If you want to be perceived as an expert in your field, you must be able to build trust with everyone around you, especially key stakeholders. Every time you speak up in professional settings like meetings, work presentations, client pitches, or industry conventions, you have the opportunity to accomplish this goal. The Four Power Communication Skills that I’m outlining in this 4-part series (Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here) are designed with this goal in mind. The third of these skills, which we’re going to talk about today, is the Language of Constructive Criticism.
If reading those words makes you flinch, you’re not alone. Many women shy away from giving any kind of criticism because of sexist social conditioning that tells us we are supposed to be nice, polite, and accommodating to others at all times. The thought of criticizing someone else’s work may feel distinctly uncomfortable, or even frightening. But without it you could end up covering for someone else’s shoddy work, or having to take the blame for their mistakes. A good dose of constructive criticism at the right moment can help you avoid these common issues and get your time back.
In any case, if you want to gain trust in your expertise (and stand out as a leader), you need to take this skill seriously. By providing genuinely constructive criticism, the type that helps people work smarter and better, you are also demonstrating your skills, knowledge, and wisdom, as you point out important issues that someone may have missed in their work, and provide valuable perspective that comes from your more experienced vantage point.
Constructive criticism is illuminating and encouraging, not shaming or blaming. The person on the receiving end should feel that there is a solid path forward, not a series of roadblocks, or impossible hurdles that they can’t overcome. You can start by praising a part of their work that is particularly good, and express appreciation for it. Then you can draw attention to the issue, and point out whatever they may have missed or neglected. You can then call out a particular skill that the person possesses, and encourage them to apply it to the solution. If the person appears to be feeling admonished, rather than empowered, it can be helpful to share a short anecdote about how you once overcame something similar in your own work, and how that incident informed the solutions you now believe in.
Experts are also able to offer high-level constructive criticism of their company, their sector, and their industry as a whole. Many of my clients work through these things in our sessions as they prepare for media interviews, Board speeches, industry conventions, or company retreats. Do you know your company’s current top-5 pain points? Are you able to offer some ideas for viable solutions? How about your industry: is it going in the right direction? If not, what would it take to get there? These things can be extremely influential, and have a big impact on your career visibility. Make sure that everything you share is backed up by rigorous data and facts, and be prepared to face some blowback if your ideas are particularly provocative. Be polite but firm in your responses, and keep in mind that innovative ideas are often met with derision, until they’re recognized for their genius and widely adopted by all.
Please feel free with questions, and reach out to me if you’d like to book a Power Voice or Power Communication training for the women in your workplace. I love hearing from you!