Editors As Managers:
12 Ways To Criticize Effectively

Here are some guidelines to follow when you have to correct someone's behavior or work.

1. Identify the behavior that you want to criticize. Direct your criticism at the action, not the person.
2. Make criticisms specific. Not "You always miss deadlines" but "You missed the March 15 deadline."
3. Be sure the behavior you're criticizing can be changed. Things tangentially related to business dealings cannot always be changed.
4. Use "I" and "we" to stress that you want to work out the problems together, rather than making threats.
5. Make sure the other person understands the reason for your criticism.
6. Don't belabor the point. Short and sweet; no lectures.
7. Offer incentives for changed behavior. Offer to help correct the problem.
8. Don't set a tone of anger or sarcasm. Both are counterproductive.
9. Show the person you understand his/her problems.
10. If you're putting your criticism in writing, cool off before writing the critical letter or memo. Be sure only the person it is intended for sees it.
11. Make sure that it is clearly understood that the two of you should not have to hold this conversation again.
12. At the end, affirm your support and confidence in the person.

© ASBPE Editor's Notebook

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