Disappointed Dad Face

I am not good at lecturing people. I tell them my message and let it go. I don’t like belaboring things because I know that I don’t like being lectured. I have a hard time drawing out lectures. I have a hard time kicking people while they are down.

Even still, the expression on my face told my staff all they needed to know. They called it my “disappointed dad face.”

Sometimes that’s all I needed to do. Staff were more afraid of disappointing me than they were of getting a lecture. This is because I built respect. I treated them like people. I accepted their mistakes and moved on. I provided feedback and guidance.

Staff who respect you will work harder to keep from disappointing you than staff who are working just hard enough not to get a lecture. If you have to lecture, you have not built a healthy relationship with your people.