Criticism

Receiving feedback on your work can be one of the most effective ways to learn and grow. While accepting criticism is often challenging, delivering it constructively is even more difficult, and offering truly constructive criticism is the hardest of all.

Whether you're giving or receiving feedback, following a set of guidelines can help you make the most of the experience, ensuring that the criticism is beneficial to both parties.

Whether it’s feedback on an essay, a pull request comment, or a yearly performance review, criticism can significantly influence how you perceive yourself moving forward.

In code-related projects, Pull Requests serve as a critical channel for feedback. Constructive criticism in this context can help correct a programmer's behavior or habits that might have gone unnoticed. Skilled senior developers take the time to provide valuable feedback to their peers, but unfortunately, there are still those who simply tear down others' work without offering helpful guidance.

Receiving Criticism - Don’t Take It Personally

You've invested time and effort into your work, putting in significant energy to meet deadlines. You might already be aware that your results could be improved.

Be receptive: Criticism can sting, and some people might be harsh in their feedback. As mentioned earlier, giving constructive criticism is no easy task, so remember that it's not your fault. The person critiquing your work likely has a set of expectations and goals that weren't met—this is common, especially if no clear guidance was provided from the start. To improve the conversation, be open, ask questions, and work collaboratively with them. If you find that their comments lack clear objectives, ask them how they would have approached the same challenge to gain insight into their perspective.

Giving Criticism

When you're in a position to provide feedback, you've likely received your fair share of criticism yourself. Take note of those who positively impacted your work, recalling their intentions and how their feedback improved your output. On the flip side, remember times when criticism felt like a personal attack, with no apparent intention of helping you improve.

Avoid “Like” or “Dislike”

When offering constructive criticism, avoid using words like "like" or "dislike." Instead, provide more specific feedback. For something you appreciate, consider saying: "This works well with X and Y," or "You're on the right track, but it's missing A, B, and C." For aspects you find lacking, try: "I see room for improvement," or "This isn’t quite what I had in mind; could you explain your thought process?" The goal is to be constructive and analytical rather than emotional, as "like" and "dislike" can be perceived as personal judgments.

Aim to be a mentor, leaving a lasting positive impression on the person receiving your feedback. Strive to create a work environment where you and your colleagues can feel proud of one another. Remember, you’re part of the same team—work together, help each other improve, and be open to dialogue. Thoughtful criticism benefits everyone involved.