Fortunately, there are several excellent methods for giving constructive criticism that are unlikely to trigger bad feelings. Since requests go a much longer
way toward achieving cooperation than snide remarks, put-downs and negative declarations, the first method of constructive criticism is to request a specific change in the
future instead of pointing out
something negative in the present.
A technique of constructive criticism is called the "sandwich method" in which one sandwiches the
meat of a criticism between
two positive comments.
Hence, instead of saying "You did a lousy
job writing this report," using the sandwich method one could say "You did a great job on the introduction, but the middle section and conclusion seem a little
weak. With a bit more
work, I'm
sure you can tighten it up into a really
good report."
It's also important to keep in mind that how you say things matters as much as what you say. If you want to deliver constructive criticism skillfully it's helpful to practice using "I-statements" rather than "You-statements”
destructive criticism.
To summarize:
Try the "sandwich method" as much as possible.
Practice requesting positive change in the future instead of complaining about current behavior.
Deliver your messages in the form of I-statements rather than You-statements.
Finally, keep in mind that giving criticism is a
skill that, like all skills, can be mastered through learning and practice.
