IT DRILLDOWN
 
NEWSLETTERS
 

CIO.com updates, insights and advice on technology, management and your career.

 
 
 
LEADERSHIP
 
CIO Executive Programs
The Leader in Face-to-Face Education for Senior Executives

Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »

 
CIO Executive Council
A Peer-Advisory Service and Professional Association for CIOs

Social Responsibility's Strategic Benefits

December 15, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)

Join Ed Granger-Happ, CIO of Save the Children, for a discussion of how creating an organization that is socially responsible improves staffing, retention, leadership development and overall corporate health.

Working With and Communicating to Your Board of Directors

January 13, 2009, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)

CIO panelists who will share tips and experiences working with their boards: Twila Day of SYSCO; Jeff O'Hare, West Corp.; Marc West, formerly with H&R Block.

IT's Role in Growing Mid-Market Companies

January 14, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET (GMT-5)

Mid-market Council members will share their companies' stories and challenges in driving or coping with growth. Panelists represent Veterinary Pet Insurance, Medicis Pharmaceutical, and Intrax Cultural Exchange.

More / Register »

Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »



 
 
RESOURCE CENTER
 
 
 
SUBSCRIBE TO CIO
 
Are you involved in setting the direction for your company's IT budget or strategy?

Apply today for a FREE subscription to CIO Magazine!

 
 

Leadership: Learning to Accept Criticism

 

January 17, 2006CIO Consider this: Your boss’s face draws a blank, color rises to the cheeks and hardens into a firm look. If such expressions could harm, you’d be in the ER. But you would have plenty of company because you are one of the many thousands of brave souls who have given, or attempted to give, their boss a critique. It could have been about his way of addressing the team, or it may have been about her way of managing a project without input. Regardless the criticism was not taken well. And so there you are left in the glare of the moment wondering if you will still have a job come next morning.

Listening Up
Accepting criticism is an essential leadership trait yet too many of our leaders in high places, be it team leader, head coach or CEO, do not seem to take it well. Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Carly Fiorina, is a case in point. Had she been willing to listen to her team instead of firing them, she might have cultivated the support she needed to lead the company. But when HP’s business took a turn for the worse, Fiorina found that there was no one following her.

While many in senior leadership positions do acknowledge the virtue of honest criticism, they bristle when that critique comes from those subordinate in rank. The boss’s attitude is “how dare she speak to me like that?” Well, truth be told, the question should be, “how dare she not speak that way?” Criticism rooted in fact about the business or about the management of that business is appropriate.

Since honest feedback is essential to running any organization. It should be cultivated so that employees feel free to critique their higher ups. And in turn, those higher ups should feel comfortable accepting such criticism. Giving criticism to a boss requires the velvet glove treatment.

Here are some suggestions for giving and receiving criticism.

Know your facts. If you are going to criticize your boss, you’d better be right. John Boyd, the legendary fighter-pilot instructor who not only taught new ways to fight but also contributed to the development of new generations of aircraft, was a relentless critic. It cost him his career but he made his points because his facts were straight. This approach also applies to coaching advice. For example, if you have a boss who’s heavy handed with subordinates in meetings, cutting them off before they can make their points, it is acceptable to criticize. Do not say “you’re being mean.” Focus instead on what the boss is doing wrong and how it is affecting the performance of others. You may need to cite specific incidents, e.g., a staff meeting or a project review. Results are what count and coaching should be developed to bring about better results.

Loading...
 
 
ABCs
 

Just the basics, please. Sometimes we all need a refresher or we need to make sure our team and our colleagues are all on the same page.

Over 25 tutorials on everything from business intelligence to virtualization.

 
 
FEATURED SPONSORS
 
 
 
SPONSORED LINKS
 

Learn how the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processor improves performance

Affordable technology-no compromise. HP server solutions

Protect data-HP All-in-One and Disk-Based systems

See how IBM helped Bharti create a new business model

Read how IBM helped Hughes enhance security

HP LaserJet M3035 MFP series starting at $1,599. » SHOP NOW. www.hp.com

NEW HP Color LaserJet CM3530n MFP starting at $2,499. » SHOP NOW. www.hp.com

Learn about the software-based VoIP solution from Microsoft

Download the free CIO Starter Kit to access useful resources created by top CIOs

Log onto Hitachi True Stories, films inspired by the next great achievement

SOA Educational Library at the TIBCO SOA Resource Center

Learning from BPM Leaders

Quest Authentication and IBM Tivoli Identity Management

Get IDC's take on one company's foray into storage virtualization.

Revolutionizing Endpoint Security with a Single Agent

White Paper: Centralized Data Backup and Your WAN

White Paper: Accelerating the Next Phase of Virtualization

Learn how companies are changing how they reach out to their most profitable customers.

The Right and Wrong Master Data Management Strategies to Start Small and Grow Big

Learn how to leverage virtualization for a 74% savings in TCO.

Find out how you can affordably consolidate applications with VMware.

ESG Research on Server and Storage Virtualization

Webcast: Mitigate Operational Risk- Real Answers for Tough Times

Laptop Security: Where Do CIOs See Weaknesses?

How RFID Improves Data Center Efficiency

Predict the future with HP Insight Power Manager

Predict the future with HP Insight Power Manager

Microsoft SQL Server 2008. Read Case Studies, Watch Demos, & Download for Free

The 2008 CEO Study: Implications for the CIO

HP LaserJet P4014n printer starting at $799 after $100 IS. www.hp.com

NEW HP Color LaserJet CP3525n printer starting at $699. » SHOP NOW. www.hp.com

Businesses Transform with VMware Virtualization

CIO Starter Kit includes useful resources created by top CIOs. Free Download>>

Rolling the dice with your security? Take the Self-Assessment Test now

Strong Authentication. Secure USB data storage. One Device

Operational Excellence Is Key to Maximizing IT Investments

Integrating ActiveRoles With IBM Tivoli Identity Manager 5.0

Quest Authentication Services: Simplify Identity Management

Data Protection: Challenges for the Traveling User

Check Point Endpoint Security - Unifying Essential Components

Learn how wide-area data services can help deliver the benefits of virtualization

The Handbook of Application Delivery: Everything You Wanted to Know but Didnt Know You Needed to Ask

A fresh look at the impact of customer intimacy.

Webcast: SOA Brings Backend Systems into the Future, Rapidly & Successfully

Find out why IDC thinks virtualization is changing operating environments.

Explore the impact virtualization can have on your bottom-line.

Save with 0% Lease Offer on HP Servers and Storage

The Customer Communications Management Platform - Key Functionality and Best Practices

Data Center ROI with RFID Asset Tracking

Paving the Way for Trusted Collaboration