Don't Be a....But

Here's something that was mentioned at a Mediated Learning Workshop:

Refrain from using the cliche statements of, "This is a wonderful story, but..." or "you did a great job making your bed, but...."

When it was mentioned I thought to myself, "I don't need to worry about that. I don't use the word 'but.' I know better."

Or maybe not.

I've caught myself ready to say "but..." to a great many of things the past few weeks.

Using the word "but" after a compliment is the equivalent of saying, "Forget what I just said before because now I'm going to point out your flaws."

So, tell me, how can you bring correction or direction to a task without using the word "but"?