strategy

There's no simple answer. The issue isn't a single communication, or a strategy. It's a deeper question of my own disappointments, or anger, or insecurities, or whatever psychological garbage is driving me at any given moment.

The problem is that the editor is the same as the writer. The same mental filter used to produce a communication is also used to edit. So the idea of producing an emotionally neutral communication is naive...

The situation that motivated the earlier post was an email sent to a co-worker critiquing some stuff he had done. It's my job to try to improve quality and offer honest critique, but it's not my job to go any further than that. It's also my job to deliver the information in a way that respects a co-worker. I failed in that.

It's a problem when the person I am trying to critique, in all honesty, is clueless and incompetent.... and they were responsible for a project that I am certain I wanted and could've done a better job with. So my own personal feelings got involved... In cases such as this, I should just remove myself from the situation and leave it alone, until I am sure I am delivering an emotionally neutral communication. Probably requires at least a few hours after writing to go back to it with a clear head and read it as if I were the person on the other end.

I just discovered the missing link. Imagine I am the person on the other end and think about how I would receive the information if it were sent to me. That is the issue. My communication is about ME, and not about the other person.

Aaah, communication is about the other person, not me.