Weisingers The Critical Edge - Essay Example

?Introduction The major thrust of the book The Critical Edge is how organizations can make criticism useful and work for them, as opposed to against them. As Weisinger (1989) states in the first chapter, the reactions to criticism is typically negative – it wounds people, it ends up with hurt feelings and the criticized person ends up feeling lonely. Worse, it sometimes leads to retaliation, as the criticized person tries to get even by attacking the person doing the criticism. Moreover, the person who is doing the criticism often also feels bad, as they feel sorry for the person that they are about to criticize, and worry about discouraging that person. That said, Weisinger points out that criticism is necessary for growth. For instance, Weisinger (1989) states that the Romantic period in philosophy, politics and the arts came about because the individuals involved with the Romantic period criticized the neoclassical period, and because criticism of the neoclassical followers had their criticism suppressed. Weisinger (1989) further point out that Louis the XIV suppressed criticism, and the response to this was the American and French revolutions. In other words, when criticism is stifled a cataclysm might develop which changes the status quo. Moreover, Weisinger states that criticism from the likes of Galileo, Darwin and Freud changes societies in general. Criticism is necessary for growth, and criticism cannot be suppressed without consequences. Therefore, according to Weisinger (1989), criticism, being necessary for growth and change, and being necessary to influence, motivate and change behavior, must be expressed in a positive way so that the criticism can be accepted and useful, as opposed to simply negative and demoralizing. Weisinger further states that there are barriers to individuals accepting criticism and applying the criticism to their lives to makes themselves, and the organization, better. There are psychological hurdles which must be overcome. Weisinger talks in terms of cognitive appraisal, which means that individuals have a mental framework with which they receive information like criticism, and this framework dictates how the criticism will be processed. The framework is built through classical conditioning – criticism in the past has produced a negative response, so present criticism, even if tactfully presented, will also present the negative response. Moreover, since criticism is often portrayed in the media as negative – such as headlines which link criticism to failure – the mind links the two concepts together. Criticism equals failure. Modeling is another psychological force at work, and this means that how one’s family criticized one another is what is known to the individual. If one’s parents responds to criticism by yelling, making retaliatory comments, or leaving the room, the individual is likely to do the same. The modeling focuses upon how one criticizes, as well as how one reacts to criticism. Operant learning is also a force at work, and this is when an individual does X, he gets the result of Y. A worker responds to criticism with anger, so the supervisor backs off. This reinforces the angry response, so that the worker continues to use this response when criticized. Since criticism is obviously necessary, because there can be no growth and change without it, and individuals are hard-wired either to not accept criticism gracefully or to give criticism in a counter-productive manner, what can be done? This question is the focus of Heidringer’s book and and analysis. The bulk of the analysis is that criticism must be redefined in a manner that it is not seen as tearing somebody down, but, rather, giving them information which they can use to improve. This is an important message to myself and my future career growth, not just because it is inevitable that I will be criticized, so I need to know how to handle this criticism and apply it so that it is not negative but positive, but also because it will help me learn how to criticize so that any team that I work with will be able to experience growth. This paper will focus upon the thesis of the book, and the lessons that the book imparts, while applying these lessons to my current work environment. Discussion The first points that Weisinger makes about criticism is that it needs to be strategic, it needs to protect self-esteem, it needs to be timing-oriented, it needs to be improvement-oriented, it needs to be interactive, it needs to be flexible and it must communicate with the Helping Spirit. By strategic, Weisinger means, essentially, that the criticism must be planned and not necessarily spontaneous. This is important because the criticizing individual must first consider what thought they need to communicate, what motives they have for this communication, what is the goal for the communication, what the time frame for the desired change should be, and how to communicate effectively so that the criticized individual is receptive to the criticism. To this end, it is helpful to write out the points that need to be made ahead of time, and practice giving the criticism. Protecting self-esteem with the criticism means that the criticism should not be attacking and negative. Attacking, negative criticism will undermine the criticized person’s self-image and confidence, which, in turn, leads to the criticized person acting defensively and counterattacking. However, if the criticism is made in such a way that the self-esteem is protected, and that the person is not made to feel like a failure, then the criticized person is more likely to accept the criticism with an open mind. Moreover, the criticized person is more likely to view the person giving the criticism more positively, and see that person more credibly, when the criticizing person spins criticism positively. Time-oriented criticism means that the criticism must be given at the proper time and place, usually not in the presence of others. The criticizer must also take into the account the current mental state of the person being criticized. For instance, if the person just had a close death in the family, it is not the time to criticize for something they did wrong. If there are peers around, it is not the time to criticize. Moreover, the criticism must come at a time when there is still time to turn things around – if the criticism comes too late, then the criticism is virtually useless. The criticism also must be given in the proper atmosphere and the mood of the criticizer must be ascertained as well as the mood of the criticized. In other words, the criticizer should not be angry when delivering the criticism. Other concepts put forward by Weisinger are the criticism must be improve-oriented, interactive and flexible. The first of these concepts is that criticism must be improvement-oriented. Weisinger states that Maslow, who created the hierarchy of needs, has a philosophy which shows that people have a need to improve themselves, and