Project De-Motivators; The Trouble With Criticism

Charles Schwab once said, "I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism."

When trying to encourage our teams or mentor project managers, we need to understand the natural learning progression (see my previous post). Many organizations resort immediately to criticism and judgment. They don't realize that this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and serves no purpose other than to de-motivate employees.

Let's take heed of Dale Carnegie's advice; "The resentment that criticism engenders can demoralize employees, family members, and friends, and still not correct the situation that has been condemned."

So, next time you feel compelled to criticize or judge someone, don't forget to think twice about the consequences versus the results you're hoping to achieve. Instead, think of ways to boost the learning progression through support and positive reinforcement.