Your Friend Jamal Comes to You for Advice

Your friend Jamal comes to you for advice. Jamal's boss announced that performance reviews will take place next week. While Jamal is usually very good at his job, he's experienced a few setbacks lately. He was tasked with training a new employee and, owing to the increased workload, Jamal missed several important deadlines. Jamal thinks the best strategy for avoiding criticism is letting the boss know up front that the mistakes were not entirely his fault. Jamal's sister thinks he should go into the review with an open mind and hear his boss out. Besides, the boss might have good things to say. You can see that Jamal is upset. What advice do you offer for helping him listen nondefensively?

A) You tell Jamal he should avoid saying anything during the review and refrain from asking questions. After all, Jamal made mistakes and his boss's criticism is warranted.
B) You suggest Jamal take a few deep breaths and reflect on his good qualities before going into the review.
C) Jamal is right to be defensive, so you suggest he explain himself only after the boss finishes speaking.
D) Even though what the boss says may be hard to hear, Jamal should agree with what she says. He doesn't want to risk upsetting her and making matters worse.