proper criticism helps them do this This means that criticism should be forward thinking – stating that this is how you should go forward – instead of past thinking – stating that this is what you did wrong. This means that the recipients energy can be focused on how he or she can get better, as opposed to what he or she did wrong. Interactive criticism means that the criticism is not one way, but, rather, the recipient has the ability to communicate with the deliverer. It also means that the solutions which will be used to improve the recipient will be produced collaboratively between the deliverer of the criticism and the recipient of the criticism. Flexible criticism means that the person criticizing must not have rigid thinking, and that their criticism is not black or white, and that the criticizer never comes off like he or she has all the right answers. Rather, the criticism must be couched in terms which are subjective – “from my point of view, you should do X, Y and Z” as opposed to “You need to do X, Y and Z.” All the while, the criticizer must acknowledge that the criticized person’s views are also valid, while the criticizer must also plan for how he or she will respond to how the criticized person responds. Finally, the criticism must be couched in terms that show that the criticism is genuinely in that person’s best interest. This is what Weisinger terms “the helping spirit.” In other words, the criticizer must tell the person being criticized that the criticism is only meant to help that person be the best he or she can be. The helping spirit also lets the individual know that he or she is not alone, and that the criticizer is there to help support the person in improving. The individual also knows, through the helping spirit, that the criticizer is on that person’s side and that the criticizer cares about the person, which is why the criticism is necessary. In other words, the criticizer must tell the person that he or she wants to help, and that anything that person can do to help would be acknowledged and utilized. These factors listed above form the backbone of the rest of the book, as Weisinger explains in greater detail how to carry out criticisms using these points. For instance, in explaining how criticism is strategic, in that it is planned, Weisinger states that criticism must be planned by using the TASK method, which stands for “teaching appropriate skills and knowledge.” The planning stage consists of asking oneself what to do before, during and after the criticism. The behavior that needs to change is targeted, the criteria used to criticize is identified, the proper time frame for change is worked out, and the right time and place is carefully planned for. These key points will be invaluable to me in my organization. As Weisinger notes, criticism is important, because, without it, there would be no growth and change. People have to be motivated to improve, and individuals cannot be motivated to improve if they do not even know what needs to be improved, or, if they do know that they need to improve, they do not know how to go about it. At the same time, as Weisinger notes, many times criticism is destructive, as opposed to constructive. It focuses on the past and what went wrong, as opposed to focusing on the future and how improvements can be made. Or, alternatively, criticism may be destructive when it is used improperly, such as criticizing a worker in front of his or her peers because the worker is not likely to retaliate or fight back in this situation. This is counterproductive thinking for two reasons – the first is that criticizing somebody in front of others is liable to damage that person’s self-esteem, which would, in turn, make that person defensive instead of cooperative. The other reason that this is counterproductive is that, as Weisinger notes, criticism should be interactive. In other words, if a boss criticizes in front of others because he doesn’t want the recipient talking back, then the boss is missing out on a crucial part of the critical process, which is the opportunity for the criticism recipient to give feedback. Moreover, the fact that Weisinger notes that criticism must be planned ahead of time is also valuable information for myself in the future, because it teaches me that, when I criticize others, I need to make sure that I am not just talking off the cuff, so to speak. Rather, I need to be strategic about my criticisms – what do I hope to attain with this criticism? How do I think this person will respond to the criticism? If this person responds in manner X, how do I counter-respond? How can I help this person improve? I believe that this is the most valuable tip that Weisinger gives, because it will help me, when I get into a position of management, to carefully plan how I will critique my subordinates. Moreover, it will also help me in that it will force me to think of solutions to the problem, as opposed to criticizing the person and just leaving him or her to think of their own solutions. This is crucial, and this is perhaps what is often overlooked in criticism – the person needs to know that he or she is not alone, that you are in his or her corner and that if that person needs you and comes to you for help, you are there to give this to the person. Moreover, what is further helpful to me in my career is that Weisinger fleshes out his core concepts for how they can be applied to any different situation I might encounter on the job. There are specific techniques which can be used for criticizing a subordinate, which is different from the techniques used for criticizing a superior, which, in turn, is different from the techniques used to criticize a co-worker. Weisinger also gives tips of receiving criticism, which will be focused upon later. First, when working with subordinates, it is important the relationship with the subordinates is strong, which would make the criticism process easier to take. If the ongoing relationship is weak, then the subordinate may not respect the criticism or might be more likely to get defensive. Weisinger uses the acronym COTE for how to strengthen one’s overall relationship with subordinate – confidence, optimism, tenacity and enthusiasm. When this is applied, the subordinate has a strong sense of themselves, so the criticism is also less likely to be damaging to the subordinate’s self-esteem. One way of building up the subordinate is to give him or her small tasks on which they can easily succeed, then, as the subordinate feels confident about that task, give something slightly more harder, and so on. Building success incrementally is better than giving the person a difficult task on which he or she is unlikely to succeed, which would be damaging to that person’s self-esteem. Moreover, the subordinate should be given responsibility, expectations should be expressed positively and the subordinate should be given some tasks which energize them (fun tasks). The subordinate should also be given permission to fail. The superior