Do you know of anyone who enjoys being
criticised? You might know people that accept criticism as long as if
they feel it is warranted and it is delivered in a way that is constructive.
Now ask yourself how many people you know that thrive on seeing the “petals
taken off” of another person in the process of giving feedback? It’s actually
viewed as entertainment! Reality shows like Idols are viewed as entertaining,
so what is it that the audience enjoys seeing?
In the workplace, nobody wants to work
for a boss who only sees the negative outcomes of effort and does not recognise
anything positive that the team achieves. This management style only drives
fear into people and nobody can be creative in a space of fear. The thought of
“being taken off at the knee caps” for incorrect delivery, often results in
people wanting to hide as opposed to looking to stand out. At best, it will
result with people simply turning the handle, instead of testing boundaries to
see if they can deliver something better. Why dare operate outside of
boundaries that are set when the risk reward relationship is so skewed to
crucifying “failure”?
Why then is it entertainment value to
watch a person (the judge) tear into another person (the contestant) when
giving feedback in reality TV shows? You can’t blame the producers or
presenters or contestants in the show, as we all know they would not do it if
it did not attract an audience. You only have to look at the number of seasons
of Idols, or The Apprentice to know that it is
a popular model that sells. Reality is the public consumes it!
You can have the same element of
learning from your mistakes and those of others if the feedback focused the
same intensity on what was done right as on what was done wrong. The feedback
should be about a solution as to how to self correct, rather than how useless
you are! I am not saying get rid of reality TV shows. In MasterChef South Africa, the
participants are given feedback on below par performance that leaves them
recognising their short comings, and where they did well. They leave having the
confidence to go back and make a meal of it in delivering a better outcome!
That is the essence of constructive
criticism. You make the person well aware of why their performance was not in line
with expectations, and yet leave them clear of what is expected if they want to
up their game. This puts the responsibility back on the individual to be
motivated, and leaves them in the right mind-set to go back to the drawing
board and improve the delivery for a better outcome. That is how we get
progress. That is how people become creative beyond their current limiting
beliefs.
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