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This depends on culture actually. However you order it, though. Be honest and direct, and include corrections to give them a path forward. That's the best way

This depends on culture actually. However you order it, though. Be honest and direct, and include corrections to give them a path forward. That's the best way to end on a positive note.

BeetleB 7y ago
> However you order it, though. Be honest and direct, and include corrections to give them a path forward. That's the best way to end on a positive note. OK, I think your comment is the best example of why lots of people don't like the shit sandwich. You're literally acknowledging that the goal was to deliver the shit and that the ordering is just a detail on delivering it (i.e. the details of the compliments are rather unimportant, but the details of the shit are). Furthermore, the goal wasn't even to deliver the shit, but to "include corrections". I would strongly recommend people read good communications books (e.g. Difficult Conversations, Crucial Conversations, etc). If your goal is to deliver a message, with corrective action already prepared, you are not having a discussion, nor are you having a conversation. What is generally missing in such interactions are: - Discussing your role in creating the other person's bad performance. Take this a number of degrees further (the role of your team, department, organization, etc) - Getting the other person's perspective - Identifying barriers to better performance And quite a bit more. Perhaps many managers are open to discuss all of the above, but they never indicate it, and their posture doesn't match. Certainly, delivering shit with corrective action at the ready does not.
- slowmovintarget 7y ago
  Difficult Conversations is a very good book. I'd also recommend The Culture Map. Yes, you do want to have those conversations where you try to discover and work through the reasons behind behavioral or performance problems. When communicating the problem, however, you often need to communicate expectations. Discussing and listening to feedback on the expectations is vital. But clarity in presenting your view of the problem is just as vital, so as to be talking about the same thing. The initial discussion I was responding to was about delivery of an assessment. You should have many conversations and observations before you reach the point of assessment. Once there, you've moved on to instigation of correction or improvement (either for you or for the other person, often both).

This depends on culture actually. However you order it, though. Be honest and direct, and include corrections to give them a path forward. That's the best way to end on a positive note.

BeetleB 7y ago

> However you order it, though. Be honest and direct, and include corrections to give them a path forward. That's the best way to end on a positive note. OK, I think your comment is the best example of why lots of people don't like the shit sandwich. You're literally acknowledging that the goal was to deliver the shit and that the ordering is just a detail on delivering it (i.e. the details of the compliments are rather unimportant, but the details of the shit are). Furthermore, the goal wasn't even to deliver the shit, but to "include corrections". I would strongly recommend people read good communications books (e.g. Difficult Conversations, Crucial Conversations, etc). If your goal is to deliver a message, with corrective action already prepared, you are not having a discussion, nor are you having a conversation. What is generally missing in such interactions are: - Discussing your role in creating the other person's bad performance. Take this a number of degrees further (the role of your team, department, organization, etc) - Getting the other person's perspective - Identifying barriers to better performance And quite a bit more. Perhaps many managers are open to discuss all of the above, but they never indicate it, and their posture doesn't match. Certainly, delivering shit with corrective action at the ready does not.

slowmovintarget 7y ago
Difficult Conversations is a very good book. I'd also recommend The Culture Map. Yes, you do want to have those conversations where you try to discover and work through the reasons behind behavioral or performance problems. When communicating the problem, however, you often need to communicate expectations. Discussing and listening to feedback on the expectations is vital. But clarity in presenting your view of the problem is just as vital, so as to be talking about the same thing. The initial discussion I was responding to was about delivery of an assessment. You should have many conversations and observations before you reach the point of assessment. Once there, you've moved on to instigation of correction or improvement (either for you or for the other person, often both).