The Secret of Giving Constructive Criticism in Writing (With Four Examples)
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Giving constructive criticism can feel like a daunting task that you might prefer to avoid altogether.
We worry that even though we have good intentions of helping someone improve, they may take our advice as an attack, thereby damaging the relationship we have with that person.
But a world where people can’t give or take criticism would be a world where nothing would change for the better.
In the workplace, the ability to give constructive criticism is a vital skill. Managers, especially, will have to be ready and able to give constructive criticism to their direct reports, ensuring that negative behaviors don’t go unchecked.
We outline some guidelines for delivering constructive criticism to employees in writing, with four detailed examples to draw from.
Tips for giving constructive criticism (in writing)
Be courteous, but clear about what they can do better.
Outline the negative behavior with a specific example.
Don’t be accusatory or threaten to punish.
Make a suggestion to help them move in the right direction.
Prompt them to think about potential solutions.
Note some of their positive behaviors and praise them for these.
Examples of constructive criticism
Example 1: Lack of independent problem-solving, overuse of team as a resource
Situation
You notice an employee has been excessively relying on help from other teammates. This takes team members away from their own tasks, and lowers productivity all around. You want to address the issue with the employee and offer ways for them to work more independently.
What to write
I’d like to point out something I have observed about your work style and team-oriented approach. You’re willingness to ask others for help and to reach out for guidance is admirable. You are doing a great job working with the team. One concern I have is that your teammates are getting pulled away from their own tasks and finding it hard to balance their work with your requests for assistance. Last week, Chloe wasn’t able to finish her report because you asked her to help you with a server issue. I know you are resourceful and have come up with creative solutions before on your own. In the future, if you face a roadblock, try to puzzle things over a bit to see if you can find a way forward. Remember that I’m always available as a resource as well, should you need any help.
Example 2: Communication style is rude/blunt
Situation
Your team member proofread their peer’s most recent article and gave some pretty harsh feedback. They said that the writing style was boring and the premise was idiotic. The writer was upset by the comments and complained to you about the situation. You need to give constructive criticism to your employee about their communication style with others.
What to write
Hi John, it has come to my attention that you recently did some proofreading of next week’s content post by Andrea. The comments you gave weren’t received well and she felt demoralized by the negative tone in which you delivered the feedback. You may not realize the effect your communication style has on others, but try to empathize and think of ways to get your message across without being overly negative. I took a look at the article myself, and while I agree with some of your criticism, I don’t believe it’s appropriate to disparage Andrea as a writer. There’s nothing wrong with being direct and to-the-point, but using hurtful language like “idiotic” goes too far.
Example 3: Inconsistent productivity (manager to report)
Situation
There is an employee who is exhibiting signs of lowered productivity. You have noticed that they work at a high level on projects they are personally interested in, but significantly slow down when required to work on other assignments.
What to write
Let’s revisit your work on the ‘Freestyle’ project last quarter. I was so impressed with how you handled that and your stellar performance researching and meeting goals. I know you were quite invested and took pride in your work on the project. I’ve noticed that with the project you were assigned this month you haven’t had the same enthusiasm. What was it about project ‘Freestyle’ that really got you fired up and excited? How can we transfer some of that motivation to your current project? I’ve seen that you can be a very high performer and want to ensure that you have everything you need to continue putting out your best work.
Example 4: Ignoring feedback
Situation
You have brought up an issue with your report regarding their deviation from a standard process that everyone is expected to follow. They have also received feedback from other team members on the same issue, since it sometimes interferes with the workflow of others. However, the employee is not taking action to change their behavior.
What to write
Hello Shani, we need to address your habit of conducting customer outreach emails before creating a profile for them. We previously discussed how important it is to follow the process of first creating a user profile with all of the customer’s relevant information before sending out any communication. This ensures that they are in the system and all of our interactions with them can be properly recorded. Wes and Olivia told me that they have reminded you of this a few times before, and that when a profile is not created it impacts their ability to move the process forward. They have to go back and correct information in the system so that it correctly reflects the timeline. Customer relationship management is a standard process which must be followed. You have done very well with customer outreach and providing an authentic and pleasant experience. If you need a refresher on the steps in the process, we can set up some training.
Still struggling to convey negative feedback to a coworker? See our article for more advice on how to have those difficult conversations.
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