Page 142 - Becoming a Successful Manager

Giving the Gift of Constructive Criticism 133

sion. Acknowledge their limitations. Present your need. Request their
assistance. This is how it works:
Ask the manager whose help you need to give you a few min-
utes to discuss an issue. Most people won’t deny you that. Then,
when you meet, say something to this effect: “Like you, my staff
and I want to do the best job we know how. To achieve that objec-
tive, we need your help. I know your department is busy, just as
we are, but without your cooperation, we’re going to fall short of
what we need to accomplish. What can I say or do to gain your
department’s cooperation?”
By all means, use your own words. However you phrase it,
make your request positive. Never make your counterpart feel that
he or she hasn’t been cooperative.

Discovery Lesson

In your manager’s journal, describe expectations that were unfulfi lled by
three people who work for you.
Now pretend you want to deliver feedback to each of these employ-
ees regarding the respective behavior. For each unfulfi lled expectation,
take two approaches:

• Be a friend, and criticize constructively; present the person you’re
criticizing with a well-packaged, attractively wrapped, and useful
gift.

• Adversely judge the action, not the person.
continued