Constructive Criticism Examples
Consider two friends–Melinda and Bobert. (Don’t ask my why he goes by Bobert instead of Robert…he’s an interesting dude.)
Melinda and Bobert have known each other for a few years. They met at work when they were appointed to work on the same project.
But now they hang out because they have a shared interest in disc golf and ultimate frisbee.
There’s only one problem…
Bobert is not great at providing feedback / constructive criticism.
Constructive Criticism - Bad Example
Hey Melinda, you did a really nice job of leading that meeting yesterday.
But you actually talked really loud, and you didn’t capture people’s attention at the end of the meeting, and you forgot to pass around the sign-in sheet.
What do you think Melinda is going to remember about that feedback?
ONLY the bad stuff.
Now, let’s try this another way.
Constructive Criticism - Good Example
Hey Melinda, you did a really nice job leading that meeting yesterday.
You made eye contact with all people in the room as you spoke, and you kept to the agenda items that you established in the beginning. You also gave everyone great feedback.
However, you didn’t capture everyone’s attention for the whole time. You could have been more specific with your feedback, and you should have wrapped up your meeting on time.
Now, this one is still a bit rough, but it’s a lot easier to accept and digest.
Why?
Because it’s more balanced.