Don’t project operational issues on individuals

Don’t project work challenges on individuals. Work is structural and objective. When individuals do the work, the experience is subjective and personal. Work happens out there. People experience it based upon who are they are and where they have been. Only they know these things.

To communicate productively, try to avoid “you” statements (“You haven’t done anything”) that set up a cycle of judgment and defensiveness. Instead, try, “It looks to me like we still have a lot of work to do. Where should we start?”

Communication is key to valuable contribution. But in complex organizations it’s not easy to connect in ways that enable effective communications. Remember, the work is just the work. People do the work, and they do it better when everyone works together.

For more, see our entire article here.