Comments on: How Do You Handle Criticism? http://www.lornerubis.com/2012/02/managing-criticism-constructively/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=managing-criticism-constructively building character at work and in life Wed, 15 May 2013 07:22:50 +0000 hourly 1 By: Paul http://www.lornerubis.com/2012/02/managing-criticism-constructively/comment-page-1/#comment-631 Paul Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:58:18 +0000 http://www.lornerubis.com/?p=2283#comment-631 I think the problem with criticism most of the time is the way it's given, it makes the other person feel less usefull just because they lack in some areas. Most managers don't reallize right away that an employee's lack of performance might be that they are underqualified for the job, not only technically but they are underqualified maturity-wise for their position. A computer programmer might be an ace, but he might have the maturity of a teenager. Most managers will not admit it to themselves right away because that will be like blaming himself for not having been a good screener of an employee, or not having paid more for a better qualified employee, so he'd rather blame the employee. I think it's just as important for management to know how to give constructive criticism as it is for an employee to accept it, it's a fine line between criticism and a personal attack or an insult, and most managers don't feel it's important to know the difference because after all they are the "all-knowing" boss, why else would they be in that position. We are all very familiar with the difference between criticism and insult growing up with parents and authority figures. Too many times the criticizer relishes in criticizing the other to make themselves feel superior, it happens subconciously most of the time, and then later when the manager thinks about what he said and how badly a criticism went he might wish he approached it differently. I think the problem with criticism most of the time is the way it’s given, it makes the other person feel less usefull just because they lack in some areas. Most managers don’t reallize right away that an employee’s lack of performance might be that they are underqualified for the job, not only technically but they are underqualified maturity-wise for their position. A computer programmer might be an ace, but he might have the maturity of a teenager. Most managers will not admit it to themselves right away because that will be like blaming himself for not having been a good screener of an employee, or not having paid more for a better qualified employee, so he’d rather blame the employee.

I think it’s just as important for management to know how to give constructive criticism as it is for an employee to accept it, it’s a fine line between criticism and a personal attack or an insult, and most managers don’t feel it’s important to know the difference because after all they are the “all-knowing” boss, why else would they be in that position. We are all very familiar with the difference between criticism and insult growing up with parents and authority figures. Too many times the criticizer relishes in criticizing the other to make themselves feel superior, it happens subconciously most of the time, and then later when the manager thinks about what he said and how badly a criticism went he might wish he approached it differently.

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