Criticism - Giving (The Easy Part)

August 2008

Criticism is a loaded word.  Although the role of critic is an ancient and respected one, today’s culture has left the word with connotations that are mostly negative.  Most of us are quick to spot mistakes. Not many, however, are as quick to spread around compliments when things are going well as we do what we are supposed to do.

Criticism is a two-way street. There is a skill and an art to giving criticism. There is even greater skill needed to receive it, particularly from inside our churches, associations, and denomination. Criticism has about it a sense of judgment. It is, after all, an evaluation of an individual or situation. For this reason many Christians believe any form of criticism is non-Christian. “Judge not, lest ye be judged” is often used as a counter to even constructive criticism. Scripture continues to call us to a higher stander as Paul enjoins us to “fill our minds with those things which are good and that deserve praise ….” He assumes that we are going to be able to differentiate “good from not-so good, truth from falsehood, noble from not-so noble, etc.” Evidently we are expected to be good critics.

What to Criticize
As Christians we all have roles, and we need to recognize and understand that there are some things that are outside of our “right” to criticize. Accepted social behavior in western culture, does not automatically allow the right to criticize an individual apart from their work on behalf of the church. In contrast to this, as members of the Christian faith and local church, we are obliged to hold each other accountable for our actions as the mission of disciple-making is carried out. In any situation it is good wisdom to ask, “Do I really have the right to criticize this individual?” We should also understand that when we invite someone to join our church, we give them certain rights to criticize us.

This is a good place to differentiate ends from means. Ends are the goals of our ministry. Means are the way we go about things. The first point of effective criticism should be at the goals. If the means used to reach the goal are ethical and within accepted church policy, we should be slow to criticize just because it wasn’t done “our way.”

Why Criticize
Criticism is basically an evaluation. Churches and organizations need to evaluate not only the performance of individuals but also their group performance. Churches and organizations are created for a reason. Some of us are obligated to be responsible for evaluating whether the organization and its staff are recognizing and accomplishing their purpose. NOTE that I stated that “some of us” are obligated, not all of us. Self-appointed critics are as unwelcome within the church as they are within society in general.

Unfortunately, many of us are in the habit of criticizing to build our own egos. If I can demonstrate that you are wrong (and therefore I am right), it may help to build my ego. Watch this one!  There are some people who confuse a gift of criticism with the gift of exhortation. Conversely, we must guard against surrounding ourselves with yes men and women.

When to Criticize
Solomon in his wisdom has reminded us that there is a time for all things. Criticism certainly needs to be timely, especially personal criticism. Personal criticism should never be given in front of others, and certainly never in public. Don’t use criticism as a method of rebuttal in an argument. Don’t criticize the person. Criticize the action. There is a big difference. Don’t criticize in anger. You will usually overreact.

Get all the facts. Don’t be drawn into a quick response because someone else has given you an emotionally charged account of a situation. There are always at least two sides! On the other hand, criticize as soon as possible after the mistake has been made. Make sure that you have thought about what would have been the correct procedure before criticizing the wrong one. This suggests having planned times for critique, times when the performance of the individual or team can be evaluated against planned performance. Remember, performance evaluation should first be based on what is to be done, second on how to do it.

Who Should Criticize
In an organization criticism should be given by the individual’s immediate supervisor. This is one of the hard tasks of leadership. Don’t go around a person’s supervisor, and don’t let the supervisor avoid his or her responsibility by playing the bad guy for him. Within the local church, which is the body of Christ, we have a particular responsibility, but one which must be exercised with caution. It is always wise to seek mature counsel before criticizing another.

How to Give Criticism
Criticize lovingly, clearly, and thoughtfully. Think about the wording of criticism. Words are like arrows shot into the air. They can often wound someone quite unintentionally. We need to be straightforward; making sure that our criticism is heard and understood. At the same time we need to build up the person we are criticizing.  Avoid emotional involvement. Ask yourself how serious the situation is and what caused it. Fit the criticism to the situation.

Remember that we, as followers of Jesus, are accountable to each other and as such should always find ways to build up one another rather than diminish or tear down. I have found that there are two kinds of leaders; those that build up and grow followers and those that tear down and consume followers. Next month we will tackle the harder part of Criticism – Receiving. May God richly bless you as you contemplate and mature in your role as a leader in another’s life.

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