Wisdom

“Speak only when you are sure that your words are better than your silence.”

Part of effective communication is knowing what NOT to say.

As leaders, our team members need effective, two-way communication with us, and they need appropriate feedback.

Make sure that you frame your communication in ways that build their sense of self-worth and self-efficacy. If you crush their motivation, then you’ve crushed the engine within them that works to get things done.

Never yell at them. Never publicly shame them. Never make them feel stupid.

If someone makes a significant mistake, talk to them immediately, privately (or with one other person, perhaps from HR, if appropriate), and with the assumption that you might not know the full situation. Give them a chance to tell you their side of it.

If the issue is a huge failing of integrity (theft, harassment, falsification of documents, etc.), then bring in HR immediately and get that person out of the company. You need to protect your team, your clients, and your company. But make sure you choose your words carefully, so that you avoid legal problems.

If the issue is a mistake—even a really stupid mistake—then focus on how to fix it. Work on the revision or correction. Get the person training or re-training, or put them into a different role or onto a different team. Understand that we are all human and we will make mistakes, and train your people into competent professionals who do what they can to make things right.

(image source: https://bsky.app/profile/wisdomposts.bsky.social)