So there was a new guy here earlier, training as a cook, and I ran into a new problem I occasionally have with new coworkers: how much to tell them at once.

I had to tell him the first thing, because he wasn’t able to find the foot pedal for the hand-washing sink on his own. And it was helpful of me to point out where else to find paper towels if the dispenser is out… but those two things happened too close together, and I could sense his pride cracking.

That’s the problem. You want to tell people what you think they should know if they show signs of not knowing it, but coworkers are generally adults, and if you correct or instruct them too often, they might start to think they aren’t being treated like adults.

For extra spice, this guy isn’t actually training as a cook. He’s training as a manager, learning the details of the cooks’ job so he can manage cooks. He’s new enough that I don’t know him yet, but the average manager’s pride is more brittle than other people’s…