Nobody likes to be called out when they’re doing something wrong, but as a leader, providing constructive criticism to your employees is essential if you want your organization to be successful. Being able to effectively provide constructive criticism is an art within itself that you can learn to help your team grow and prosper. By implementing these strategies, you can take steps to ensure your employees use your constructive criticism for the betterment of themselves and your organization:

Clearly define the problem. Simply telling an employee they are “unreliable” or “incompetent” will not get you any meaningful results. For your feedback to have a true impact, you must specifically state what the employee has done wrong and the behavior’s negative effects. It’s also important to state expectations, rather than assume your employees already know all your workplace policies and protocols. By defining the problem and reinstating workplace standards, you’ll avoid putting your employee on the defense right away.

Discuss the impact. Constructive criticism means very little if you fail to explain the harmful impact your employees’ actions have on your organization. Be sure to explain how your employees’ behavior affects your team and morale within your workplace. Most employees will be more mindful of their decisions moving forward when they have a deeper understanding of their actions’ consequences.

Follow up. It’s not enough to provide constructive criticism one time and expect your employees to change overnight. You must make a point to follow up with employees to make sure poor behavior has been rectified. Following up will also give you an opportunity to praise members of your team who have made improvements in the workplace and recognize them for their progress among their peers.

Providing constructive criticism is a necessary component of running any organization. Using the strategies above when communicating with employees about their shortcomings will help you correct bad behavior while improving every aspect of your organization, from culture to your bottom line.

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