9 Tips to Give Constructive Criticism

Offering someone feedback on how they can improve (aka constructive criticism) can be a little awkward. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, but sharing helpful suggestions to coach and correct them is a super effective leadership tool. (And your team will thank you for it.)

The difference between constructive criticism and criticism has everything to do with your delivery and intent. And while it might feel uncomfortable to point out your team’s blind spots, I have nine tips that will make giving constructive criticism more comfortable for everyone involved.

What Is Constructive Criticism?

Giving constructive criticism means you’re coaching someone (in this case, a team member or employee) with specific strategies or solutions to improve their work or correct their behavior. This conversation should be treated as a safe and encouraging way to lead them, not as a method to punish or embarrass them for making mistakes.

People are more receptive to constructive feedback than you might think. In fact, 80% of employees who’ve received meaningful feedback in the last week report being fully engaged at work.¹  And speaking for myself, getting helpful feedback from people I trust and respect helps me become a better husband, dad, team member and coach for those around me.

How to Give Constructive Criticism (9 Tips)

Giving constructive criticism is all about delivering your feedback with strategies and solutions that help everyone win—and this applies to professional and personal relationships. With these nine tips, you’ll learn how to give constructive criticism kindly and clearly to help someone you care about improve.

Tip 1: Schedule time to give feedback in person. 

Don’t start a conversation about someone’s need for improvement when they first walk in the office or during other transitional or hectic moments. Instead, schedule a one-on-one meeting or plan to meet over coffee. Surprising someone with feedback when they aren’t expecting it isn’t the best move if you want the other person to really hear your message. And I recommend talking in person if you can.

Tip 2: Be clear with your constructive criticism. 

Instead of vaguely asking if they can do a better job on the reports, make sure you clearly explain the improvements you’d like to see. Facts are your friends here, so don’t be afraid to share the standard you’re aiming for.

Tip 3: Focus on the situation, not the person. 

Never blame or shame someone when you’re giving them constructive criticism. Instead, you want to coach them by correcting their mistake and instructing them on a better approach. Instead of telling someone, “You’re terrible at writing these reports,” offer a positive path forward. Try something like, “Let’s talk about the formatting on your reports and what we can do to make sure they’re formatted consistently moving forward.” That keeps the focus on the problem, not the person. (Remember, this is a judgment-free zone.)

Tip 4: Bring examples of missed opportunities or mistakes to support your feedback. 

When you give someone feedback, you want to support your critiques of their behavior or work difficulties with specific examples of where they went wrong. This helps them see what needs to change in a concrete way.

Tip 5: Give specific tips for improvement. 

No one’s a mind reader, so the key here is to paint a picture of success for the person you’re speaking to. You can compare the existing process or product with how you’d like to see it changed or improved in the future.

Tip 6: Have empathy for the other person. 

Understand that whoever you’re talking to might not know the correct process or the standard of work you’re looking for. Put yourself in their shoes and try to see where they’re coming from if there’s been a misunderstanding. This will also help you learn where you might have gone wrong so you can take responsibility. Along these lines, practice active listening to hear what their concerns are. You could learn something that you need to improve yourself!

Tip 7: Make yourself available to help them out. 

Part of what makes a constructive criticism conversation safe and effective is that it goes two ways. This means you’re open to giving the other person the support they need to put your coaching into practice. It’s possible that you need to create better accountability, clearer communication or more frequent check-ins.

Tip 8: Create a plan to keep each other accountable. 

Before you give someone constructive criticism, you’ll want to decide what positive progress looks like. This way you’ll both know how to measure results and ensure that the right changes are taking place after your conversation.

Tip 9: Use a positive tone when you speak. 

I hope this goes without saying, but be considerate when you give someone constructive feedback. I don’t mean sugarcoating the truth, but don’t be harsh either. Good coaches give feedback in an honest way that someone can hear and implement.

Why Is Constructive Criticism Helpful?

Giving direct feedback can feel uncomfortable even when it’s based in fact and delivered with kindness. The truth is, most people want to know how they can grow and improve their performance, so they’ll appreciate your insight and guidance. Here are a few reasons why constructive criticism is valuable (especially when it’s done right):                                                   

• Agreeing on common goals and working through conflict resolution can make your professional relationships and team vision stronger.
• When you initiate hard conversations to help other people grow, you’ll boost your own soft skills (and confidence). Why? Because mastering new communication skills will help you move forward on your own professional path.
• Coaching others helps you get the results you’re after. With good constructive feedback, you can empower your team to make better decisions. But if you don’t tell them, they’ll never know.

When to Use Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism should be used in cases of:

• Missed deadlines
• Violations of workplace policies or codes of conduct
• A lack of communication that negatively affects project outcomes or team culture
• Tardiness or other unprofessional behavior
• A consistently negative attitude
• Consistent, careless mistakes or errors in assignments
• Decreased productivity or patterns of distractedness
• Gossiping or other problems with team collaboration
• A lack of follow-up on earlier performance feedback

What to Do if Your Criticism Isn’t Taken Well

So, you’ve learned the best way to give someone constructive criticism, but what happens if they don’t take your feedback well? Some people might get defensive or hurt when confronted with their mistakes or shortcomings. If that happens, gently remind them that it’s not a personal attack and that the feedback is meant to help them handle situations differently. Praise what they do well, and then make sure they know you’re available to answer any questions they might have.

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'And if you’re looking for your own exercise to practice working with constructive criticism, check out my free Personal Brand Survey. This survey will help you gather feedback from your leaders and peers about how you can make improvements to your own personal and professional reputation.