Introduction

At this moment I have the privilege of updating a Project Management Directive as part of my project. Not something I looked forward to. Usually pretty dry stuff, where most people involved have to try and stay awake, which needs to be ímposed´ top-down, followed by numerous missionaries conducting trainings while trying to evade the psychological equivalent of Bonifacius´ fate at Dokkum.

Instead, heated discussions evolve, around topics like: the level of Sponsor required for a Project, which acceptance test questions to pose at which milestone, and the qualifications required for Project Managers, clarity of sentences, to name a few. People newly involved are surprised how ´hard´ these discussions take place and how much room criticasters get in the meetings. For me, all that criticism equates to presents. Let me explain.

Constructive criticism

If I stand in a room and declare it to be horrible, that does not add any value. However, if I state that the walls should be painted pink with purple dots, that is an alternative. Whether the owner of the room agrees or not is a different matter, I have provided an alternative by spending my time and thereby added value in the economic sense of the word. The owner can accept or reject.

When a woman I do not know passes by in a horrible dress, I will not make a comment about it. However, if my sister/mother/wife/friend does the same, I will shut up in public, but when we are alone feel obliged to make a comment about it. This all assumes we have a good relationship of course. Constructive criticism is an expression of the quality of the relationship. Something one should also keep in mind in relationships.

To take this further: if I have spent my time and effort to help the house owner improve his room, the choice is to him, just as the woman can decide to follow my fashion advice or not. (Generally the latter is advisable, to be honest.) Since the criticaster has invested this effort, that gives the criticized the moral duty to at least feed back what he has done with that feedback. Also and especially when he does not accept it, which is a rejection of the value add, and again criticism of the criticism.

Room for criticism

Criticism should be nurtured, regardless of whether the recipient agrees with it or not, the mere fact that somebody constructively criticizes should be acknowledged and protected. Especially in the beginning stages of a group, when the ‘norms’ are being set during its ´puberty´, it is very valuable to have a participant go ‘too far’ according to some in providing criticism: by doing so he proves that there is room for it and he paves the way for others to feel comfortable and bring in their comments. That drive, that ´Sturm und Drang´ is just as much value added as the content of constructive criticism.

In a more settled environment, of course all participants have the responsibility to provide criticism of a certain quality. That does not mean that the criticism needs to be shared by all, but succinctness and accuracy of wording are requirements in that respect to keep the discussion on course.

Diversity

Often, when presentations are held about new concepts, ideas or information, participants are away in their head, or even worse, even physically answering e-mails, since they “will get it anyway”. Until you ask them a question on-topic. Alternatively, everybody just listens to the Northkorean-style speech of the Great Leader and nods in approval. Those examples of unisonity occur often and do not add value per se. What does add value is asking the right questions – which is an art by itself – and bringing in suggestions for improvements or alternatives. Those ideas are by definition different from what has been presented before, and therefore add value. The more unique the position the more value it adds. Even when it goes beyond the ‘Veto’-threshold of participants, because it might help in opening up somebody´s eyes. Those value-adding ideas can only come up if the participants have a different mindset than the rest of the group.  Therefore, those ideas and constructive criticism are proof of the diversity in thinking of the group. Let’s nurture that diversity.

Even though Diversity might be in corporate slogans, that does not add value by itself. Value is added by showing diversity to prospective employees and attracting them, but the most concrete value lies in the constructive criticism it generates. That constructive criticism creates better decisions. Better decisions lead to better products, like the Project Management Directive that will help to implement better Projects.