When to Chew Someone Out?

I overheard a situation where someone was giving a well intentioned but poorly skilled person a butt chewing for an overeager mistake. Personally I'd have handled it by explaining what I see as the problem and helping the culprit see how he could fix it at best and at worst helping him fix it. I know Bobby Knight won Championships with a different approach. Thinking of working with my boy, I'd have been troubled but not angry if he damaged my lawnmower trying to fix it. If he played video games instead of mowing the grass..then I would be angry.
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I don't think Knight chewed out kids on the end of the bench, at least that's what I recall. He only jumped kids that were key players. Jumping on a lower level employee shows poor leadership IMO

 

But how angry would you be at the work you create for yourself when you realize you planted the wrench in the drywall after throwing it in frustration?

 

Depends on if I fix it before Mrs Crockett notices. I forgive myself for mistakes, but if she has to ask "What were you thinking?" when we both know damn well there was no thinking involved a morass of recriminations and ineffective defense will follow.

 

I think you chew someone out when they were only thinking of themselves and not others when making some sort of selfish decision that hurt the company. In short, you (the yeller) personify the rest of the company harmed by his self-centered decision. In this way, the person can remember the shitshorm that came his way because of how he acted and thus learn his lesson.

 

I would use the Kenneth Blanchard approach, or Barry Silverstein. They both teach the most practical and most effective strategies on how to manage employees.

 

I've used the three strikes rule. First screw up, I sit down with them and show them how to analyze the issues and apply the tax law. Second time for same issue, I tell them, perhaps I was not clear in my instructions of how to research and analyze the issue and we go through the analysis again but they explain how they came to their conclusion before I teach them . . . again. The third time on the same issue, I tell them, politely but very firmly, that they should probably reconsider whether or not a career in tax law is their true calling then steer them them toward the front door.