Respect includes clear criticism

I mentioned a few weeks ago that feedback such as “make it darker” isn’t helpful or acceptable, but it can go a bit further than that.

On a recent episode of Brian Koppelman’s “The Moment” podcast, he had Seth Godin on as a guest. Seth takes feedback very seriously, and takes the thoughts from “helpful or not” to whether bad feedback can be seen as a sign of disrespect.

In Seth’s words, “respect includes criticizing the other person’s work with clarity”. He shares that the common feedback of “I don’t like it” is simply a way to hide from the truth. Clarity is the key.

If someone is looking to you for feedback, you can show respect to them by providing clear, honest feedback. That doesn’t mean you’re free to be abusive, but giving feedback with kind candor is one of the best ways to show respect to others.

Originally published at https://www.mickmel.com on July 22, 2023.