Despite widespread encouragement from leaders to “be open and candid,” many managers still struggle to put that message into practice — especially when it comes to giving quality criticism.
According to “Trends and Perspectives in the Workplace” — a national comparative study conducted in 2019 and again in 2024 — progress has been slow. In 2019, 58% of over 1,300 respondents, most of them managers, admitted they were hesitant to engage in honest conversations involving criticism with staff. The same study was repeated in 2024 and showed that the number had only improved to 50%. While slightly better, it’s far from what you’d expect from organizations that champion transparency.
The impact is significant. When leaders avoid criticism out of fear of conflict or discouragement, employees lose out on valuable information that could accelerate their development. Managers are, after all, responsible for helping their people grow. When that doesn’t happen, both individual and organizational performance suffer.
As learning and development (L&D) professionals know, postponing criticisms until annual or quarterly reviews diminishes its timely effectiveness for a meaningful exchange. Criticism — delivered well — needs to be viewed as part of an ongoing dialogue that fosters learning in a way that minimizes surprise or resentment. This is where L&D can make a real difference: by mixing training and culture that support open, timely and authentic communication.
How L&D Can Strengthen Criticism Skills Across the Organization
1. Align on terminology and intent.
Start by ensuring the organization’s leadership is aligned on language. Should we call it criticism, feedback or something else entirely? Too often, people get hung up on the correct term. Truthfully, there is no synonym that defines criticism as precisely as the word itself. The use of the term matters from a consistency of message perspective. Employees can sense when leaders attempt to soften the language to avoid discomfort — and younger generations, in particular, are quick to detect hints lacking authenticity.
L&D would benefit by facilitating conversations with executive leaders within their organization to establish alignment upfront about how the organization communicates matters specifically related to performance and improvement.
It’s also important for leaders to understand that criticism is inherently negative. Though rooted in negativity, its nature can be accepted as helpful. In fact, praise and criticism have more in common than many may realize; used properly, each aims to reinforce desired behavior and drive growth. The difference lies in that criticism, unlike praise, implies a change of behavior. Receptivity to the delivery of criticism is very much dependent on the skill of delivery. When handled thoughtfully, criticism becomes a valuable learning experience, without being considered a personal attack. As the saying goes, “We learn from our mistakes.”
If your organization prefers to use the term “feedback” over “criticism,” make sure everyone knows it’s more than just “information.” Too often, employees interpret feedback as optional input rather than a call to action. Likewise, managers may soften their delivery to avoid conflict, turning feedback into little more than a vague suggestion. Training should help leaders communicate expectations clearly so that feedback translates into measurable improvement.
2. Strengthen the training curriculum.
It’s important to expand beyond performance reviews. Too many programs confine criticism training to performance appraisal mechanics. While important, the usefulness of criticism extends far beyond review season. It’s worth noting that the performance review should never be considered a verbal contest of who is right and who is wrong.
The use of criticism is a powerful aspect of communication that goes beyond simply an employee’s performance. Well-delivered criticism is a valuable communication tool for building trust, psychological safety and high-performing teams. Leaders who communicate candidly help create cultures where people feel safe to speak up and express their views even when in opposition to others.
3. Avoid over-reliance on tools or scripts.
Many well-meaning training programs introduce rigid frameworks or formulas for giving criticism as if it were a third rail of the communication process. These can sound robotic or unnatural when used in real situations. Instead of teaching leaders what to say, L&D should teach them how to think — how to analyze situations, clarify intent and deliver messages authentically. Situations and personalities vary, so flexibility and thoughtfulness are key.
4. Include both sides of the exchange.
Effective criticism requires two skilled participants: the giver and the receiver. Most programs related to criticism techniques focus only on giving criticism, but the ability to receive criticism well is equally important, especially for leaders. If executives and managers can’t model openness to negative feedback themselves, they undermine the culture they’re trying to build.
L&D should most definitely include all employees in this training. Teaching cross-departmental personnel and team members how to interpret and respond constructively to criticism ensures that well-intentioned messages aren’t lost. Even poorly delivered criticism can provide value if the receiver is trained on how to extract useful insights from criticism that comes their way. A well-trained receiver can often turn a clumsy delivery of criticism into a growth opportunity.
5. Promote a culture of intentional criticism.
The goal isn’t to encourage more criticism — it’s to ensure that when it is delivered, it’s effective, timely and purposeful. Because criticism is such a powerful communication tool, it should never be used to personally attack or imply blame for others; the intent behind it should always be to help, improve and add value.
When employees and leaders alike understand and accept that quality criticism is about growth, not punishment, and to drive change for the better, they’re far more likely to welcome it. And when people feel safe to give and receive candid input, collaboration deepens, performance improves, and, importantly, trust becomes elevated to an embedded cultural norm.
L&D can champion this shift by inserting the handling of well-meaning criticism in training content, leadership messaging, and everyday coaching conversations. Over time, it transforms how communication flows through the organization.
Conclusion: Turning Openness Into Strength
Organizations often talk about wanting openness, authenticity and transparency — but achieving that requires more than slogans and pats on the back. It demands leaders and employees who are skilled in both giving and receiving everyday criticism.
By aligning leadership language, reframing criticism as a positive driver of growth, and embedding these principles in training designs, L&D can help create workplaces where feedback is timely, authentic, and meaningful.
When that happens, communication becomes a key catalyst for effective development. It is how L&D’s influence on culture becomes valued and sustained.
