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How to give criticism without offending anyone in English

Your boss tells you that you did a bad job. Your coworker criticizes you in front of your whole team. Ouch! It’s not easy to take criticism, no matter who it comes from. But, it is easy to soften the blow when you offer criticism to someone in English. Merely by altering your wording and your attitude, you can help someone grow as opposed to making them feel defeated.

Avoid direct accusations

Phrases like “You’re wrong!” and “Your presentation was terrible!” have no place in effective criticism. In fact, it’s best to leave the word “you” out, if at all possible. Personal attacks make people feel defensive, and then they won’t really listen to anything you have to say.

Soften with compliments

Before starting with the criticism, warm the person up with compliments. If you are discussing their work, find several things you truly like about what they have done. For example, “I enjoyed your presentation today. You presented a lot of good and helpful information in it, and I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. I appreciate your hard work.” This will lower their defenses and make them feel appreciated.

Don’t continue with “but”

However, a short, vague compliment followed by “but” – such as “It was a helpful talk, but you really need to improve your presentation skills.” – won’t do much to help the process. After you’ve shared your compliments, allow them time to be absorbed. Immediately following your compliment with a “but” will destroy all you’ve tried to accomplish by making your praise seem false and insincere.

Advise with advice

Remember that the goal of constructive criticism isn’t to make the person feel terrible; it’s to help them grow. Instead of directly accusing the person, try to get the message through to them in the form of light-hearted advice. Phrases like, “Next time you might want to …” or “I find it helpful to …” can take away the blame while still leaving an impact: “Next time you might want to give a little more attention to the audience. I find it helpful to look people in the eyes while I am speaking.”

Stay specific

People can’t change overnight, especially if they don’t get detailed direction. Simply saying “you need to work on your presentation skills” won’t help a soul! Be detailed in your advice, and don’t overload anyone with criticism. Remember, you want them to keep trying and improving. Don’t leave them feeling defeated!