What if we got rid of “constructive” criticism and just focussed on what was good when it comes to our employee reviews?
By: Katie Walker
Tags: Organizational Change, Business Transformation, Organizational Culture, Company Culture

What if we got rid of “constructive” criticism and just focussed on what was good when it comes to our employee reviews? Katie Walker Dec 21, 2020·7 min read

Constructive feedback doesn’t drive change, well, not the type of change we intend it to. As constructive feedback is a way of suggesting improvements and when someone suggests an improvement to us, what they are really saying to ourselves is; we’re not good enough as we are. Now I know work isn’t personal and I know we mentally can reason with ourselves that it’s “for our own good” & personal growth, but, one, do we honestly think this, and two, which is which is probably more important from a company growth point of view;

We can’t easily grow & change from a mentality of “not good enough” and from the sense of lack that “constructive” criticism gives us.

So I get why we have these reviews, well, mainly I think it’s because we need to box people into certain groups so we can determine who gets the biggest percentage of money, maybe this is the pessimist in me, but even the grouping aspect, again is limiting. Especially as we all know that the lowest box typically means you’re going to be positioned out of the company soon. Ok, for the top achiever, maybe the boxes are good, as your recognising their value, but we all know there is a limited set of money, so, what about the remaining 80% (at least) of your workforce? Are you happy that you’ve now put them in a box of lacking & hence are going to find it harder to succeed? I’m guessing it’s not going to help with the workforce momentum, a “can do”, or “let’s explore” type attitudes we inspire to have within our company culture.

So, isn’t it time to try something different? Putting the money aside for a bit & see what happens when you just focus on what’s good & what you value about a person.

So we are turning things on their head and focussing on the value an individual brings to the company, the team, line management relationship and also importantly themselves. We could use;

Good, great, excellent as our review matrix and, or add a personal note about what you appreciate about the individual. With team members reviewing each other, which helps each and everyone identify the unique value they bring to the team, actually, that could be a box too. Can you imagine, when you have a stressed team, or when someone has a habit of doing everything themselves, they are now remembering that this individual has the skill they need, plus they received nice comments from them too, so they know they are approachable (it’s amazing how kindness helps with building connections). You could also have line managers reviewing their direct reports (or matrix, as you wish) and visa-versa, the latter is important, as you need the appreciation both ways, especially if you have a bit of a love hate (well maybe not so much “love”) going on with your boss, this will help the direct report realise the value the line manager actually brings to them (so the box “what do you value most about them” could be good to have in their reviews). Then and the one I love the most, you have a self-review, this can give you sooo much insight into an individual, not just regarding how they write it, but little things like the speed and the depth of the response. And don’t get me wrong, there is no right or wrong, it’s just kinda fun to observe and personally I think a lot more informative than a lot of the company personality type profiling we have. So if someone is quick to complete it, does this mean they are confident? And if they are, wouldn’t this be a good trait for an experimental culture? Or if someone takes time, are they considered, an analytical type, or are they truly trying to make the most of this processes and going within themselves (you will know with the richness of their response). The latter, is where the individual is going to get the most out of it, but, pleaseeeeee pleaseeeeee don’t push it. I mean, how many companies have you worked for, that tell you to look deep within yourself, spend the time (which you normally don’t have) to search within and it’s “so important” to find & spend this time on this activity, and yet all the individual (me included) wants to do, is just get the task over and done with so they can get on with their day job, plus I never really trusted when a work colleague told me to “search within myself” and it’s a “trusted environment” (#yepright this goes right into my paid review). So just say; it’s what you want to get out of it, time builds trust and it’s up to the individual to get what they need. So run the reviews a few times and the trust will build, I think this is another important reason why not to assign any compensation to these at the moment. Be open why you’re taking this approach, i.e. you read this wonderful article from me and you thought it made sense, so we’re giving it a go, as you actually want to create a positive work environment.

I don’t think I’ve really said why focus on the good, I mean, you know why not to focus on the opposite, but what does focussing on good give you? Well, focussing on positivity, i.e. the good, breeds more positivity.

And you need a positive mindset for any form of high morale, happiness, company change cultures, the innovation mindsets for great ideas, experiential cultures, extra. Basically to create a work an environment people want to be in (and an environment can be virtual, as emotions and our associated mindsets have no boundaries).

Think about it, when have you ever come up with a great idea that easily worked & you was excited about. It’s never been when you’re down on yourself, it’s either been when your content, or in a great mood, and you get there by feeling good. As to focus on what we lack, keeps us looking within the confinements of what we have, rather than looking out at the possibilities of what can be. Think about it, when your happy, or having fun, it’s like a source of freedom when anything starts to feel possible and if things do go “wrong”, say a company change, in this mindset you see the “learnings” of this to try something new and grow, rather than get stuck on the failure.

So feeling good and focussing on our strengths of what’s great about each and every individual within your company really will yield amazing results, if you just give it a go. Oh and ditch the “constructive” criticism for a bit, however, if you do need to keep these money related reviews for a bit, maybe try this “appreciation” rating (new name for it) at a time that is very separate from the formal reviews (or the payout from them), at least 3–6 months away. The reason being, if you run them so close, yes, they may still have a positive impact, but only so far as to cancel out the harm that the “constructive feedback” has done, rather than actually improve your teams morale. So, trying anything new, we want to see (or in this case, feel) the results, hence at least initially try this separately and reap the benefits & just re-run when you feel morale is dropping a bit, so maybe you do this quarterly, or monthly even (note, be careful not run it too frequently that it because a “must do” to complete quickly, as this removes its value).

Give it a go, what have you got to lose? In fact, you’ve kinda got a lot to gain — I know you have 

Ok, my ramble (but rather productive I think) is over, maybe this can be your holiday gift to your team — who knows, anyhows, all the best and until next time, have fun and create a work environment where people don’t just thrive (note, not all of us want to be high achievers), but it’s “simply” (easier said than done) an environment they want and enjoy being in.

Happy holidays everyone