In the continuous improvement process, how do we walk the tightrope of self-criticism without losing our balance and falling into negativism and self doubt? Here are three keys to being an effective self-critic:
- Wait! Don’t Self Critique While Communicating!
It’s not over until it’s over. This was clear in Saturday’s near-upset of Notre Dame over USC. With less than two minutes in the fourth quarter, it looked as though the Fightin’ Irish would triumph over the reigning national champs. In a thrilling turn of events, quarterback Matt Leinart vaulted over the defensive line to score a touchdown and win the game, in the last three seconds.
Use video (at the very least, audio) feedback to review your presentation only AFTER you have completed it.
- Set Realistic Expectations
Our audience only gets what we give them. They can’t measure our remarks against our intentions – they don’t know what they are! What we rearrange or omit may loom large in our minds, but it is inconsequential to our listeners.
Audiences don’t expect perfection. In fact, during her daytime television show Ellen Degeneres often evokes a greater audience response when she recovers from a bad joke than when she tells a good one. Audiences are often more concerned how we handle imperfection than with how closely we approach perfection.
- Balance The Strengths With The Weaknesses
Criticism is not a process of fault-finding. We’re too quick to spot the weaknesses in our performance. When our Decker trainers work with clients in private coaching, they make each client focus on what they LIKE about their presentation first, and then move on to the areas for improvement. You’ll grow by reinforcing your strengths and minimizing the weaknesses.