High-tech constructive criticism

New Scientist Technology - Device warns you if you're boring or irritating

Have you ever been cornered at a party or at some function by someone who was just plain, dead boring? I have. When it happens, I try to be polite, make small talk, find some common interesting ground, or if all else fails - I jet out of there like a bat-out-of-hell. Even worse are people whose idea of a great conversation is a one-sided monologue. You know the kind. Most of us unfortunately do. Now... Imagine a world where everyone, ourselves included, received mandatory training with this new device that allows users to pick up when the person they're talking to becomes bored, uninterested, surprised, happy, etc... That kind of training could work wonders on some people! Let's face it. There are lots of people out there who just don't have very well developed social skills. They might be great people, but they can be just difficult to talk to sometimes. If everybody, at some point or another, were forced to train with this device then people's self-awareness and hopefully their interpersonal skills would go through the roof! Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like it's an option now. It's something company & human resource managers should keep in their back pocket though for the future because it could be a great professional development tool. For now, we have to wait for this kind of thing to hit the mainstream... if it ever does. With that said, there are still ways to inform those with less than stellar people skills of their shortcomings. You could gently, or not so gently, tell them to their face or in an email or whatever. Or... There is yet another option. There's a website set up where you can send a message to whoever you think might need a tip or two of anonymous constructive criticism. How constructive it is depends on how you approach your criticism or advice. You know though... On second thought, I don't like hurting people's feelings. So for my own personal selfish reasons, I hope those scientists hurry up and get their device out there. That would save the rest of us from having to be the bearer of bad social tidings.