They’re doing the best they can.
How often do we hold people to a higher standard than that? “They should know better” or “they should be acting this way” is far more common, particularly for managers and company leaders
That’s understandable! With greater power comes greater responsibility, so we’d like them to be better. But that isn’t always the case, especially in startups, where people can sometimes be promoted beyond their current skills.
So if you see somebody struggling, don’t treat them as an all-powerful inhuman robot that doesn’t deserve help because they “should already know how to do this”. Instead, take a moment to try approaching them as a fellow human, and offer to help or provide them compassionate feedback.
Yes, perhaps that approach may be rejected or even scorned, as some arrogant people don’t like receiving help. But I’d like you to try the experiment so that they have the option. Once they make their choice, you can respond accordingly.
#compassion #feedback #youhaveachoice