Did you know that Criticism (or coaching, correction, re-direction, guidance) can be a gift to those who receive it? Here are four tips to delivering criticism that leaves both parties feeling great!

1. GIVE IT OR GIFT IT?
CRITICISM

2. Mentors:
RECALL THE LAST
TIME YOU HAD TO
DELIVER
“CRITICISM.”
How did you feel?
Did you cringe at the thought?
Did you feel less-than-
adequate to handle the task?

3. Mentors:
Did you avoid it for as long as
you could and then deliver
the “bad” news quickly and
depart just as quickly?
Was it effective or only just
good enough so you could cross
the task off your “to do” list?

4. What if you could deliver criticism
in such a way that those who
receive it from you might actually
end up craving more criticism from
you because of how you delivered it

5. Would you be
interested in
changing your
approach to
delivering
criticism?

6. Criticism (or coaching,
correction, re-direction,
guidance) can be a gift to
those who receive it IF it:

7. REFLECTS THE FACT THAT YOU, AS THE
“GIFTER”, KNOW THIS PERSON VERY
WELL…YOU KNOW WHAT THAT
PERSON NEEDS, WHEN THEY NEED IT,
AND HOW MUCH OF IT THEY NEED…IN
OTHER WORDS, THE GIFT IS
CUSTOMIZED FOR THE RECEIVER, AS
BEST YOU KNOW HOW.

8. Is gifted with utmost
sincerity…without a hidden
agenda…no
“between the lines”
messages…no mixed
messages…no power plays.

9. Becomes a conversation
between two colleagues,
both trying to do the right
thing for the workplace and
each other as professionals.

10. Focuses on objective rather
than subjective
performance standards,
mutually established,
understood and accepted.

11. Now,
mentors,
recall
again the
last time
you had to
deliver
criticism.

12. Replay that situation in your mind
using the “gifting” approach just
outlined, thinking carefully about
the application of each of these four
principles of “gifting” criticism

13. How would it
have made a
difference in how
you felt about
delivering
criticism?

14. How would it
have made a
difference in how
the recipient felt
about the
criticism?

15. How would it
have made a
difference in the
effectiveness of
the criticism?

16. The next time you’re faced with
delivering criticism, consider
“gifting” it instead. Expect to be
delighted with the results.

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