Commenting on the Work of Others

Criticizing the work of others is risky. But we needn't go much beyond "Hi, how's it going" to run into trouble in some situations. A mere comment or innocent query about the work of others might be enough to light the fire. Much has been said and written about how to frame "constructive criticism," including previous posts of my own. [Indeed 2023] [MyHub 2022] I'm certain all these writings have helped some people, but to widen the circle, I'm taking a different approach in this post. This post is written as a field manual for those who want to inflict pain on others by commenting on their work.

When considering how destructive criticism causes pain, clarity can facilitate insight. That insight is valuable to both the giver and receiver of destructive criticism, even when destructiveness is unintentional. And in this approach there's little risk of adding to the toolkits of those intent on malice, because they're already way ahead of anything you or I can imagine. Let's get to it.

Comments and questions about their work

The comments and questions most likely to feel like criticisms are those related to properties of the work that the authors of the work are unable to change. Choose something that might have been decided earlier in the development or design process, but which is so fundamental that changing it now is infeasible. Even better, choose something that was forced on the authors by Senior Management, over the authors' strong objections. It's difficult to find something more irritating than criticizing someone's work on the basis of the errors of their managers.

Even innocent questions can be inflammatory if you structure them right. Asking about the work in a way that attacks the work's authors is the key. For example, consider the question, "I don't understand how to change the name of a task. Can you explain that for me?" Because this question focuses on the state of mind of the questioner, it's relatively non-hostile. It's even a bit self-deprecating. To give it a better chance of seeming to be a hostile criticism, ask it this way: "How do you change the name of a task?" Even better: "Changing the name of a task is very confusing. How is that done?"

Comments about your own work or experience

One Condescension is an indispensable tool of
those intent on inflicting insults on othersindispensable tool of those intent on inflicting insults on others is condescension. For example, instead of asking how to rename a task, try: "When we created the Tangerine System, we had a much simpler task-renaming protocol. Why on earth didn't you use that?" But it isn't necessary to be as openly rude as that. A more devious approach also works: "How would you compare your task-renaming protocol to the much simpler one in the Tangerine System?"

The general principle is simple. Construct your comments in the form, "Unlike you, I'm smart enough to avoid the problem of X." Alternatively, for variety, try "Your approach has problems with X, but when I had a similar task, I exploited X to create a perfect solution."

Providing advice or information unbidden

Advice is welcome when it's requested. But absent a request, advice — even sound advice — is often resented. That's the fundamental principle underlying this third tactic for inflicting pain by commenting on the work of others. Don't offer advice — give it. Don't wait for permission to provide advice. Don't wait for a request for advice. Jump straight to the advice. If possible, advise the authors of the work to do something you know they previously rejected. Even better: advise them to do something they proposed but which was rejected by higher authority. Or advise them to do something that violates the law (Human or Natural). Use the old adage, "If you want to make an omelet, you have to break some eggs." After all, it's their career on the line, not yours.

Last words

All of the above techniques can be effective in many situations. But they all have a better chance of inflicting pain and insult when you execute them in a public setting. The more people present — and the more politically powerful they are — the more negative is the effect.  Top    Next Issue

Are you fed up with tense, explosive meetings? Are you or a colleague the target of a bully? Destructive conflict can ruin organizations. But if we believe that all conflict is destructive, and that we can somehow eliminate conflict, or that conflict is an enemy of productivity, then we're in conflict with Conflict itself. Read 101 Tips for Managing Conflict to learn how to make peace with conflict and make it an organizational asset. Order Now!

Footnotes

Your comments are welcome

About Point Lookout

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful, and that you'll consider recommending it to a friend.

This article in its entirety was written by a human being. No machine intelligence was involved in any way.

Point Lookout is a free weekly email newsletter. Browse the archive of past issues. Subscribe for free.

Support Point Lookout by joining the Friends of Point Lookout, as an individual or as an organization.

Do you face a complex interpersonal situation? Send it in, anonymously if you like, and I'll give you my two cents.

Related articles

More articles on Conflict Management:

Knife-Edge Performers

Some employees deliver performance episodically, while some deliver steady, but barely adequate performance. Either way, they keep their managers drained and anxious, on the "knife edge" of terminating them. How can you detect knife-edge performers, and what can you do about them?

Virtual Conflict

Conflict, both constructive and destructive, is part of teamwork. As virtual teams become more common, we're seeing more virtual conflict — conflict that crosses site boundaries. Dealing with destructive conflict is difficult enough face-to-face, but in virtual teams, it's especially tricky.

Agenda Despots: II

Some meeting chairs crave complete or near-complete control of their meeting agendas. In this Part II of our exploration of their techniques, we emphasize methods for managing unwanted topic contributions from attendees.

Regaining Respect from Others

When you feel that a colleague has lost professional respect for you — or never really had respect for you — what can you do about it? Check your conclusions, check whether it's about you, and ask for a dialog.

On Shaking Things Up

Newcomers to work groups have three tasks: to meet and get to know incumbent group members; to gain their trust; and to learn about the group's task and how to contribute to accomplishing it. General skills are necessary, but specifics are most important.

See also Conflict Management for more related articles.

Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout

Coming July 2: The True Costs of Contractors

Among the more commonly cited reasons for hiring contractors instead of direct employees is cost savings. But are these savings real? Direct compensation, including perks and benefits, might favor the contractor arrangement, but indirect costs tell another story. Available here and by RSS on July 2.

And on July 9: On Being Seriously Funny at Work

Humor is such a valuable tool at work that it ought to be recognized as an official contribution by team members who provide the laughs that keep some teams from auto-destructing. Even if you're not known for bringing the funny, there are a few simple techniques that can change your image. Available here and by RSS on July 9.

Coaching services

I offer email and telephone coaching at both corporate and individual rates. Contact Rick for details at rbrenaXXxGCwVgbgLZDuRner@ChacDjdMAATPdDNJnrSwoCanyon.com or (650) 787-6475, or toll-free in the continental US at (866) 378-5470.

Get the ebook!

Past issues of Point Lookout are available in six ebooks:

• Get 2001-2 in Geese Don't Land on Twigs (PDF, )
• Get 2003-4 in Why Dogs Wag (PDF, )
• Get 2005-6 in Loopy Things We Do (PDF, )
• Get 2007-8 in Things We Believe That Maybe Aren't So True (PDF, )
• Get 2009-10 in The Questions Not Asked (PDF, )
• Get all of the first twelve years (2001-2012) in The Collected Issues of Point Lookout (PDF, )

Are you a writer, editor or publisher on deadline? Are you looking for an article that will get people talking and get compliments flying your way? You can have 500-1000 words in your inbox in one hour. License any article from this Web site. More info