Have you ever had the same conversation over and over again because an undesirable behavior or outcome failed to change? Perhaps it’s with an employee who consistently misses deadlines, promises to do better, then continues to be late. Maybe the conversation is with your kids when they don’t do their chores (again). The good news: you can stop this vicious cycle today by making a few simple changes. One of my presentations last week at an international fire chiefs’ conference was called “Stop the Insanity of Public Safety Conversations: Change the Context.” In it I offered four simple techniques to help change unproductive conversations to productive ones – i.e., those that change an undesirable status quo. Although I can’t guarantee that you always will get the outcome you want, I can say they will get you out of the unproductive rut in which you find yourself. Bonus: the techniques work both inside and outside any kind of workplace. Technique #1: Ask positive questions Sample scenario: A project for a major client goes terribly wrong. Which set of questions is more likely to enable your team to devise a productive solution to ensure it doesn’t happen again?
Technique #2: Change the question Sample scenario: Executives at a retail store known for its exceptional customer service must cut costs. Which question is more likely to result in a thoughtful conversation about how to ensure the store retains its stellar reputation with customers?
Technique #3: Change the context or focus Sample scenario: Despite all their training and discussions of why safety is important, some employees at a manufacturing plant still take shortcuts that jeopardize their safety. Which area of focus is more likely to result in a conversation that changes that behavior?
Technique #4: Change the level of the conversation Sample scenario: A department manager consistently misses scheduled meetings with his employees, causing them to make embarrassing mistakes due to the delay in conveying important product information. Which example below is more likely to correct this undesirable behavior?
Note: sometimes having the “content” level of conversation is enough to get the desired behavior; other times it’s necessary to have the “commitment” level of conversation. My experience is that it seldom is necessary to escalate the conversation to the “relationship” level. Each of the four techniques described above can save you from the insanity of unproductive conversations. Choose the one that’s most relevant to the situation at hand. While it may not get you everything you want, at minimum it will result in a more productive use of your time and better results than you have experienced. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of using positive language, take a look at our article The Transformative Power of Appreciative Language. To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.
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© 2016 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved. |
Posts Tagged ‘Optimize Business Results’
Alignment Solutions Newsletter: How to Stop the Insanity of Unproductive Conversations
Wednesday, August 24th, 2016Tags: Optimize Business Results, Organizational Effectiveness, reset workplace expetations
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Alignment Solutions Newsletter: The Paradox of Compassion
Wednesday, November 11th, 2015
The Paradox of Compassion
Compassion has two components: a feeling of deep sympathy for others who have undergone misfortune, and a desire to alleviate their suffering. It is compassion that leads many people to join “helping” professions or volunteer for charitable causes. Some organizations that identify core values identify compassion as a quality that defines who they are, as an organization and as individuals. People feel proud that they serve others selflessly and with humility. Yet most are fooling themselves: they are not fully compassionate. The paradox of compassion is that you cannot be truly compassionate toward others unless you first are kind to yourself. There’s a reason why flight attendants tell passengers to put their own oxygen masks on first before helping others during an emergency: you can’t be part of the solution if you become part of the problem. Yet too many people fail to make regular self-care a priority. The problem: if donned consistently, the armor of selflessness masks the seeds of self-destruction. You don’t expect that a phone whose battery has run down will work, so why do you expect that you will be able to perform at full capacity and be fully present for, aware of, and caring toward others when you don’t take care of yourself? The holidays highlight the conflict inherent in the paradox of compassion. During this time of heightened awareness of others’ plights and the sincere desire to mitigate their misfortune, people are particularly likely to put their own needs aside. At the same time that work and family demands may increase, they try to reach out to others in a special way to ease their lives. Their generosity stretches them to their limits and beyond. When something has to give – as it will – they generally cut back on their self-care, leaving themselves feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and perhaps guilty due to their lack of family time. Here are twelve ways that you can be kind to yourself starting right now:
What will YOU do to be kind to yourself today? If you would like more ideas about how to take care of yourself, take a look at our article 31 No-cost Ways to Take Care of Yourself. To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com. Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.
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© 2015 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved. |
Tags: Optimize Business Results, Organizational Effectiveness
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Alignment Solutions Newsletter: How to Optimize Business Results
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014
How to Optimize Business Results
No matter what business you’re in, people are the key to your success. Even organizations that are heavily automated or technology-driven rely on human beings to create the ideas and to run and maintain the equipment and technology that generate the revenue. Because employees’ abilities to achieve their designated goals determine the extent of the organization’s profitability and sustainability, it makes good sense to set your people up for success. To help employees become fully successful, I suggest to my clients that they create an employee-centered workplace®, an environment in which every person, process, system, policy, and program is focused on enabling people to thrive. Such a setting makes good business sense: when workers have management’s full support to use their talents, you end up with delighted customers, engaged employees, and a successful business. How do you create an employee-centered workplace®? Begin by focusing on four areas:
To learn more about creating an employee-centered workplace®, take a look at my article, “The Employee-centered Workplace®: The Key to Optimizing Business Results.” Or take a brief self-assessment that will indicate how employee-friendly your workplace is. To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com. Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.
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© 2014 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved. |
Tags: Optimize Business Results
Posted in Newsletters, Optimizing Business Results | No Comments »