Separate the Work from the Self
Critique what you made without turning feedback into a verdict on you
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Russell Kane describes objectivity as the ability to place a created thing—such as a poem, comedy routine, marketing concept, or relationship pattern—at a distance from the self. Once the thing is treated as an object, criticism of it no longer has to mean that its creator is unlovable or inadequate. The person can inspect what worked, identify what failed, and use informed feedback as useful input. Kane connects this habit to his creative-writing education, where he repeatedly had to criticize his own work. The mechanism is deliberate separation followed by practice: distinguish identity from output, find the weaknesses before someone else does, then revise. Repetition makes honest self-observation more natural across creative and personal situations.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO
Core principles
- 01A piece of work is a thing you created, not your identity
- 02Specific criticism can improve the thing without diminishing its creator
- 03Self-critique becomes easier through repeated practice
- 04Finding your own weaknesses first reduces defensiveness
How to run it
- 1
Define the object
Name exactly what is being evaluated: a draft, routine, decision, behavior, or interaction. Keep the review narrower than your identity.
Pro tip Use language such as “this draft” or “this behavior” rather than “I am.”
- 2
Create distance
Imagine placing the object outside yourself so its strengths and faults can be examined without becoming a judgment of your worth.
Pro tip Wait until the first emotional reaction has settled if necessary.
Watch out Distance should support honesty, not avoidance of responsibility.
- 3
Critique it first
Identify what worked and articulate the most credible weakness before asking others to respond.
Pro tip Make the criticism specific enough to guide a change.
Watch out Do not turn self-critique into indiscriminate self-attack.
- 4
Receive informed feedback
Listen for evidence about the object from people who understand the domain, then treat useful criticism as a contribution.
Pro tip Ask which exact passage, action, or effect prompted the comment.
Watch out Not every opinion is expert or constructive.
- 5
Revise and repeat
Change the object, observe whether it improves, and repeat the process until objective review becomes habitual.
Pro tip Compare versions so improvement is visible.
In the wild
Kane says his degree required him to submit creative work alongside an academic critique of what he had done well and badly. Repeating that process trained him to examine his own output, a habit he says can transfer to copywriting, comedy, and personal behavior.
→ Repeated critique became a practical route to greater objectivity and stronger work.
A copywriter separates a weak campaign line from their identity, names why it is too generic, asks a knowledgeable colleague for a specific response, and rewrites it. The criticism is directed at the line rather than the person who wrote it.
→ The draft improves without a defensive argument blocking useful feedback.
Common mistakes
Treating output as identity
When criticism of a thing feels like criticism of the whole person, defensiveness can replace learning.
Accepting every opinion
Kane frames criticism as a gift only when the person giving it understands the subject.
Using critique as self-punishment
The aim is to improve a specific object or behavior, not to rehearse global judgments about personal worth.
Is it for you?
Best for
Creators, professionals, and partners who need to examine work or behavior honestly.
Not ideal for
Personal abuse, prejudice, or feedback from someone with no relevant knowledge or good faith.
From the transcript
“a piece of writing is a thing”
“the thing's over there that's not you”
“practice being able to take the piss out of the thing”
From the episode
Russell Kane: How To Build Confidence & Stay Young