> When an employee doesn't work out, it is virtually never because, had you used different words, the issue would have been fixed.
[citation needed]
I'm very curious what your experiences are that lead you to this conclusion. It just seems wrong to me. If someone is spending too much time coordinating and not enough time coding or vice versa, you should tell them that explicitly so that they can switch their priorities. If someone is spending too much time writing well factored code and not enough time shipping or vice versa, you should tell them that so that they can change their approach. If someone needs to up their level expertise on your toolset in order to be productive, you should tell them that and point them to the right literature so that they can learn.
In none of these situations is it better to ... what are you even suggesting doing? like winking at them or something? awkward shifting in your seat? the silent treatment? using obtuse jargon?
Just tell people how you think they're doing and how you think they could improve! It may be awkward but you'll get over it...
You can take things on/off someone's plate, but you cannot improve them into good judgment. If you are letting someone go, it is almost never the case that, had you given a different set of tasks, they would have been a good employee.
Again, I think this just isn't accurate. Many issues really are due to unclear expectations. Maybe because a lot of people have bad managers who are scared to just give clear feedback...
[citation needed]
I'm very curious what your experiences are that lead you to this conclusion. It just seems wrong to me. If someone is spending too much time coordinating and not enough time coding or vice versa, you should tell them that explicitly so that they can switch their priorities. If someone is spending too much time writing well factored code and not enough time shipping or vice versa, you should tell them that so that they can change their approach. If someone needs to up their level expertise on your toolset in order to be productive, you should tell them that and point them to the right literature so that they can learn.
In none of these situations is it better to ... what are you even suggesting doing? like winking at them or something? awkward shifting in your seat? the silent treatment? using obtuse jargon?
Just tell people how you think they're doing and how you think they could improve! It may be awkward but you'll get over it...