Re:DeepBreath: Preventing angry emails with machine learning
by JoshTriplett on Friday April 14, 2017 @03:00PM
(#14116375)
> Ideally, you say - 'This project isn't working because you failed to gather requirements from the right users." or "You spent three months choosing a vendor without proper due diligence who doesn't have a working client library, documentation, or a functioning test endpoint".
Both of those statements are completely reasonable. Don't conflate directness with anger, berating, personal attacks, etc. It's entirely possible to be direct without attacking people.
Re:DeepBreath: Preventing angry emails with machine learning
by HappyTypist on Friday April 14, 2017 @09:41PM
(#14118853)
Totally. It often helps to depersonalise the message by saying "this project isn't working because the requirements weren't gathered from the right users" tho.
Re:DeepBreath: Preventing angry emails with machine learning
by ignoramceisblis on Friday April 14, 2017 @03:19PM
(#14116498)
> Anger is definitely not okay.
This sounds like you're saying anger is never okay. Is that true?
Because I can think of many instances when there's something more important than "not being angry", and anger may be necessary to achieve that goal.
I also don't follow your prescription for roundabout criticism. I've worked successfully with many teams where we were much more direct, and we were very pleased with our outcomes, and fellow team members.
However the proper way to express anger in our enlightened business environment is passively and non specifically. "I'm unsure that this project is accomplishing it's goals." or "the team is having trouble with the vendor you chose" and then you schedule a 1:1 meeting to talk about it over a warm beverage where you adhere to a 10:1 complement to criticism ratio.