2/06/2007
The Cr@p Sandwich: “Constructive” Criticism from the Boss
It’s great when the boss gives you a compliment. It’s even better when it’s genuine. I don’t know about you, but my favorite is when I used to get:
“I appreciate what you did with this report. Of course, there was a comma missing on page 219 of 376 which makes me think you need to spend a little more attention to detail, but otherwise the report looks good.”
OR (as in a performance review):
“Worker Bee A streamlined “The X Report” and completed a major overhaul that cut man-hours by 50%. Of course, we expected man-hours to be cut by 51%. Still, we look forward to more pro-active work by this employee.”
My point is this: you can have the freshest, tastiest slices of bread around. But as soon as you stuff it with crap it loses its appeal quickly. Who wants to eat a sandwich when the insides taste bad?
If you’re going to pay a compliment on a job well done, do it and move on. Pick another conversation for areas that need improvement.
“I appreciate what you did with this report. Of course, there was a comma missing on page 219 of 376 which makes me think you need to spend a little more attention to detail, but otherwise the report looks good.”
OR (as in a performance review):
“Worker Bee A streamlined “The X Report” and completed a major overhaul that cut man-hours by 50%. Of course, we expected man-hours to be cut by 51%. Still, we look forward to more pro-active work by this employee.”
My point is this: you can have the freshest, tastiest slices of bread around. But as soon as you stuff it with crap it loses its appeal quickly. Who wants to eat a sandwich when the insides taste bad?
If you’re going to pay a compliment on a job well done, do it and move on. Pick another conversation for areas that need improvement.
