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Ask HN: How can a company build the culture of embracing criticism?

2 points by andrey_cheptsov ↗ HN
What top management can do to change the culture within the organization so the employees embrace criticism instead of avoiding it?

UPDATE: I mean the criticism in all directions but above all across employees (horizontal) and from employees to their managers (bottom up).

4 comments

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dragonbonheur
Have managers at every level read Business @ The Speed of Thought by Bill Gates.
7402
Ha. Do you mean that anyone in the company (including top management) should embrace criticism from anyone else in the company (including the employees)? Or do you mean only that the workers should embrace criticism from their bosses?

If the former, then top management should provide live examples of themselves changing their mind based on feedback received from employees. Only then will the employees believe that management means it about creating a culture where people embrace criticism.

If the acceptance of criticism is only intended to go in one direction, from top to bottom, then simply use the standard management tools of reward and punishment.

andrey_cheptsov
I mean the criticism in all directions but above all across employees (horizontal) and from employees to bosses (bottom up).