Ezine Arcive

The Award-Winning Monthly Resource for Professionals

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OUTCOME FOCUS™ REPORT
Circulation 35,000
Vol 66 -- May, 2007
Publisher: Anne Warfield
Ezine@imp.us.com
888-imp-9421 or 952-921-9421
www.ImpressionManagement.com
© Impression Management Professionals 2007
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YOUR RESOURCE FOR CREATING CREDIBLE CANDID COMMUNICATION
 
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===================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
===================================================

1) What's In The News?
2) Outcome Focus™ Situation/Solution - How To Handle Difficult 
   Discussions Using Outcome Thinking ProGOtiation™ Skills
3) Anne's Aha- Find out how good your presentation skills really are! 
   Quick Test below
4) Resources To Learn More


===================================================
1. What's In The News?	
===================================================

LEARN HOW TO HANDLE DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS! If you hate having difficult
discussions, managing conflicts or negotiating, you owe it to yourself to learn
how to apply ProGOtiation™ to forever change how you prepare and handle
those discussions. Having a difficult discussion with a person or negotiating
does not have to be a sweaty business. Learn how to THINK so you set up the
interaction to reduce 70% of all problems! This program will greatly reduce your
stress, and help you be better at critical thinking.

Sick of feeling like you gave away too much, gave in to early or that you damaged
the relationship when you negotiate? Learn how to stop negotiating and bring
candor to the table with ProGOtiation™ "Anne, I used these skills to
successfully save our company $100,000 in one call!" PR, Target

"Anne, I'm seeing my entire team operate at a higher level of thinking. Difficult
discussions and negotiations are no longer postponed, instead they are handled
upfront. As a manager it is saving me a lot of time as I no longer referee." 
Lisa M.

REGISTER TODAY for the upcoming Outcome Focus ProGOtiation™ Skills
Experience.
https://www.impressionmanagement.com/cgi-bin/store/checkout.pl?product=PUBLIC

Date:  
May 21 - 22, 2007 (limited seating, contact immediately) 
How will ProGOtiation™ help me with conflicts & difficult discussions?
http://www.theimpnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=91

WANT TO BE A TRANSFORMATIONAL WITH YOUR PRESENTATIONS and COMMUNICATION?

Want to be more transformational when you communicate and move people to action?
Learn how to be a powerful presenter in all your communication- this includes
meetings, one-on-one situations, large group presentations and Q &A. In order
to be seen as a credible candid communicator you must master 4 steps to success!
This is about all of your communication not just formal PowerPoint presentations!
A must for management and sales!

Then register for one of the upcoming Outcome Focus™ Presentation Skills
Experience Seminars. Act now to reserve your seat before all the sessions are
sold out.

I did a speech for our January Leadership group of about 150 people. I had a
tough topic because I had to share scores from a recent survey and our group had
scored the lowest. I sat down and used the Outcome Focus™ Approach to look
at how we can take our existing scores and use it as a springboard for
improvement.

The speech went great - and the content and approach was "spot-on"! It was one of
the best days in my career. I had people come up to me afterward and tell me it
was the best speech they had heard in the company in the last 5 years! One person
said, --You have dramatically improved your presentations in the last two years!

The Outcome Focus™ Approach has totally changed my credibility and
influence as people see me as being about more than just my job. It helps you
speak from a broader perspective so that is how people end up seeing you. So by
utilizing this approach I was able to take a negative topic and talk about it
proactively and positively. And the best part was that it was easy to do! Thanks!
Megan

REGISTER TODAY for an upcoming Outcome Focus Presentation Skills Seminar
https://www.impressionmanagement.com/cgi-bin/store/checkout.pl?product=PRES 
- May 7 - 8, 2007 (Sold Out)
- June 21 - 22, 2007 (4 spots available)
- September 13 - 14, 2007 (just opened for registration)


What is so unique about IMP's Presentation Skills Experience?
http://www.theimpnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=91


==================================================== 
2. Here's This Months Outcome Focus™ 
   Situation/Solution: Handling Difficult Discussions
====================================================

Use as a training tool: Present the situation below to the group and have them
brainstorm how they would best handle the situation. Then share the Outcome
Focus™ answer and see how it relates or differs from solutions the group
found.

Your Situation: How do I handle difficult discussions? We promote a 1:1 approach
for conflict resolution and have a specific "how to" flow chart for approaching
one another. When it works it's great & then there are those circumstances
where:

Scenario A: Employee A asks employee B to help out with job duties. Employee B
refuses and walks away. A short time later Employee A asks Employee B if she
could talk with her. Employee B says, "if you want to talk with me about not
helping, forget it. You always ask people to do your work because you are too
lazy to do it yourself". Employee B then walks away. Employee A did not follow
through and didn't re-approach.

OR

Scenario B: What about when someone says something jokingly to someone but it is
not really nice? We have an employee here who likes to joke and for the most part
is ok, but occasionally, when I hear something that is not really nice and the
other person laughs it off, I get to thinking that it really is not appropriate
behavior. I can't remember the specific phrase that was said, but I do remember
feeling like that really wasn't nice at all. Do you have any suggestions for how
to advise or coach team members in these cases? How best to frame a discussion
with the other person or how to help one or the other frame a discussion (which
is my role in the process). Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

Other person s perspective: Why should I make any change? I want everyone to
work as hard as me. It is rude to say something directly to someone so being
indirect (Scenario B) is more kind. I want us all to get along. I want to work in
an environment that I am appreciated.

Best Handled: In both of these situations the real message is that your corporate
culture is one that is allowing people to live in double standards. Now it doesn't 
mean that you are purposefully creating that culture, it just means that it
does exist. So what do you do about it?

