Seriously…that sucks.
How do you say that, give the honest truth, and do so without upsetting someone, losing your job, etc?
Phill Cooke wrote a post about losing a potential client because they new he would be honest
…he ultimately decided not to invite us in for a meeting. Surprised, the marketing director asked why. The leader responded, “Because Phil is brutally honest, and I don’t think we’re ready for that.”
I don’t think sugarcoating will produce excellence. The path of least resistance will be easy to travel, but will it take you to where you really want to go? Of course the title of this post isn’t how I’d bring the news…but even with lots of love how do I tell you that you shouldn’t be designing and not hurt your feelings?
See, telling someone what they are doing isn’t up to par is hard. The problem often lies in the emotional connection they have to the work, to the video, to the logo, to the preaching…etc. We aren’t just critiquing the work, we are critiquing the worker. That’s why it begins with relationship and continues with choosing the right battles at the right time.
What if we…
I think that’s a powerful phrase. It reminds us that we work as a team and it focuses on the work and the end result.
How about you? How do you give criticism, how do you take it?
dealing with creative people is difficult because we all love our own work so much. what i’ve learned (especially in the CMS lab) is that even the best designers have bad ideas and execution sometimes. i need to remember that #1 i am doing this to further the kingdom, and its not about me. my ego is not allowed. i need criticism to improve and learn. i need to dish it out and take it.
in meetings, i often use the phrase “what if we,” or “could we try.” i agree with you there. also, i think it’s important to offer solutions. you cant just say, “that sucks.” you need to be able to back it up with something to improve it.
this might be a nice discussion topic in the lab. how to we give each other good feedback while being edifying? what is the most valuable criticism you’ve ever received? something like that.
ramble ramble ramble. sorry!
Hey Ramble on Danielle…good stuff. You’re right on, it is very difficult to produce excellence in an atmosphere void of critique. Unfortunately it can be just as difficult to find creatives who can take critique and non-creatives who know how to effectively give it.
there was recently a post in the lab and i suggested that the person stay away from ripping off of a popular television series and asked where the art came from, etc. the person deleted the submission and i’ve been wondering, “was it the way i said it or were they unable to take it?” i can’t remember who it was, so i can’t really ask…but it bothers me.
it’s really hard sometimes, but in order to do this better, we need each other’s view points.
oh and also…getting critiques from non-creatives are some of the most painful moments of my life. can we “train” non-creatives to give good critiques?