should also model expected behavior. Weisinger also gives pointers on motivating subordinates. For instance, he states that the superior should not how the subordinate processes information (through seeing, smelling, touching, hearing or tasting), and using language accordingly. The person’s preferences are subtly stated by how they talk, then the manager should use the language which suits this sense. For instance, if the person processes information by smelling, the manager might state that certain project “smells good.” Another method is to use metaphors. One of the more interesting concepts that Weisinger touts in dealing with subordinates, however, is the concept of behavioral intervention. This is where the superior changes his or her behavior in order to get the desired change from the subordinate. Weisinger uses the example of a psychiatric head nurse who was having issues with getting her staff member to properly record observations. The staff member simply wouldn’t do it, so the head nurse went to this office 45 minutes before he would leave, every day, and wait in his office until he finished his notes. After two and half weeks of this, the staffer finally got into the habit of making notes every day before he left. I believe that this is probably the most powerful piece of advice that Weisinger gives on dealing with subordinates, simply because it empowers the superior. The superior may not always be able to get the subordinate to change, but the superior has the absolute power to change his own behavior which is what might be necessary to bring about change in the subordinate. Therefore, if I am faced with a seemingly intractable issue with a subordinate in the future, I might be able to see how I can change my behavior in order to affect change in that person’s behavior. Weisinger notes that criticizing subordinates is not the only way that criticism may arise. There may be times when a subordinate must criticize his or her superior, which is a much more delicate issue. Weisinger states that executive criticism is necessary, because executives are often isolated from criticism because their underlings are afraid to say anything to them. Yet, they need criticism to make the organization better. Therefore, it is necessary to sometimes criticize upwards. The first thing that a subordinate must do in this situation is not to use words which directly implicate the superior’s work, but, rather, using general terms like “the current situation” – “The current situation is that we are losing money because of X.” Then, the subordinate should present a solution – “In order to resolve this problem, I would like to propose X, Y and Z.” Another tactic Weisinger suggests is to request help from the superior for a problem which is created by the superior. For instance, if the boss is causing problems for the subordinate because he or she is always late for meetings with clients, and the secretary gets yelled at because of this, the secretary can tell the boss that she has problem with the clients yelling at her when he is late, and can he help her resolve this issue? These are the tactful ways that subordinates can criticize their superiors, and these, too, will come in handy in my life, as there will inevitably be a time when I will need to criticize a superior, so these tips will help me with this. Criticizing peers is another topic of Weisinger’s book. This is important because, as Weisinger always notes, criticism is necessary for growth. Yet, if a co-worker does not criticize effectively, this might strain relationships between that person and their co-workers, which would ostracize that individual and essentially could prove to be a career-ender. Moreover, criticizing peers is tricky because the peer is likely not to take the criticism well, because it is from a peer, and who does he think he is? Therefore, Weisinger recommends that the criticism be couched in terms of the common goal – “if you would do this, while I do that, we can get the work done quickly.” Always say that it is “our idea,” not “my idea.” The criticizer should also show how the peer’s performance affects them both and should ask for permission - “may I make a suggestion?” Weisinger also notes how an individual can be more receptive to criticism, which increases the chances that the criticism will be useful to the individual. One of the best ways to do this is to envision being criticized and visualize being receptive to this criticism. The person should also accept that he or she is human and may make mistakes, which means that the criticism will not be the end of the world, nor would it be degrading, but will be taken as a way to improve. Also, Weisinger advices that the person being criticized consider the source of the criticism – how important is the criticism, how credible is the source (is the person qualified to criticize?), why is the person criticizing (is he just angry?), how consistent is the criticism (are many different people criticizing me for the same thing?), and how much energy does it require compared to the benefit of changing? This section will be helpful to me in the future because it will help me be better able to take criticism, and, also, to know when the criticism is meant in the right way, in that the person sincerely wants me to improve, or the wrong way, in that the person is only angry, jealous or unqualified to say anything. Conclusion The book The Critical Edge is a useful tool regarding criticism. The advice that it gives seems pretty intuitive for the most part, although, admittedly, not everybody acts in an intuitive way. The main message is that criticism is good, when done in the right way, but too often, criticism is delivered in such a way that the person being criticized will become defensive. How to avoid that person becoming defensive is the focus of this book. What it ultimately comes down to is respect, and empathy. If one can put himself into the other person’s shoes, then the criticism will be much more effective. For instance, if a boss would not want to be dressed down in front of his colleagues, then why would he dress down somebody else in a similar manner? If the boss would not want to be told how wrong he is, without be given solutions or being encouraged to do better, why would he deliver criticism in this way to somebody else? This is where the planning and preparation comes into play, as the criticism must be planned and the target and goal must be firmly in mind before broaching the subject. The timing and the manner should also be planned carefully. And, the criticism must focus on the positives – here is what you can do, and here is how I will help you. As noted, Weisinger’s concepts are intuitive, but it is helpful to see them iterated on paper so that the concepts can be carried out in a concrete way. Bibliography Weisinger, Hendrie. The Critical Edge: How to Criticize Up and Down Your Organization and Make It Pay Off. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1989. Read More