Applying Communication Strategies to Manage Interactions and Criticism

This essay provides strategies for an IT employee to respond assertively to constant criticism from a coworker during the creation of an employee engagement survey. It emphasizes disregarding unhelpful beliefs about criticism, accepting valid criticism, using negative assertion when appropriate, and responding assertively to negative criticism by focusing on the words rather than the tone. The essay also suggests using feedback techniques, specifically the Sandwich Technique, to manage interactions effectively by balancing corrective feedback with praise, fostering a more positive communication environment between the two employees. The document includes references to support the strategies discussed.

Running head: COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Communication Strategies
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Table of Contents
Strategies to respond assertively to Chris..................................................................................2
Feedback techniques to be use for effective management of interactions amongst the
authorities...................................................................................................................................3
Reference....................................................................................................................................5

2COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Strategies to respond assertively to Chris
The case study reflects a situation where the co-workers in an IT environment are
responsible to create an annual Employee Engagement survey. One of the IT workers,
although waits for the opinion of the other but only to disagree and criticise his ideas. The
two meet for hourly meetings everyday to organize information however, they are not
sufficient.
The other IT employee should apply strategies so that instead of being infuriated by
the constant criticism, the employee would be able to respond assertively and deal
appropriately with the constant criticism of Chris1. The strategies that the employee should
adapt are listed as below:
 Disregarding unhelpful beliefs about criticism: The primary strategy that
the employee should adapt is to disregard all the beliefs about criticisms that
may demoralise the person. Considering the fact that being criticised points
out that the person is stupid or failure is completely unhelpful. Instead the
person should consider channelizing the criticism into a self-correcting way or
by abiding the right to letting the person know if a behaviour is being hurtful
or disrespecting.
 Accepting the criticism: If it is found that the criticism is not invalid and
absurd, then it is the duty of the person to accept the criticism with dignity
without forwarding any negative emotions. It is of utmost importance that the
person accepts his faults. It is then to be thought about what improvements
1 Drucker, Peter F. What Makes an Effective Executive (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard Business
Review Press, 2017.

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could be made based on the criticism and then the person criticising the ideas
should be thanked properly for the disparagements.
 Negative assertion: This is a technique that demands that a person does not
only accept the criticism but agree with the criticizing person as well.
However, this policy is acceptable only when the criticism is not based on any
biased ideas.
 Assertive reply to negative criticism: This is to be done by simply
disagreeing with the negative criticism, however, aggressive and passive
behaviour cannot be encouraged in this regard2. The focus of the response
should be on the words and not on the tone of the criticism. In addition, the
response to the criticism should not be prompt and the person should wait
before responding negatively to Chris in this regard.
Feedback techniques to be use for effective management of interactions
amongst the authorities
Feedback techniques should be used for effective management interactions between
two IT employees who happen to disagree with each other at every given interaction levels.
This should be done by implementing the mindset of accepting and understanding the power
of negative feedback. The feedback should be a two-way street3. This means that both Chris
and his co-worker are obligated to provide unbiased feedback to each other’s performance
without making the other uncomfortable.
2 Fleisher, Craig S., and Babette E. Bensoussan. Business and competitive analysis: effective application of new
and classic methods. FT Press, 2015.
3 Holmes, William T., and Michele A. Parker. "Communication: Empirically testing behavioral integrity and
credibility as antecedents for the effective implementation of motivating language." International Journal of
Business Communication54.1 (2017): 70-82.

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The feedback method that could be applied in this matter is the Sandwich Technique4.
This three-way technique provides corrective feedback nullifying the effects of negative
criticism. It could be done by following corrective feedback followed by more and more
praise, so that the negative criticism is sandwiched between the praises. Using this process
could either soften the approach of Chris towards his co-worker implying that Chris would
prefer a praising co-worker.
4 Kaul, Asha. Effective business communication. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., 2014.

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Reference
Drucker, Peter F. What Makes an Effective Executive (Harvard Business Review Classics).
Harvard Business Review Press, 2017.
Fleisher, Craig S., and Babette E. Bensoussan. Business and competitive analysis: effective
application of new and classic methods. FT Press, 2015.
Holmes, William T., and Michele A. Parker. "Communication: Empirically testing behavioral
integrity and credibility as antecedents for the effective implementation of motivating
language." International Journal of Business Communication54.1 (2017): 70-82.
Kaul, Asha. Effective business communication. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., 2014.