One way to become a more effective manager is to utilize constructive criticism in the work environment. Constructive criticism helps employees strive for a higher bar of performance. Managers who can empathetically provide constructive criticism with tips that help the employee reach new heights provide some very positive benefits for the organization and the employee base.
An important point, though, is to realize that constructive criticism differs from simply criticizing performance. Constructive feedback that is effective and not off-putting involves providing the feedback sandwiched between positive feedback as well. Constructive criticism addresses specific problems found on certain tasks and provides a road map for a solution that is actionable. Also, constructive feedback provides for later follow-up conversations and further assistance and guidance as needed. Learn more below on how constructive criticism can be used to improve your management skills.
Helps Employees Focus on Better Performance and Quality
There are certain types of constructive criticism that can be utilized for different types of jobs. Workers in the health industry, teachers, first responders, or others in very stressful work benefit from constructive criticism that is stated in an empathetic manner with very concrete ideas on how to remedy the problem. Retail employees benefit from constructive criticism closely following the problematic situations with an eye to improve customer satisfaction and team efforts. People in the financial and insurance sectors benefit from feedback about metrics with suggestions and tips for improvement.
Improves Employee Retention and Engagement
Employees who improve their skills after constructive feedback will naturally feel more job satisfaction. This contributes to employee retention and helps them feel more empowered and engaged in the workplace. Employees who are floundering are usually quite aware they are failing. This leads to an awkward situation in the workplace for them, likely their team members and possibly customers. It is uncomfortable and the employee may come to work each day feeling shame and loathing. This just sets further failure and ill will.
Two-Way Constructive Criticism Improves the Workplace for Everyone
It’s not just your employees that could do better. How you perform your job and how your work could be streamlined could likely be improved as well. There may be things that you could do to make the workplace more harmonious and productive for everyone that your workers are afraid to tell you. A suggestion is to make constructive criticism a two-way street. Employees who are taught the etiquette of constructive criticism can help improve the way they function in their positions when they are given the opportunity to provide their own constructive criticism. Sometimes, managers take for granted employees who are laboring under working conditions that could easily be made just a bit smoother and faster with some front-line common sense.
Positive, actionable, empathetic constructive criticism used wisely can be a tool that gets the best performance out of each and every employee. Making constructive criticism safe as a two-way street in your enterprise helps you to improve your management skills and working conditions.
While getting criticism on your managerial skills is sneer easy, it can be important to remember not to take things personally and that constructive criticism is a positive.
