There’s an old adage that leaders should “praise in public, criticise in private”.  It’s so well established that many people accept it without question – except one.  Roger Schwarz, writing in March for the Harvard Business Review’s blog, recently wrote a posting entitled How Criticizing in Private Undermines Your Team.  I recommend you read it.  Why?  Two reasons – maybe three, even four…

• If you hold the view that you shouldn’t criticise in public, this article will help you to test your view against your practical experience and maybe even to revise it;
• If you have any ‘persistent offenders’ in your team, this article may give you alternative approaches – and ones that work;
• This article may deepen your understanding of what it means, as a leader, to hold ultimate accountability for the performance of your team;
• If you’re the “leader” of a family (i.e. a parent), this article includes pearls of wisdom for you in this other leadership role.