There are two parts to this solution.

PART 1: First, as a manager you want to look at what you may be doing that is
allowing employees to feel either of these responses is okay. Here are some
examples of things you may be doing and the underlying message being sent; 
1. If you "bend" rules for certain individuals you are telling employees that 
there are double standards and you are okay with them. Therefore, that would mean 
I don't have to do what another employee asks of me if I just find the "magic escape
clause". You need to have set standards and principles that ALL people operate
under- no exceptions. Coach Wooden had a rule that all players be on the bus by 6
PM . Two of his star players didn't show up. All the players held their breath
to see what he would do - for surely they would lose the game without those two
players. Coach Wooden told the bus driver to leave PROMPTLY at 6 PM . No players
were late after that date. At some time you have to take a firm stand that lets
all people know you are fair BUT firm. 
2. Ask how fast you are at DIRECTLY addressing problems and issues. Your employees 
will move at about half your speed. So if they see you delaying they can too. 
3. Do you joke about problems at the corporation and hope employees get the message 
behind or are you direct? They will mimic what they see you do.

Okay, so now you are saying, but wait a minute I wrote about my employees and all
you have done is talk about me! The first place you always want to start when you
see employees is to think, "what may I be doing that is allowing this to happen?"
That is the only way to stop the reoccurrence of the problems. You will be
surprised by how many times as a leader you do things subconsciously that produce
the opposite result of what you want.

PART 2: Second, you need to address these immediately with the parties involved.
In the Scenario A, since you were not there, you have to assume that all of it is
hearsay. So your option is to help coach the Person A on how to respond. And then
say that you would like to have all parties come in and talk about it so it doesn't
get repeated.

Talk candidly but non-judgmentally with both parties. This means saying to Person
A, "share with me what you could have done with Person B said that you were too
lazy and they weren't going to help?" Look for answers that focus on addressing
the problem and are not blaming.

Answers I would look for should come along the lines of, "I should have said,
"Person B, I understand you have a lot on your plate and that we both want to get
the work done. I am not asking you to do this work because I am too lazy to do
it. So let's talk about what needs to happen in order to get this project done."
If Person B is still difficult I would say, "Look we have to cooperate and work
together. What I am hearing you say is you won't work with me on this and you
see it as my problem only. If we can't solve this here we will need to get
_________involved. What do you suggest we do to get this solved with you and me?

In the Scenario B, you need to address the comment right on the spot. You can do
it by talking about what respect means in the work force with your entire team
and let them know what are some inappropriate comments. Tell them you commit to
not using them and you would like them all to eliminate saying any of them.
Explain how we all sometimes say this jokingly because we aren't sure how to
address them and what you want to do is have people address them directly.

You could also address the person who said it by coming up to them and saying
something like, "I just heard you say __________to Joy. If I was Joy the message
I would have heard behind that is ________________. I know you are a very
respectful person and would not want Joy thinking that you really meant________
because that would be hurtful. So what can be done to avoid statements like that
in the future even in a joking manner?

Let me give you an example: My daughter had a friend over the other day and when
I asked them a question she gave me a snippy answer in a voice and said "what
ever" on the end of it. Right there I said in an even voice, "Hey I never speak
to you that way and I expect the same respect in return. Okay?" and then I asked
my question again. Her voice immediately changed and she and her friend talked
appropriately from then on. If I had laughed about it or made a big deal about
it, it would have continued.

Make sure you stick to your guidelines and have no tolerance for people falling
off the wagon when respecting each other.

SPECIAL NOTE: Email Anne (Ezine@imp.us.com) your situation to be included in an
upcoming E-zine. If your situation is used we will send you a $15.00 Starbucks
Card so please include your contact information.


=================================================== 
3. Anne's "Aha"
===================================================

Enjoy IMP's New Assessments: Have you ever wondered how you really stack up as a
presenter? Do people really capture what you are saying? Are you transformational
or transactional?

Well, now is your time to find out! Just follow the link below. 
NEW QUIZ: Test out and see how you rank with your presentation skills: 
Presentation Skills Quiz
http://www.impinstitute.com/index.php/content/view/116/188/

******************** 
Quotable Quotes: 
********************

"The talk you hear about adapting to change is not only stupid, it's dangerous.
The only way you can manage change is to create it." 
Peter Drucker

=================================================== 
4. I Want More Resources So I Can Perfect My Skills 
====================================================

Order Your Success Tools Online:
http://www.impressionmanagement.com/products.shtml


=================================================== 
FREE ARTICLES AND BACK ISSUES
===================================================

We have many articles available for your publication, company newsletter, etc.
Articles can be viewed at
http://www.impressionmanagement.com/articles/index.shtml


All you have to do is print the article in its entirety along with the byline at
the top and the credits, and complete contact information at the end of each
article. I would appreciate a tear sheet or electronic copy too.

Back Issues of the Outcome Focus E-zine can be viewed at
http://www.impressionmanagement.com/ezine/index.shtml


=================================================== 
About Anne and IMP
===================================================

Anne Warfield, CSP* CEO Impression Management Professionals 15768 Venture Lane
Minneapolis, MN 55344 952-921-9421 888-imp-9421 952-921-9420 Fax Email:
mailto:ezine@imp.us.com Visit us at: http://www.impressionmanagement.com

"A true leader is not one you look up to because they are the best. A true leader
is one that draws the best out in you." Anne Warfield

*CSP- Certified Speaking Professional; a designation held by only 7% of all
speakers nationwide

Member of the National Speakers Association


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