not be accurate. Even seasoned speakers can get anxious before giving a speech, especially in a new setting. It is conceited to assume that someone who appears nervous has no prior experience speaking in front of an audience.
The second example of accents
- Observation: “This person speaks with an unfamiliar accent.”
- Assumption: "This person does not speak our native language" is not always accurate. Just because you are unfamiliar with an accent does not imply that it is not the person's native tongue; rather, it just indicates that you are unfamiliar with it.
The third example of someone's behavior
- Observation: “The new colleague seems anxious in the presence of her male colleagues. She seems restless and unable to express herself well.”
- Assumption: “It seems that she grew up among girls." This is also not necessarily true; anyone can feel anxious when dealing with the opposite gender.
The success of any communication, not just critical ones, depends on the ability to remain humble and avoid arrogance. As they say, when you assume something, you offend the other person and yourself.
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