Avoiding Confusion When Giving Effective Criticism

One of the most difficult things for any employee to do is to receive criticism from their own co-workers. When an employee receives any sort of criticism in the workplace, it can make them feel as if they are being judged and their abilities will be questioned. This is especially true when a person is an individual that has not received any sort of positive feedback within their specific job description. As a result of this feeling of vulnerability, these employees will need to be extremely careful how they handle the fact that they are receiving any type of criticism within the workplace. If an employee feels that they are being attacked based on something that they did, then the result is most likely going to be a person quitting that very same day. This is why management needs to be present and watch for signs that employees are getting bad advice.


Although there are many different types of problems that may be raised in relation to criticisms, there are also some key terms that will come up. These key terms relate to the idea of communication and diversity issues that exist within the workplace environment. For example, if you are receiving criticism about the way you are speaking, the first thing that you should do is to determine what those keywords are.

For example, if you are receiving criticism regarding your use of pronouns, it might be a good idea for you to consider using "they" or "it" whenever possible. This can be done with minor tweaks to the sentences and it can easily be changed back to using "we" or "our" when appropriate. In addition, you should consider adjusting your diction so that you are not giving any other employees any ideas about what you are saying. A good example of this would be if you were stating the sentence, "The customer service representative lacked professionalism when answering my inquiry about the pricing structure." Instead, the sentence could be modified to read, "The representative lacked professionalism when answering your inquiry regarding the pricing structure."

Another key takeaway from receiving criticism is to determine how the person who gave the critique believes they can change certain aspects of your business in order to better serve you. If they feel like they can make changes on a whim, it may not bode well for you as far as their motivation to help you succeed in the future. On the other hand, if they give you specific suggestions that are aimed at making your business more successful, it could prove to be beneficial. As long as you are willing to consider their points of view and do a bit of research into their backgrounds, you should have no problem coming up with a solution to the problem at hand. In addition, if they are willing to give you examples of what they are doing to improve your company's performance, you are likely to get some value from their feedback.

Another key point is that when you are receiving criticism, it is important to remain open-minded. The entire purpose behind receiving criticism in the workplace is to improve your performance. If you react too strongly to someone's comments or suggestion, it could prove to be ineffective in the end. As your boss, you must remain open-minded and willing to consider any suggestion that is given to you. You never want to become defensive of any suggestion, because ultimately you are the one responsible for how you will be perceived in your workplace.

When you respond to someone's criticism with enthusiasm, you are more likely to see positive results come about in your career. One of the most effective key takeaways you can derive from receiving criticism in the workplace is to seek clarity. Criticisms can be confusing, and you want to make sure you understand where you went wrong so you can make positive changes to correct it moving forward.

When you are faced with any type of criticism within the workplace, the first thing you want to do is to figure out if the criticism is truly valid. It is important to remember that all forms of criticism are meant to be positive. This means that if someone is criticizing you for not following their instructions, for instance, you should not take it personally and blame them for not understanding your perspective or lack of creativity. Instead, you should attempt to figure out why they are criticizing you, and then work to better your skills so that you are able to better fulfill their desires moving forward.


In conclusion, you must try to learn to be careful when giving effective criticism so as to avoid confusion, and to give your employees a clear understanding of the feedback that you are giving them. Also, when you are faced with any type of criticism, always seek clarity, and do not allow yourself to become defensive. In the end, your goal is to improve your skills, and to meet the needs of your customers and employers moving forward. If you do that, you will never have to face any form of criticism in the workplace again.