Correct fast, target behavior, and end with respect every time

After a product demo, a manager learns a senior rep skipped the required trial data and used a mock screen that misled the client. Within an hour, she walks over, closes her laptop, and calmly states the facts. “You presented a mocked interface as live data. That risks our credibility.” She pauses. The room is quiet except for the hum of the A/C. He starts to explain, but she holds the silence for three more seconds.

Then she shifts. “You’re one of our most trusted presenters, and this isn’t like you. I respect your instincts with customers. Don’t do that again.” She taps the desk gently, nods once, and leaves it there. The rep stares at his cold coffee, winces, and later messages, “I get it, won’t happen again.” The next week, he shares a checklist with his peers for demo authenticity. The issue doesn’t recur.

Contrast this with a delayed blow-up at quarterly review, where five items are dumped at once. People defend themselves, the core message gets lost, and the relationship frays. Fast, behavior-only, two-part corrections do the opposite. They protect dignity, make the standard vivid, and keep momentum. One engineer told me that the quiet three-second pause made the feedback feel real without being cruel.

This approach leans on immediacy (shortening the gap between action and consequence), specificity (targeting the behavior, not the person), and psychological safety (affirming worth while rejecting the mistake). It also avoids the “leave alone, then zap” pattern that breeds resentment. Correct quickly, then restore the relationship so people fix the work instead of guarding their ego.

When a significant miss happens, address it fast with verified facts, naming exactly what occurred and why it harms the work. Keep it short, pause a few seconds to let the message land, then pivot to affirm your respect for the person and your expectation that this behavior doesn’t continue. Close the conversation cleanly, without rehashing or simmering, and reset the relationship so the person can focus on fixing the work. You’ll save time, protect trust, and make the standard unmistakable. Use this on the next real miss you see.