A good win

I recently had cause to sit down with someone who required some feedback, a talking to, in respect of behaviours that went against the core values of the organisation and which had, unfortunately, touched a client causing a less than optimal course of events. One can never be sure how such meetings will go but I had the expectation it would go smoothly despite the subject matter.

Methods of delivering and receiving feedback is unique to each of us and we give and receive it in many different ways; there's a right and wrong way I think. I've learned over the years that it pays dividends to understand how best to approach each situation on a case by case basis rather than a one-size-fits-all scenario; doing the latter could lead to poor outcomes, disenfranchised and disgruntled team members and can derail the future which is never going to work out well.

It's with this in mind, and the desire for more favourable outcomes, that I've found it advantageous to understand how best to deliver feedback to each individual personally, to set the right mood and tone, have an agenda and the right setting for it and generally tailor it towards optimal results for all concerned; conducting the meeting in the right environment and at the right time then delivering the information, the facts and issues, with a tailored approach always seems to create a better way forward that works positively for me, the individual and the organisation. A lot of my time is spent understanding people, the team, and how best to interact with them; it's not just about attitude adjustments, delivering bad news, chastising and dealing with problems, it's as much about the positive things as well and most importantly interacting with each individual in the best way for them.

My meeting went well, as well as it could have, and the person accepted liability, took ownership, for their behaviours; it also brought some opportunities to light that management could improve upon, systems and procedures, which would assist the team to deliver better results to the clients and ultimately the organisation. I'm not saying that outcome wouldn't have happened if I wasn't prepared to deliver the feedback in the way the person would best respond to, but I think it was gained in a more personable way which helped maintain the feelings and integrity of the individual. It was a good win.