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 here
are going to be times when the successful leader must point
out errors and "correct" those working with him.
This is truly an art, and one that most would-be leaders fall
down on.
The real purpose of criticism
is not to beat the other fellow down, but to build him up.-Not
to hurt his feelings, but to help him do a job better.
Not long ago I was discussing
this subject with Walter Johnson, vice-president of American
Airlines. We were discussing the real need for criticism,
and how it could be a real help.
"You know, Les," he
said, "a pilot coming in for a landing is a good example
of successful criticism. Frequently, his flying must be criticized
or corrected by the tower. If he's off course, the tower doesn't
hesitate to tell him so. If he's coming in too low, he's told
about it. If he is going to overshoot the field, he is corrected.
Yet I've never heard of one of our pilots getting offended
by this criticism. I've never heard one say, 'Aw, he's always
finding fault with my flying. Why can't he say something good
for a change?'"
The next time you must get someone
back on the beam, remember how the airlines "correct"
their pilots. Keep in mind that their criticism is to achieve
a good end result for both the airline and the pilot. The
man in the tower doesn't deal in personalities. He doesn't
use recriminations. His criticism is not blared out over loudspeakers
but in strict privacy to the pilot's earphones. He criticizes
the act, not the person.
He doesn't say, "Well,
if that isn't a dumb way to come in for a landing." He
just says, "You're coming in too low."
The pilot isn't asked to do
something merely to please the boss. He has an incentive of
his own to take the criticism and benefit by it. He is not
offended; he actually appreciates it. He is more likely to
buy the man in the tower a steak dinner than to cuss him.
And the really important thing
is that both the pilot and his "boss" achieve some
useful end
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There are seven musts for successful criticism:
| 1 |
Criticism
must be made in private. If you
want your criticism to take effect, you must not engage
the other person's ego against you. The mildest form of
criticism made in the presence of others is very likely
to be resented by the other person. |
| 2 |
Preface
criticism with a kind word or compliment. Kind
words, compliments, and praise have the effect of setting
the stage in a friendly atmosphere. It serves notice on
the other fellow that you are not attacking his ego, and
puts him more at his ease. Praise and compliments open
the other person's mind: "I know from past experience
that you are always looking for little ways to constantly
improve your work. It occurred to me that..." |
| 3 |
Make the criticism impersonal. Criticize
the act, not the person. After all, it's his actions that
you are interested in anyway. |
| 4 |
Supply
the answer. When you tell the other
person what he did wrong, also tell him how to do it right.
The emphasis should not be on the mistake, but the means
and ways to correct the mistake and avoid a recurrence.
Nothing can lower morale in an office, plant, or home
quite so much as an atmosphere of general dissatisfaction
without there being any clear defining of just what is
expected. Most people are anxious to "do right"
if you tell them what "right" is. |
| 5 |
Ask
for cooperation; don't demand it. Asking
always brings more cooperation than demanding. When you
demand, you place the other fellow in the role of slave
and yourself in the role of slave driver. When you ask,
you place him in the role of a member of your team. Team
feeling gets much more cooperation than force. |
| 6 |
One
criticism to an offense. To call
attention to a given error one time is justified. Twice
is unnecessary. And three times is nagging. Remember your
goal in criticism: to get a job done. |
| 7 |
Finish
in a friendly fashion. Until an
issue has been resolved on a friendly note, it really
hasn't been finished. Don't leave things hanging in air,
to be brought up later. Give the other fellow a pat on
the back at the end of the conversation. Let his last
memory of the meeting be the pat on the back, instead
of a kick in the pants.
L.G. |
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