ABSTRACT
We think of criticism as ‘jumping down someone’s throat’, ‘showing them up’ or humiliating them. Yet the first meaning of criticism in the dictionary is, ‘the art or act of analysing or evaluating’. The word ‘criticism’ comes from the Greek word kritikos which Aristotle used to mean, ‘able to discern or judge accordingly’. Despite its definitional neutrality, the word has acquired a negative connotation. The synonyms that are often suggested for criticize are blame, censure, condemn, denounce or reprehend. Researchers have found that flawfinding is the traditional and dominant way that managers use to encourage change in employee behaviour. When this negative connotation of criticism is considered within the context of interpersonal relations, and is linked with the need of individuals to protect their own egos, it is not surprising that most people experience being criticized as a negative event which involves personal attack and hurtful exchange. In this chapter, criticism is defined as the process whereby you tell people what it is that they are doing which you consider to be wrong or which bothers you, and help them to adjust their behaviour (Giblin, 1956). On the positive side, criticism has the power to motivate and has historically been a powerful force for change.
