Most of us in the business world today, no matter what role we play have come across criticism. Some of us have had to deal it out to subordinates too. What are the ins and outs of criticism and how does one give it as to not to offend the other person and also accept it gracefully without taking it personally.

Most of us tend to get defensive when criticised and we view it as a bad thing. This is not necessarily so. Constructive criticism can be beneficial. Things that you need to remember are a) I am fine the way I am – they are not criticizing me, just the work I have done. b) I am human, I try hard, sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail and c) I tried my best.

When giving criticism remember to focus on the task at hand or the performance, not the personality (this will help with the defence mechanisms in the other person). Words can cause trouble when using criticism. Avoid using ‘always’ and ‘never’. Instead of saying “You are always late! One more time and you will be fired!” You could say “That is the third time this week you have been late, plus you were late twice last week…” Using blanket statements such as always and never doesn’t focus in on the specifics. Use questions rather than lecturing and finally be supportive. Use criticism wisely however, too much of it and the person being criticized will tend to tune you out and you could be labelled as a difficult boss.

The main objective of giving/getting criticism is to improve the quality of work and strive for a better working environment and to strive to achieve the goals of the organization, so keep that in mind the next time you give/get criticized.