Pen and NotebookThis is a guest post by business writer Amy Beth Miller.

At the time I thought that I was being clever, but it was one of the dumbest things I ever did as a new manager.

As I edited a rookie reporter’s story, I smirked as I typed “Sheraton is a hotel chain. The Civil War general was Philip Sheridan.”

I lost sight of my true goal, to train this reporter to be a careful and accurate writer. Instead of coaching her, I was being condescending.

As a manager, one of your key roles is to make your team members smarter, not to show off how smart you are. It takes time and consideration to be a coach, but the result is employees who grow and excel, and who respect you.

If I were working with that rookie today, I would take a much different approach. After reviewing her article I would sit down with her and have a conversation. We would talk about the importance of her reputation for accuracy as well as the newspaper’s reputation, and I would ask for her ideas for how she would ensure in the future that she never got another name wrong. Instead of telling her what was wrong, I would train her to analyze her own work habits so she could hone her skills.

While you’re reviewing your team members’ performance, take the time to analyze whether you are giving them the right advice and feedback in the most effective ways.

Tell us about the best feedback you have received. 

[Photo credit: www.flickr.com/photos/sparkieblue.]

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