Kelsey is standing next to Dylan who is on a computer. Dylan is using a smartphone. Kelsey is speaking with the team. Kelsey is speaking with Dylan with the team present. Kelsey is speaking privately with Dylan.

Scenario Four

Purchase Orders

Kelsey has noticed that Dylan, her direct report, has made several costly errors on purchase orders. She believes he is being distracted by his excessive smartphone use and team members stopping by his work area to chat. So during their next team meeting, she made an announcement saying, "We all need to eliminate distractions to improve our purchase order accuracy. Do you agree, Dylan?"

Does Kelsey’s approach to this matter constitute abusive conduct, or is this an example of constructive feedback?

Correct

Incorrect

While Kelsey's comment is related to the company's legitimate business interest, the accuracy of its purchase orders, the question directed to Dylan with others present could be embarrassing for him.
At this point, her comment to the team doesn’t reach the level of abusive conduct, but her question for Dylan could have been handled differently.
The better approach here is to address Dylan privately about the purchase order errors and speak to the team as a whole about the importance of eliminating distractions and interruptions to help avoid costly mistakes.