Coaching, Mentoring and Managing: A Coach Guidebook

Opportunity Focused

View confrontation as a tool to build the best performance

possible, not as criticism. There’s a difference between

confrontation and criticism. Confrontation deals with issues of

missed opportunity ... specifically as it affects the team’s ability to

succeed. Criticism, on the other hand, usually deals with the

individual’s attitude. Criticism focuses on flaws within the person

rather than on opportunities for achievement available through

altered behavior.

Specific

Confrontation is very specific. Criticism tends to be more

general and is frequently couched in blame or fault. When we

criticize, we tend to use generalities— words and phrases like

“always,” “never,” “everybody,” “all the time.”

Listed here are 10 negative (critical) remarks a manager might

be tempted to make when confronting a team member about his

performance. To the right are spaces for you to rewrite each phrase

into a positive confrontational expression. When writing your

remarks, ask yourself: Would this make me angry if someone said

it to me? Does this remark close or open doors to effective

communication? Does the team member have an opportunity to

respond without incriminating himself?

Coaching, Mentoring and Managing

5

As a

StaffCoach™, you

exist to build up,

not tear down.