06
Jun
stored in: Uncategorized and tagged:
Countless people make a living analyzing what has happened – in the game last night, during the meeting this morning, the performance last quarter, etc. No doubt feedback after the fact is valuable, but there’s a simple reason so many more take the “after the fact” approach: it’s easier. Here are 3 reasons why it’s easier to critique than create:
- No risk. After all, it’s not your work/performance/idea on display…it’s someone else’s. You didn’t have to risk anything to make it happen. You’re watching it happen and offering your thoughts from the safety of the sidelines.
- No work. OK, this might not be totally fair. There’s a lot of work in a helpful critique. But, the process of creating takes a lot of work. Getting the ball rolling takes a lot more energy than keeping it rolling.
- You have all the data. It’s a convient place to evaluate from. Once the game is played, the service is over, the product has shipped, the meeting has happened, the painting is done, etc. You can see it all now…and it’s much easier to decide what you should have done…
It would be great if the story ended there. But it doesn’t. If you always stay in the posture of the creative one and never the critiquing one, you may be doing so to keep your own life easier. Let’s face it:
- You never have to grow from hearing difficult feedback.
- You’re always as good as you think you are. (And, you’re only as good as you think you are, too)
- Your bias towards creativity prevents you from seeing the value in your ideas being refined. You miss the best for the better. Most people don’t deliver their best ideas on the first take.
Questions:
- What are you critiquing that you need to invest more energy into creating?
- Where are you avoiding critique?
- What does it look like to build an environment that fosters creativity and welcomes critique?
