Which would you rather hear: "You did it wrong." or "Next time, you'll get better results if you…."?

The power of positive thinking -and speaking- is one of the cornerstones of effective interaction in the workplace. Expressing opinions, requests, and feedback positively can dramatically increase the likelihood of achieving the results you want and, at the same time, help you maintain the relationships critical to your success.

Here are some guidelines for transforming a negative perspective into statements with a positive impact:

· Focus on the solution rather than on the problem:
Instead of: "That information is useless."
Try: "What would be more useful to us is…."

· Use words such as "could" and "would " to make suggestions sound less abrupt and more tactful.
Instead of: "No, that way is too complicated."
Try: "A simpler process would reduce the chances for error."

· Use the pronouns, "we" and "us" when appropriate to include the other person as a partner in the process.
Instead of: "The way you're doing it isn't very efficient. ."
Try: "I think we could save time if we….."

Now, put your positive power into practice by rephrasing the statements below. If you would like feedback, reply to this message with your revisions.

1) "That way of doing it is too slow."
2) "I disagree with that approach because it is really expensive and time consuming.."
3) "If you don't establish clear guidelines, the team's morale will suffer."