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Slacker Manager

Focus on the error, not the person

by Phil Gerbyshak on October 6th, 2008

“Emphasize the error, not the person committing it.” — Terri Lonier

As a manager, it’s important that you focus on the behavior the people who report to you exhibit, and NOT the person making the error. Think about it when you give your team feedback.

Good example: “That was a bad decision you made. Here’s how you can improve next time.”

Bad example: “How could you be so stupid as to make that decision?”

The good example helps the person you’re correcting feel good, and yet still understand the impact of the errors.

Focus on the error, not the person who did it.

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POSTED IN: Phil Gerbyshak, management by quotation

4 opinions for Focus on the error, not the person

  • CK
    Oct 6, 2008 at 3:58 am

    Or in other words … address the issue not the person. If you attack the person he/she will automatically shut down and anything else said will be promptly ignored.

  • Chris Young
    Oct 6, 2008 at 6:33 pm

    I could not agree more.

    However… If the person makes the same mistake again and again and again… Then it is time to address the person.

    Love your blogs!

  • CK
    Oct 7, 2008 at 2:17 am

    The point is to address the issue BEFORE it becomes a problem. Still again, you need address the issue and not the person. It could be a bad habit, performance issue, lack of training, etc. It is management’s job to find out what the problem is and find a possible resolution.

    If it DOES go too far then disciplinary action would be the natural course of action. First would be the unwritten action, followed by the written … but why am I explaining this to you - you shouls know.

    But if things are STILL not resolved, I would even go further! As a last step, I would talk to the person to let him/her know that they have a choice. That we were letting him/her off for the next day, with pay, to think over what has been said and done and to determine if he/she want to come back to work and resolve the issue permanently or to resign.

  • All I wanna do is *bang bang bang bang* and *click, ching* and take your money « Not Organic
    Oct 29, 2008 at 8:14 am

    […] thing from Slacker Manager to ponder as I go, weary eyed, back to my reports. As a manager, it’s important that you focus on […]

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