How to Criticize Coworkers

An excellent piece on how to give (and receive) feedback.

When I reflect back on the times when I learned ths most quickly, they all involved a high amount of feedback. Sometimes I ignores it, sometimes I took it seriously, but there is always something valuable in the feedback you receive from others. People will appreciate you more if you also give it well too.

Principles of good feedback

• Praise in public, criticize in private. If you’re praising someone’s behavior, let their team know!
• Use "I" language instead of "you" language. You’re the authority on your own feelings and memories. By focusing on those, you give the other person information they don’t already have, and they can react appropriately.
• Be as specific as possible using SBI(situation-behavior-impact). Tell them specific examples of the behavior you want them to do more or less of.
• Be on the same side. If you are tempted to contradict someone, convert that argumentative impulse into a collaboration. Ask questions instead of disagreeing, and say “yes, and” instead of “no.”
• Stop if you're too worked up. Feedback poorly given is probably worse than none, so make sure you’re able to do it well.
• Use a tight feedback loop. I almost never criticize somebody the first time I notice the need for it. It takes me a while to recognize the pattern and be confident about my judgment.