The Lost Art Of Constructive Criticism

Back when I was in school, we often did this exercise where we would have to review a fellow classmate's work. We were taught how to point out things they do well and to share our thoughts on something that could be better. Constructive criticism is what we were taught that was. How to tell someone that something needed to be better without making them feel bad.

I think we've lost site of that as a society. It seems like if you on one side you are not allowed to criticize anything. If you are not touting it as the greatest thing ever, perfect in every way, then you aren't a true fan. On the other side, if you are against something you have to shout from the roof tops that it is the most wicked creation that has ever existed on this planet.

Of course I'm thinking some about politics, but maybe politics is just reflecting the state of our society that we react this way over everything. Employees aren't allowed to criticize anything about their work. Teammates can't say anything about another player that isn't doing things to the standards the team has agreed to. 

When you love something, you can point out ways for it to be better. When you don't like something, you can find things and acknowledge what is good. Learning how to speak and share about those things in a way that doesn't make the recipient hate you is the key. We need to get better at listening to feedback and we need to get better at giving it. 

Darn it if my teachers didn't actually know something after all. 

Open To Criticism Is Open To Growing


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