Do your criticisms put your workmates on the defensive? Do you stir up bad feelings with your approach? Learn to communicate criticism as constructive feedback.
Ask first
If you communicate by asking if they would be receptive to constructive criticism, you give them the opportunity to prepare themselves. Remember, they may be oblivious to the problem and you may have had much more time to process the information you are about to deliver.
Talk about positives too
An emphasis only on the negative will make the delivery of the feedback hard to hear. Couch the negatives with what you appreciate about their work and contribution to the team’s effort.
Convey how this problem impacts you and your work
Telling someone how they should do their job removes their power. Empower your colleagues by describing the problem as to how it impacts your work and leave determining the solution and its implementation up to them. If they take pride in their work, they will welcome the sensitively delivered feedback and see it as an opportunity to develop and grow.
Remember your role
If the problem you want to bring up has nothing to do with your ability to do your work and is ethically and legally sound, leave it unsaid unless they openly ask and encourage you to share your impressions. It is their supervisor’s job to manage their performance so your only concern should be your performance.
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