Correction Without Resentment
A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.
-- John Wooden
Coach Wooden hits the nail on the head. Looking deeper, I ask myself, as the corrector, "What am I seeking to achieve here?"
Constant correction, mostly non-verbalized, floats through my head.
Criticism, dissatisfaction, endless tweaking and optimization... what purpose does it serve?
What is the source of this correction?
Is it habit?
Is it altruism?
Is it a desire to alleviate the pain I see from watching you suffer?
Too often, my correction-by-habit makes my family suffer.
Sit quietly in a room full of children. Notice two things...
How little the master teachers correct.
How much the novice parents correct.
The frazzled parents beg for the children to listen.
When I catch myself, I slow down to see if the situation will resolve itself.
It's humbling to realize how much of the distraction I create by hurrying.
How do the masters get through to us...
Fix myself first
Shared laughter
Wait until asked
Keep it short
When I am tempted to carpet bomb my Facebook feed, I remind myself that the world is filled with good people, particularly in the homes of my enemies. What might those good people need from me?
Share a laugh, keep it short and remember...
...the important stuff happens under my own roof.