E-Mail 'Teaching Preparedness To Family, by Old Bobbert - Part 2' To A Friend

5 Comments

1. I get the giving feedback and giving it in a manner that will be well received. However, I find that people who have to give corrective feedback most often have to because they never communicated the tasks needing to be performed. Over communicate the specific tasks needed, demonstrate those tasks to them, and then observe the person as they perform the tasks a few times.

   In other words: Thanks for helping me split wood today. We need to split the wood into pieces no wider than 3″=4″ so they fit correctly inside the stove. Then we will throw them into a pile next to the Polaris (or stack next to the shed, etc.). Here let me split a few so you can see exactly what we are going to do. Got it? Great, try a few to make sure we are on the same page. Perfect, let’s knock this out. Done and done without making emotional sandwiches.

   Now you can spend both your and their time working and talking about them and their family or activities or their lives instead of waiting to find a nice way to correct them and having to go back and re-split wood.

   I know you used the “splitting wood” as a convenient example but over communicating works on other tasks and longterm project or goals as well. Remember, in nearly 100% of failed projects that are reviewed “poor or little communication of the tasks” is always #1 or #2. So over communicate on the front end to increase your success.

   1. Freeheel, excellent exposition. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

      Carry on

      1. WHAT HAPPENED TO ” ALWAYS A MARINE?”
         “SEMPER FI” FROM THE ARMY GUY – OLD BOBBERT

2. Great job and well referenced! Remember a lot of the articles you referred to in past years.

3. Old Bobbert. Have you considered sharing your work with other readers on a thumbdrive? Perhaps at a modest cost to offset your expenses?
   Keep up the good work.

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