Why
Bosses Should Avoid Criticizing Employees
by Tag and Catherine Goulet -
Most of us have
experienced the frustration of being let down
by someone we depended on. When it happens at
work, your first impulse may be to criticize the
person who has disappointed you. Before you do,
may I give you a little criticism?
If you are like
most people, you probably cringe at the idea of
receiving criticism. While many of us find it
difficult to hear criticism, it can be even more
unpleasant to be on the receiving end of non-verbal
criticism such as rolling eyes, head shaking,
or disapproving facial expressions.
Yet many managers
are not aware of the effects criticism has on
employees. With few exceptions criticism simply
does not work as a way of improving someone's
overall behaviour.
One reason criticism
does not work is due to a fundamental difference
in how people perceive the causes of their own
and others' actions. Research by behavioural scientists
has found most of us have "Actor-Observer
Bias," where we think our own behaviour is
caused by forces outside ourselves, but others'
behaviour is caused by internal factors.
So while you may
perceive the cause of an employee's late report
was laziness, the employee may believe it resulted
from not having clear instructions or not getting
enough support from co-workers. Is it any wonder
the employee may react negatively if you express
disapproval?
Yet criticism often
appears to work. An employee who has been
criticized may quietly listen to it then alter
their behaviour to start doing things the way
the boss wants. Everyone is happy, right?
Not quite. An employee
who feels put down may be seething inside, just
waiting for the opportunity to "get even".
The need for employees
to balance the scales is a little known
but important principle of managing people. For
most employees it simply means ensuring they feel
fairly treated, and that the rewards of their
job outweigh the costs.
Most people keep
a mental scorecard for each of their relationships.
According to Louis V. Imundo, author of
The Effective Supervisor's
Handbook,
some of the things employees consider costs
of working are:
- loss of freedom
- loss of the
opportunity to do something else
- stress
- monotonous work
- office politics
- long work hours
Among the rewards
are:
- salary
- benefits
- job security
- challenging
work
- sense of accomplishment
- flexible work
schedule
- recognition
for a job well done
As long as an employee
perceives that the rewards of their job are at
least equal to the costs, they will continue
to come to work and do a good job.
When a manager
is critical, it adds a tremendous weight to the
cost side of the scales.
To most employees,
constant criticism far outweighs any rewards
from a job.
I have seen companies
go to great lengths to try to retain employees
by offering more vacation time, higher salaries,
better job titles and greater job flexibility
– when reducing criticism would go much further
toward keeping employees happy.
Most employees
who are criticized but decide to remain will find
a way to balance the scales. To "even things
out" they may:
- take longer
lunches
- make more personal
phone calls
- take extra days
off
- go on sick leave
- come in late
- leave early
- simply not try
as hard
An employee who
under other circumstances might be willing to
work late or go the extra mile for their employer
may be "unavailable" to help the person
who criticizes them.
While someone may
remain for a while in a relationship where they
face frequent disapproval, most people who feel
criticized will eventually leave.
University of Washington
professor John Gottman has studied communication
patterns in married couples and is able to predict
with 94% accuracy which ones will divorce. He
has found that criticism is one of four communication
behaviours (the others are defensiveness, avoidance
and contempt) that leads straight to divorce court
if it happens often enough.
If someone who
has vowed to stay "until death do us part"
won't put up with criticism, it's no wonder most
employees won't either. Most will eventually take
their talents elsewhere.
So if criticism
doesn't work, what does?
Through extensive
experiments, psychologist B.F. Skinner found that
the most effective way to get the behaviour we
want is through praise instead of criticism.
Skinner found praise reinforces the good things
people do, while negative behaviours tend to fade
due to lack of reinforcement.
Many people are
hungry for appreciation and will repeat behaviour
that is rewarded. If you notice people are not
going the extra mile for you, a solution may be
to focus on the things they are doing right and
praise them for it. For greatest impact, give
your praise immediately and make it specific.
Reward even small
steps in the direction you want. Because criticism
is so damaging, Gottman says you need to give
at least five positive comments or gestures
to outweigh a single negative one. (Other research
has found that praise should be given intermittently
rather than automatically or it will eventually
be taken for granted.)
In any relationship,
it helps to save the negative feedback for serious
problems that need to be corrected quickly. You
can give feedback in a way that helps someone
improve their behaviour without feeling they have
been personally attacked.
Point out the behaviour
that needs to be changed without automatically
attributing it to a personal flaw such as laziness
or a bad attitude. Assume the employee wants to
do a good job, and support the employee by removing
any barriers to doing the job. Be a coach,
rather than a critic. And make sure you don't
communicate disapproval non-verbally.
By reducing criticism
and increasing praise you can tip the scales in
your favour.
Published with permission from FabJob.com. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into the career of your dreams
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