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You are here: Home / Blog / I’m Okay and You’re Okay (Maybe)

I’m Okay and You’re Okay (Maybe)

I'm Okay; You're Okay
You’ve Got This!

Not every day runs smoothly. There are days when mistakes are made, customers aren’t treated well and performance is not up to standard. Without a doubt, something needs to be done about these situations; but using the wrong correction technique may do more harm than help.

Recently a client and I were discussing a performance problem. Near the conclusion of the conversation, my client said, “My boss told me I was a good manager and was doing things well, BUT if I would just try a little harder I could be an excellent manager.”

So I said, “Your boss essentially gave you a compliment and then a verbal slap. And how did you leave the meeting?”

The response, “That I wasn’t doing enough.”

Everyone needs praise; everyone needs correction. However, it is rarely wise to mix praise and correction during the same meeting. Let’s think about it. A person who has high internal motivation for success will invariably consider the compliments as a pretext for the correction and leave feeling they’re falling short and that the boss is not pleased (no matter how hard the boss says otherwise). The excuse-maker will almost always downplay the correction and focus on all they’re doing well. Nobody wins.

What’s the “good boss” to do? If a compliment is deserved, give a compliment and leave it at that. If a correction is necessary, deliver the correction at a separate time. This way the person being complimented won’t become confused by the addition of some form of correction. The only exception is in an emergency. (Ask us for a free copy of our Coach’s Notes form for assistance.)

Here are some other things for consideration if you’re the boss.

  • Always calm down before meeting.
  • Make sure the problem isn’t a systemic issue.
  • Focus on the problem and not the person. (Some examples: Shannon, the letter sent out Friday had five typos. Our clients expect better. How may this be corrected in the future?)
  • Be specific when praising. (“Dmitry, you handled that challenging customer issue very well Saturday. You asked great follow up questions; the customer felt you heard him; and, as a result you got to the core issue which was very simple for us to resolve. Great job!”
  • Don’t send conflicting messages – a compliment followed by a “verbal slap”.

When you have people issues in your business always think Executive Advantage. We’re the people experts. Reach out to us below, or call us! 

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Executive Advantage provides business planning, human resources assistance and specialized training for small to medium sized businesses. We take a practical approach to human resources in recommending solutions to clients.

Recent Posts

  • HR Landscape and Review: Let’s Get Physical!
  • Is Self-Centeredness Killing Employee Engagement?
  • Employee Relations – Inspiring Loyalty
  • Is There A STAR In Your Future?

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