If you make a problem feel like a mountain, people avoid it. They protect themselves with excuses, delay, and half-effort. Fear grows when a task feels humiliating or impossible.
So shrink the fault. Break it into a simple next step. Frame it as an adjustment, not a personal indictment. Let the person feel, “I can do this.”
This isn’t pretending the issue is trivial. It’s building confidence so effort can begin. Confidence is often the first requirement for competence.
Offer a clear path: what “good” looks like and how to reach it. Praise attempts, not just outcomes, so momentum stays alive.
When correction is paired with hope, people improve. When correction is paired with despair, people hide. Give a ladder, not a verdict, and most people will climb.