A manager who criticises you in public but appreciates you in private has leadership backwards.
Imagine making a mistake during a team meeting. Your manager immediately points it out in front of everyone. The discussion becomes uncomfortable, colleagues go quiet, and you spend the rest of the meeting wishing it would end. Later, the same manager calls you aside. --- "Don't take it personally. You know I value your work."
But that's precisely the problem. Why is criticism public while appreciation is private?
I don't believe employees should be protected from criticism. Mistakes need to be addressed, performance needs to be discussed, and managers sometimes have to make difficult decisions. But there's a difference between holding someone accountable and making an example out of them.
When a manager repeatedly corrects people harshly in front of colleagues, a few things begin to happen.
• Employees become reluctant to admit mistakes.
• People start preparing explanations instead of looking for solutions.
• Team meetings become exercises in avoiding embarrassment.
• Good employees begin to lose confidence, even when their overall performance is strong.
--->>> And perhaps most importantly, people stop taking risks.
Why volunteer a new idea when getting something wrong might mean being embarrassed in front of the entire team?
There are situations where a mistake needs to be addressed openly, particularly when the whole team needs to understand what went wrong. But the discussion can still focus on the problem without attacking the person.
I think managers should ask themselves a simple question before criticising someone in a meeting: Am I trying to correct the mistake, or am I trying to demonstrate my authority?
Because employees can usually tell the difference. >>>>> And if someone has done exceptional work, why not recognise it in front of the people who saw the effort?
A little public appreciation can go a long way.
Correct the work. Respect the person.
I'm curious about something. Have you ever had a manager criticise you publicly and then tell you privately not to take it personally?
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