Your Approach Is Key
Each person finds that others aren’t always as proficient as they might be, or think they are at least, at everything. That’s just the way life is; none of us is perfect to begin with, and even if we’re pretty good at many things, none of us are good at everything. So, sometimes it’s up to us to teach, or work with, others, to try to make them better.
How you decide to approach someone is probably more important than the actual act of teaching them something. If you come at them too strong, they may rebel, or defend. If you aren’t strong enough, you may not get their attention so that they will listen to you. So, there has to be a balance between how direct you are and how non-threatening you come across to them.
For instance, it’s definitely better to say “I found errors in this report” than to say “You made some mistakes in this report”, but both might be perceived in the same manner. I would tend to say “I found some things in this report that we need to correct”. That way, it’s direct, but I make it a joint venture instead of outright blaming the other person for errors. It might not have been their fault, after all, so why put them on the defensive right from the start?
Of course, there are times when you just might have to be more direct with someone, especially if you’re talking about their job performance. It’s better on both sides to say “There are deficiencies in your job performance that we need to address” rather than to say “If you could change a few things I think you’ll do just fine” when it may impact their viability at the company, especially if it’s a warning that their job might be on the line. Many employees, when they’re fired, say they had no idea that their job was on the line, or that they weren’t doing well, whereas most employers will say they told the employees their performance wasn’t up to par. Being more direct at these times eliminates the hearsay aspect, and, of course, having it in writing is a must.
You never have to be mean to get your point across. However, making sure your message is understood in the most beneficial way to the person you’re addressing, for the particular situation you find yourself in, is always crucial.
