manavpietro's Journal

May 2016
1:10 AM IST

How to Support People When They Fail?

Let your people know that you will be there to catch them when they fall, provided they have followed the guidelines you have set for them. You are their safety net. Reassure them that you will protect them from the “wolves” that might use their failures as opportunities to hurt or discredit them in some way.

Reaffirm People’s Self-worth: When people fail, let them know their failure does not diminish their worth as a person or their worth to the department.

For some of your people, when you treat them in this way, you will be acting as the supportive, protective parent they never had. You will be the first person ever to provide them the luxury of being able to fail without being unduly chastised or degraded as a person.

Plan Your Response to Failure: What happens when someone makes a mistake that sends you through the roof? What happens when you want to rip a person apart for having made a mistake, even when he acted within the established guidelines?

First of all, it is important to recognize that those feelings are not a sign of weakness; they simply mean that you are human. The important thing is what you do with those feelings.

If you act on them immediately, more than likely you will destroy any trust you have established between the person and you. Any progress you have made in convincing people that it is okay to fail can be undone in an instant.

You will be better able to accomplish your objectives if you will abide by this unwritten rule: Never reprimand people unless you are in full control of your own thoughts and emotions. This way you won’t say or do things that may result in momentary satisfaction in the short term but regret in the long term.

It doesn’t mean that you never show emotion to your people, that you never let them know you are angry or upset. Showing your people how you feel can be quite beneficial at times, provided it is shown in an appropriate way and for the right reasons. When you respond constructively to people’s failures you are doing the single most important thing you can do to let them know that it is okay to fail.

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Username: manavpietro

Gender / Age: Male, 36

Location: USA - New York