A few years back, I took charge of a talented team of mostly inexperienced designers. In our very first design meeting, I primarily listened and observed. When I did speak, it was to ask questions to better understand them. This helped set the stage for the kind of relationship I wanted to build with the team and also deepened my understanding of each team member, how they collaborated, and ways I could support our growth together.

As a leader, I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to enhance the culture, skills, design, and trust of the teams I manage and work with. Design critiques play a pivotal role in achieving this. When done right, they are a powerful tool for nurturing individual development and creating an open environment crucial for collaboration and innovation. Now, let's delve into some practical steps to make your design critiques more impactful, starting with establishing a clear framework."

• Establish a Clear Framework
  Start by setting up a clear structure for your critique. This framework helps reinforce skills like strategic design thinking and storytelling. Having clear expectations creates a sense of safety, which is vital for open and constructive discussions. For my teams, we follow "The 5 Cs’ to Conducting Effective Design Reviews" as our guideline. When adopting this framework, use clarifying questions to help your team get in the habit of the practice.

• Use Questions
  Instead of giving direct feedback, try leading the discussion using questions. Questions have been used for centuries as a teaching tool because they help assess knowledge, promote understanding, stimulate critical thinking, and encourage collaborative exploration. People remember information better when they're engaged in active learning. It's also a great way to challenge your assumptions and biases when framed as questions. While it may seem easier to provide direct answers, resist that urge. The more you help people solve their own problems, the better they become at their jobs, increasing their sense of ownership and job satisfaction.

• Engage in Active Listening
  When you ask questions, you naturally engage in active listening. Active listening is valuable as it builds trust by showing others that their thoughts are valued and important. When people feel heard, they're more likely to share ideas and voice concerns early in the process.

• Acknowledge the Positive
  As problem solvers, we often focus on what's not working and overlook what's going well. Positive recognition is vital. When a manager genuinely acknowledges an employee’s job well done, the employee feels appreciated. It increases their sense of belonging and motivates them to perform even better. It also has an effect on the manager. Actively looking for positive behaviors  deepens a manager’s appreciation for the individuals thus perpetuating a positive feedback loop.

• Authenticity & Self-Awareness
  Be aware of your own state of mind when entering a critique session. Sometimes, external factors like lack of sleep or your 12th meeting of the day can affect how effectively you provide feedback. No one is at their best all the time. It's okay to acknowledge your state at the offset and determine what issues are critical and how to address them. Remember that receiving a critique can make anyone feel vulnerable, particularly junior designers. It's much wiser to acknowledge your own human imperfections than to risk a critique that damages trust.

As designers, we have many opportunities to practice and refine these skills, leading to happier and more successful teams.By incorporating these five practices - establish a clear frameworks, using questions, active listening, acknowledging the positive, and being authentic - your design critiques can transform not only your team but also yourself as a leader.