Criticism is easiest to deliver and hardest to receive. If you open with blame, the other person stops hearing content and starts hearing threat.
So begin with sincere appreciation. Name what you value: effort, intention, progress, reliability. Then the correction lands in a room with light in it, not in a room already filled with smoke.
This isn’t sugarcoating. It’s context. It reminds the person they are more than the mistake you’re about to mention.
When praise is vague, it feels like manipulation. When it’s specific, it feels like recognition. Be precise. Then shift to the issue calmly, as something that can be improved, not as proof of incompetence.
A good beginning says: “I’m on your side.” That preserves dignity and keeps the person open to change.