What is a Critical Friend?
We should all be celebtrating our successes but now and again we need to be self critical because it is through this process that we improve our products, our services and our personal offering. Sometimes we need a little help by the way of a friend, a criticalfriend. - Andrew Hutchinson
A critical friend can be defined as a trusted person who asks provocative questions, provides data to be examined through another lens, and offers critiques of a person’s work as a friend. A critical friend takes the time to fully understand the context of the work presented and the outcomes that the person or group is working toward. The friend is an advocate for the success of that work.
Costa, A. and Kallick, B.(1993) Through the Lens of a Critical Friend. Educational Leadership 51(2) 49-51
A ship in the harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for William Shedd 'The Critical Friend is a powerful idea, perhaps because it contains an inherent tension. Friends bring a high degree of unconditional positive regard. Critics are, at first sight at least, conditional, negative and intolerant of failure. Perhaps the critical friend comes closest to what might be regarded as 'true friendship' - a successful marrying of unconditional support and unconditional critique.'
John MacBeath; Professor of Education Leadership, Cambridge University
Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only idea you have
Emile Chartier
Risk and reward travel side by side. Avoid one and the other will also pass you by Anon
There are differences in emphasis between the terms ‘advisor’, ‘consultant’ and ‘criticalfriend’ but integrity must underpin the relationship. Much is to be said for the ’sophisticated client’ and success is often dependant upon the willingness to change in the light of evidence based research. An effective 'critical friend' must imply the development and deployment of a palette of skills and sensitivities. That does imply some investment of resources, which are indeed best served on an ongoing basis as we reflect and adapt to new contexts. - Andrew Hutchinson