Criticizing poor work

Husbands hoping for a quiet life are told not to sneer at their spouse’s cooking. They are words of wisdom for a happy marriage from nearly a century ago. Criticism is one of the worst ways to communicate in a marriage.
However, when you are at the workplace there, inevitably, will be times when you have to censure workers for poor performance.
My previous post was related to work reviews. This article offers some guidelines on setting up the stage for constructive criticism on employee’s poor performance.

If you must counsel employees because of poor work, establish a rapport first.

Never criticize and embarrass your staff in front of others because they lose face and become demotivated. Instead, take care to select the right times and places to criticize.

Find something to praise about their work, before you mention your concerns about the standard of their work.

Avoid destructive criticism by not dealing with the employee when you are angry.

Make sure when you criticize your criticism is constructive to improve them and not to attack them. Focus on the issues or behavior, not on the person.
        
Allow the employee to ask questions and discuss the problem. People don’t like being told what to do – they like to be consulted. Listen carefully and observe their body language.

Help the person to identify the problem and possible causes. If they can identify the causes, they will be more likely to overcome the problem.

The employee needs your help. You must gain commitment from them and follow up with any support that might be needed.

Finally end with a few words of encouragement.