WHAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY THIS?

[Sheba Jordan]

Hey everybody...

Have you ever made a statement with good inentions, but it just didn't come out quite right so your good intent was mistaken for something cold and unkind and your whole point was lost? It would be right and proper to make an effort to be tactful when we find ourselves in a position where we need to correct someone, suggest ideas for improvement, etc. But this is a learned skill. And it's ridiculous to expect everyone to master it or even be good at it. Some people just don't know how to say it "right."

You might know somebody like that. As an example if you smell badly this person will probably say, "You stink." Sounds harsh right? But to some people, the only "right way to say it" is to just say it. Am I suggesting that this is appropriate? Not at all. (Honestly, it's almost never appropriate.) But I'm just saying, if a friend tells you 'you stink' don't let the sting of how it was said get in the way of you doing something about it. The same applies in business.

Should we discard constructive criticism because the spokesman was not politically correct in his speech? Shoud we write off a friend who was not quite the diplomat when he recommended a method to correct that thing we did wrong? Should we allow our pride to get in the way because someone did not carefully choose their words, when the meat of what was said can put us on the right track? Or should we listen carefully and consider the important stuff? Stop obsessing about the way people say things so you can grow.

[Vannessagrace]

I like the way you ended your article by putting the responsibility back on us.

[Sheba Jordan]

Thank you. I'm glad you could appreciate it.

[Savannah J]

Well said!

[Sheba Jordan]

Thank you.