Comments on: Correcting Others Makes YOU Look Bad http://blog.jvf.com/2009/02/10/correcting-others-makes-you-look-bad/ Achieving Fast Results through Powerful Communication Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:50:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The Trouble with Hearsay | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development http://blog.jvf.com/2009/02/10/correcting-others-makes-you-look-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-1427 The Trouble with Hearsay | Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:47:36 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=451#comment-1427 [...] opinions, I treat it the way I’d want them to handle it if the roles were reversed – I keep it to myself. The only time I will participate is when I feel someone is being harmed (and this includes [...] [...] opinions, I treat it the way I’d want them to handle it if the roles were reversed – I keep it to myself. The only time I will participate is when I feel someone is being harmed (and this includes [...]

]]> By: James http://blog.jvf.com/2009/02/10/correcting-others-makes-you-look-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-1132 James Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:12:48 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=451#comment-1132 Hi James, Thanks for taking the time to comment – you bring up some valid points. I think the key here is to know when someone wants to be corrected and when they’d be embarrassed by it. Giving a speech (or participating in virtually any role) at a TM meeting includes feedback by definition. You can go up to someone after the meeting and point out areas they could improve and you’re doing a good thing. On the flip side, telling a colleague that’s nervous about speaking to begin with that they had 7 um’s during their presentation in front of everyone else in the room makes you look bad. Does that make sense? As for people learning a new language, they are often for looking for constructive feedback so it’s okay to correct them – and personally, I’d avoid doing it in a group setting. If someone posts something on a blog that allows comments, then they are by definition looking for feedback (so you’ve done a good thing). Perhaps in another article I’ll get more into feedback – that’s a good suggestion. Thanks, James Hi James,

Thanks for taking the time to comment – you bring up some valid points.

I think the key here is to know when someone wants to be corrected and when they’d be embarrassed by it. Giving a speech (or participating in virtually any role) at a TM meeting includes feedback by definition. You can go up to someone after the meeting and point out areas they could improve and you’re doing a good thing. On the flip side, telling a colleague that’s nervous about speaking to begin with that they had 7 um’s during their presentation in front of everyone else in the room makes you look bad. Does that make sense?

As for people learning a new language, they are often for looking for constructive feedback so it’s okay to correct them – and personally, I’d avoid doing it in a group setting. If someone posts something on a blog that allows comments, then they are by definition looking for feedback (so you’ve done a good thing).

Perhaps in another article I’ll get more into feedback – that’s a good suggestion.

Thanks,

James

]]> By: James http://blog.jvf.com/2009/02/10/correcting-others-makes-you-look-bad/comment-page-1/#comment-1131 James Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:56:18 +0000 http://blog.jvf.com/?p=451#comment-1131 At the risk of sounding exactly like the type of nitpicker your article wishes to discourage, I think it's important to point out that some people, particularly those learning a new language, appreciate having grammatical errors pointed out, though obviously they also care about the way in which such commentary is delivered. Even most native speakers of the language in question wish to speak without errors, hence the roles of Grammarian and Um Counter at a Toastmasters meeting. Do you believe that every person who takes on these roles at a club meeting and attempts to correct people is making himself or herself look bad? As of course you pointed out, there is a time and place for pointing mistakes out, and a way of doing so with tact and dignity, just as with evaluation and feedback in general; I would have liked to have seen your article emphasizing this more, instead of the rather discouraging tone it took towards pointing out mistakes at all. At the risk of sounding exactly like the type of nitpicker your article wishes to discourage, I think it’s important to point out that some people, particularly those learning a new language, appreciate having grammatical errors pointed out, though obviously they also care about the way in which such commentary is delivered. Even most native speakers of the language in question wish to speak without errors, hence the roles of Grammarian and Um Counter at a Toastmasters meeting. Do you believe that every person who takes on these roles at a club meeting and attempts to correct people is making himself or herself look bad?

As of course you pointed out, there is a time and place for pointing mistakes out, and a way of doing so with tact and dignity, just as with evaluation and feedback in general; I would have liked to have seen your article emphasizing this more, instead of the rather discouraging tone it took towards pointing out mistakes at all.

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