TIP 76
SAY IT LIKE IT IS, BUT GENTLY
True kindness presupposes the faculty of imagining as one’s own the suffering and joys of others.
Prepare people for what you have to say. When you get in the habit of stepping over nothing (Tip 7), you may find that you have some difficult, awkward, perhaps even painful or embarrassing things to say. While there is no easy way to say or hear these things, you can make it easier by conditioning it first. This is very simple. Just say it like it is. For example, suppose you need to have a discussion with your employee about poor performance. “Susan, what I want to talk about isn’t easy for me to say and may be difficult for you to hear. (Pause.) Your performance has been below standard ...
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