Talk About Your Own Mistakes Before Criticizing
I think it must be human nature that once we know and understand something, we seem to think that others should know and understand as well! How crazy is that?
We have spent our lifetime learning, yet we often get frustrated when other people don’t get it, even though their experiences are not the same as our own.
If you give this a little thought I am sure you will think of some examples of this happening to you in the past; perhaps someone spoke to you in a manner that assumed you knew something or other. They spoke to you as if you too had the same experience.
How realistic is it to expect someone to see things from our point of view even though they have not had the same experiences as we have had? We tend to forget that we have accumulated mountains of experience over the years that someone younger, or in a different situation, could not possibly have!
When you are called upon to correct an error made by someone, try to keep this reality in mind. Are we being reasonable expecting them to have known better?
Talk about mistakes you made in the past, perhaps when you were their age, or in a similar circumstance. This will certainly be relevant while working your direct sales marketing and assisting your team.
Chances are pretty good you made some doozies in your time, so share your past mistakes before criticizing the other person.
Try saying something like ‘do you think it would have been better if you had done …?’
It is much easier to accept a critique from someone who has just admitted that they too have made mistakes, perhaps ones more drastic.
Another great thing to remember: if you make a mistake, even if no one else has spotted it yet, admit it openly. Don’t wait for it to become an issue.
You just might, unintentionally, encourage others to do the same. It is always easier to correct a situation as soon as possible, while it’s fresh in your mind.
These are traits of a good leader.
