Today, I’m discussing behavioral observations and the intricacies of describing them in professional records. While I’m sure many of the facets of what I’ve been writing and how I’ve been writing it are primarily supervisor specific at this point, there are some interesting aspects of the process I imagine are wholly applicable across the board.

• Stick to the visuals.
• Describe the behavior concretely.
• Avoid impressions and assumptions.

1. Stick to the Visuals.

When looking at behavior and trying to convey it to others, it’s natural to want to include aspects of character implied by those behaviors. For example, an individual doesn’t hold the door for the person just a few steps behind them. It’s easy to describe the event in a way that represents the behavior negatively. For example, person A “failed” to hold the door for Person B, compared to Person A opened the door and walked into the building without looking behind them. It’s about what we see, not what we believe. There is a time for impression, and it’s best not to include it when focusing on an individual’s behavior versus character or personality.

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