Say What You Mean
“Say what you mean and mean what you say, but don’t say it mean!”
I recently heard this expression and thought it succinctly summed up my philosophy.
Better yet, I ran across some share-worthy suggestions supporting this thought. Below are some concrete examples that I found in an article on how teachers can soften the harshness of their report card comments.
Hmmmm….wonder if some of these not-so-mean phrases could be used when sharing concerns in an employee performance review…or with a co-worker?
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HARSH EXPRESSIONS vs. NOT-SO-MEAN PHRASES
| Dirty; has a bad odor
| Might need help developing good hygiene habits |
| Lies | Has difficulty distinguishing between imaginary and factual information |
| Cheats | Doesn’t adhere to rules and standards of fair play |
| Lazy | Requires ample supervision in order to work well |
| Rude | Needs to develop a respectful attitude toward others |
| Selfish
| Doesn’t seem to enjoy sharing with others |
| Has disgusting eating habits
| Could benefit from guidance on table manners |
