As a leader in your company, family or organization you are often faced with helping others achieve their best. Below are a few tips to help you.

1.      Be An Ally, Not A Bully – To avoid putting the person on the defensive, make sure they know that you are on their side.  Start the conversation with a positive attribute or accomplishment that you have noticed about the employee.  This will help put the person at ease, reduce anxiety and make it easier to have a conversation about the mistake that needs to be corrected.

 2.      Be Objective – Be sure to focus on the facts or the problem and not the character of the person.  Remember, there are two sides to every story so give the person a chance to explain what happened from their point of view.  You may find out something that was previously unknown.  Also, gaining different perspectives on an issue will help you get to the root cause of the problem.

 3.      Be Solution-Oriented – Once the problem has been identified and discussed, moving on to a solution-oriented conversation will help you both make progress.  Ask the employee for suggestions on solutions to the problem.  Working on a solution together with your employees will enhance their commitment to the outcome.

 4.      Be Supportive – Many people need to be reassured after they make a mistake.  They may need to know that it is okay to make a mistake as long as they are doing their best not to repeat the mistake in the future.  Furthermore, it is important for the employee to feel valued as this will contribute to the employee’s commitment to the organization and its success.

 5.    If All Else Fails – If an employee is making a large number of mistakes it is likely that the employee is not a good fit for that particular role in the company.  At this point you should talk to the employee to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses.  After an assessment you can then decide whether to move the employee to a different role in the company or look for a replacement.