Naval Ravikant, founder, investor, and progressive thinker, came up with this phrase in response to a Warren Buffett quote from a Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting, "Praise by name, criticize by category.";
It's a fantastic way to approach people management and the art of giving feedback.
Twitter Rules:
Praise specifically, criticize generally. Don't respond to negativity. Say it as if to their face. Be original. Don't debate. — Naval (@naval) November 16, 2016
As team members within an organization, we struggle to provide constructive feedback. It's easy to tell someone how great of a job they're doing. But, how do you deal with someone when they're not meeting expectations?
Regardless of your position, knowing the best way to praise and criticize will go a long way.
When giving positive feedback to a coworker be specific. Tell them and others (if possible) exactly who did well. What did they do so well that it was noteworthy? What were the implications? If you'd like to read in full, here are the five elements of good feedback.
Being specific makes the feedback more meaningful. It also helps to establish a clear cause-and-effect connection. The more public or known you can make the praise, the larger the positive impact on the organization.
Rather than...
Alex, thanks so much for getting your project done quickly.
Go with...
Hey team! Alex was a huge help this month. Their willingness to adjust work priorities enabled us to complete the campaign on time and hit our quota for the quarter. Thanks so much!
While being direct with feedback can be helpful, it's also necessary to take an individual's ego into account.
It can be very powerful to criticize actions in a group setting. Taking a larger-scope approach means that no individual needs to be sacrificed for the good of the group. It also means that the group can quickly learn what changes need to take place.
Rather than...
Alex, you really let us down this month by falling behind on your tasks.
Go with...
Hey team, this was not a great month for us. Since not everyone completed their assigned tasks, we did not hit expectations. This makes things difficult for all members of the team and can have an impact on our business.
If you're looking for a more detailed look at how to phrase constructive feedback, check out our post, Setting Expectations for Constructive Feedback.
It takes time to understand when to take which approach. Be mindful of who you're working with and their personalities. This can help to guide you as you look to give feedback and help them to grow. Remember, none of these rules are hard and fast, so do what seems best for your team.
Sometimes the hardest part of feedback is remembering to give it. Too often we gloss over results without reviewing the process and making changes for the future - just continuing to do the same things over and over again rather than taking the time to adjust.
With WorkStory, you can make feedback part of your team's workflow. Without adding cumbersome tools, your team can collect feedback and performance data throughout the year so that you can coach employees in real-time.
Then, when it comes time for performance reviews, you can write them up in seconds as opposed to the hours that the process typically takes.
If more feedback and streamlined reviews sounds like it could be helpful, check out WorkStory today.
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