1 simple phrase to politely correct someone

Think about the last time you called someone out for being wrong or corrected, in a blaming way. What were the repercussions of the relationship?

“That’s not right.”

“You’ve got it wrong.”

The intent behind the language of blame is to be right by discrediting another person, and even if you have the facts correct, positioning someone else as wrong can affect goodwill.

It’s possible to get other people to see their own errors, rather than call them out, with the simple phrase, “It seems to me.”

“I checked the web stats, and it seems to me that the bounce rate is 30%, not 40%.”

This phrase can allow you to still be direct about what needs to change, without making someone wrong.

“This work isn’t up to our standards. It seems to me that our process has broken down somewhere. What do you see as the issue?”

Using “it seems to me” to set the record straight can help you be seen, not as an agent of punishment, but as a builder of stronger team relationships.