Many managers are eager to compliment, but often neglect to criticize. It is so hard to tell another grown-up when they have done something incorrectly. But managers are responsible for helping others grow and need to help mentor their employees.

Here are a few guidelines to follow to help employees gain new skills:

1. Specify the behavior and criticize the behavior – never the individual.

2. Be specific in your criticism – don't generalize.

3. Say something positive about the person.

4. Show how you can work on the problem behavior as a team.

5. Understand how the employee feels and show your empathy.

6. Show your confidence in the employee.