How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie cites a great example of an employee: a genius in one capacity of his job, but a complete failure as the head of a department. They did not want to offend him as he was indispensable to the company. So, rather than try to improve his performance as a department head, they gave him a new title. One that allowed him to do the work he was extremely good at, while making someone else head of the department. They allowed him to save face.

Try to put yourself in any situation. How would you like to be treated if it were you with the problem? Try to consider the feelings of other people, and try not to hurt their pride.

A misstep in the handling of these situations can have devastating consequences. In a matter of minutes, it can destroy working relationships beyond repair. This is not something you want to happen in your Direct Sales Marketing and dealing with your team.

This is one of the many reasons why a reprimand of someone's performance should be done in private. When done in public, the person in question may be evasive about questions of performance, in an effort to save face. There is no need to try to save face if the discipline is done away from others, in private.

Praise, on the other hand, should be done in the open, in public. This helps to build confidence, and allows people to be proud of their accomplishments.

It doesn't matter if you're right and the other person is definitely wrong, you only destroy ego by causing someone to lose face.

Nancy E. Collins