No matter what stage of your career you’re at, learning to give and receive constructive criticism is an invaluable skill. In this blog, we’ll take a look at why constructive criticism is important, how to master it, and what we can all learn from choosing our words more wisely.
Constructive criticism is a compassionate approach to feedback. It’s not about making others feel incapable or stupid; it’s about delivering critiques based upon fair observations and offering actionable strategies that make improvement possible.
It’s been shown that employees feel much more engaged after receiving meaningful feedback. If we deliver critical feedback with no aim to help someone improve, it’s just criticism. For it to be constructive, it needs to point the person towards finding a solution.
Why is constructive criticism important? Because criticism alone may do more harm than good.
Delivering criticism that isn’t constructive can do the opposite of what’s desired. Instead of motivating someone to improve, it can cause a person to feel attacked, deflated, or insecure, as well as unsure about how to put things right.
There are also broader factors that affect how criticism lands. While we might not realise it at the time, we may be delivering feedback to someone who is dealing with a personal issue, struggling with insecurity, or who has Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. If not offered up in a thoughtful way, our critique could unintentionally reinforce feelings of inadequacy or rejection and even cause them to shut down.
When critiquing others, think about what you’d want to hear when receiving critical feedback. Would you feel motivated after hearing that your work ‘isn’t good enough’, without an explanation why? Or would you prefer to learn about what you’ve done well and receive pointers for the bits that don’t quite hit the mark? Chances are, it’s the latter.
If we have a clear indication of what’s working, what’s not, and what to do about it, we can go away and take action.
Research tells us that employees rely on regular, detailed feedback to do their jobs well. In one survey involving millennial employees, 51% agreed that feedback should be given ‘very frequently’ or ‘continually’ on the job, while also citing praise as something that’s expected and valued.
Without meaningful feedback at work, it can be very difficult for employees to figure out where to place their focus or how to develop their skills. Being confused about things often leads to individuals chasing other colleagues for support or redoing work because it’s still ‘not quite right’. This is unproductive and often has a demotivating effect: the more an employee recognises the time wasted on chasing or reworking things, the less motivated they feel.
If instead, clear, constructive feedback is given regularly or when required, it’s much easier for staff to get on with their work, feeling supported, inspired, and confident they know what to do next. This feedback also helps to inform how to approach things in future, thus preventing further unproductiveness.
Wondering how to deliver constructive criticism in a way that’s actually helpful? Next time you give feedback to a coworker, ask yourself the following questions to make sure your comments are kind and useful:
Why am I delivering this criticism? Before offering feedback, pause and consider your intent. What outcome are you hoping to achieve? Is the feedback fair, necessary, and likely to help the person grow? Avoid giving criticism just for the sake of it, especially if it’s vague or overwhelming. If you overload someone with too many points – especially ones that aren’t all essential – you risk making their job harder, not easier. Focus on what truly matters.
Is it personal? Constructive criticism should never come across as a personal attack. When delivering your comments, try to focus on the work itself and avoid commenting on individual behaviours or traits. It can help to soften feedback using statements that start with ‘I feel’, ‘I’d like’, or ‘I wonder if…’ instead of ‘you do X, Y, and Z’, which may come across as blameful or combative.
Is it specific? Try to be as specific as possible when delivering feedback. If you feel someone could improve on something, explain in detail what that thing is to remove any guesswork. This ties back in to the point about vagueness. If it’s not clear what you mean, it can easily be misinterpreted or ignored.
Have I offered suggestions or solutions? The more suggestions you can provide, the easier it will be for the recipient to action your feedback effectively. When sharing your comments, include phrases like ‘Perhaps you could try X’ or ‘I was thinking the following resource might be helpful’. These types of phrases will help to point them in the right direction.
Have I timed the criticism well? The right timing is important, too. If you spring feedback on someone unexpectedly, particularly the kind of feedback that requires sensitivity and a thoughtful delivery, it can catch someone off guard and make them feel uncomfortable. Try to ensure you’re delivering constructive criticism in a safe and comfortable environment where the person feels open to dialogue. At the same time, don’t wait too long. If too much time has passed since the behaviour or work in question, your feedback might come across as resentful or withheld, rather than helpful. Sharing at the right moment shows both emotional intelligence and respect.
Have I pointed out the strengths in the work? Finally, be sure to point out the good bits to show you appreciate them. You might want to try the ‘sandwich method’. This is where you start with a strength, move on to the areas for improvement, and then finish up with more positive praise. Doing this not only makes the difficult feedback more palatable, but it also lets the person know where their strengths lie. If a person isn’t aware of what they’re already good at, they may spend too much time trying to improve on things that don’t really require attention.
We’ve covered delivering constructive criticism, but how do you deal with being on the receiving end of it? Getting defensive or irritated isn’t professional, nor is it helpful. Try to recognise the constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth. Ultimately, it’s a chance for you to become better at your job, and the more you embrace it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Here are some tips to help you respond to feedback constructively:
The more you get into the habit of responding to feedback in this way, the easier it will become.
To finish up, let’s take a quick look at a couple of simple examples of constructive criticism in action. These will help you to better understand why it’s useful, how it can help, and what impact it has.
Design feedback: ‘I really like the colour palette you’ve chosen – the pastels feel fresh and modern, and everything is on-brand. One thing to consider is the font size on mobile screens. The current header appears noticeably smaller on my iPhone (model X). Would you be happy to try increasing it slightly so that it’s easier to read on smaller devices? Here’s an example of what we’re aiming for: (insert example) – our aim is to make the H1 as attention-grabbing as possible. If you need support with this, just give me a shout.’
Why it’s constructive: In this example, the person delivering the feedback has been specific (the font is too small), has highlighted positives (the colour palette), and has provided clear suggestions (increase the text size based upon the reference).
Behavioural feedback: ‘I really admire how calm and composed you’ve been during high-pressure moments lately. It’s had a grounding effect on the whole team. One small thing to consider is your responsiveness to emails; a few time-sensitive messages have gone unanswered, which caused a bit of a delay. If it helps, maybe setting a daily reminder or using flags could make it easier to stay on top of those. That said, your presence and steady approach are genuinely appreciated – it makes a big difference.’
Why it’s constructive: This example uses the sandwich method.
Overall, these examples are mindful, non-judgemental, and encourage improvement without undermining confidence.
Try these tips yourself: Giving and receiving feedback is a valuable skill that can be worked on. So, instead of labelling yourself as someone who’s ‘bad at taking criticism’ or ‘doesn’t know how to be constructive’, challenge yourself to get better at it. The more effort you put in, the more natural and rewarding the process will start to feel.
Our small but mighty team builds leading-edge software that people love. We pride ourselves on a user-led approach to product design. The voice of the customer shapes what we create and that’s exactly how great assistive tech should be made.
