About Anne and Outcome Thinking® Training

When did Senior Management become sacred? I am amazed how many times I see a bubble around Senior Management that stops people from bringing critical information to them. So how do you tell them you think their "great idea" is a bad idea? In order to handle this best you need to start with the facts and then some positive assumptions. (If you are going to make assumptions make sure they are always positive so that you bring good energy in to the discussion.) Start with the positive premise that your senior management wants to do the best for the company.  They would never want to do anything that would ruin the company.  They want to have all voices heard respectfully. No person likes to be told they are stupid in front of a group or they don't want to drive great results. You probably know some information they don't that will shed new light on the topic. They probably know some information you don't that may make you think their "bad idea" is a good idea. They hired you because they think you are smart and you will add value to the team. So let's start by adding value. In order to have this come off well you need to do three critical things: Find out what they know that you don't know that may make you rethink the idea. Clarify to make sure you understand what outcome they are trying to reach and why they think this will help them reach that outcome. Once you understand their desired outcome, recap it for them so they can tell you, "yes, that is what I am trying to accomplish." Once you are all in agreement on the outcome that is trying to be achieved you can respectfully talk about what in the idea will make that work and what will stop it from working.  You can then move the discussion around to how to implement. -Anne Outcome Thinking® training works to shift the brain from the defense to the offense allowing more focused, creative and effective long term solutions and outcomes. It will allow you to stay positively focused and in alignment with other's needs and perspective instead of lapsing into negative assumptions, and reacting from a limited and more narrow point of view. As a leader, you want to access your full brain power to creatively handle and address challenges and needs that arise and spark innovation. Contact us at 888-imp-9421, visit www.impressionmanagement.com, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Anne's Outcome Thinking® Insights

"The Banana Principle"

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Quotable Quotes

“Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.”

- Arthur Ashe

Outcome Thinking^® Solution

How to present to senior management

Situation:

I am often asked to give project updates or research results to Senior Management. I find that they have a very short attention span. Once I start explaining what I have found they interrupt me constantly with questions and I lose my flow. I feel like I then look like an idiot as I stammer and try to figure out what to say. How can I stop this from happening?

OUTCOME DESIRED:

You want to deliver your information in a confident manner and get people to listen to what you are saying without interrupting you.

HOW TO HANDLE:

The higher you go in an organization the more likely you are to run in to two very distinct communication styles—the Producer and the Networker. Both have a short attention span and both want action. The Producer is all about control over what is going on, being on time, and hitting what you need to say fast. The Networker is all about recognition- who is going to be affected by what you are saying, does it feel right in his/her gut, and what action needs to be taken.

Both styles do not like sitting very long to listen to information but instead want to take action on the information being shared.

The first mistake people make in presenting to Senior Management is trying to share all the information of "WHY" you have reached your conclusion. This makes you give too much detail that bores them and causes them to interrupt you in order to take control of the situation.

Senior Management is really all about SOLUTIONS, not why problems happen. So they are looking for you to share the following when giving a project update:

1. What is going well? (Because they want to duplicate it in the organization if they can)
2. What are some potential problems or areas that have fallen behind? Why have they fallen behind and what do you expect to do about them?
3. What areas could you use their assistance in?

Before you go in to present you should know what you want their energy focused on so that all your questions and flow lead them to that outcome.

For example, if you are presenting three possible solutions to management and you say, "Which of these would you like to go after?" They will automatically feel obligated to throw one out and they will toss out the one that confuses them the most.

If you instead say, "How would you like to implement these," they will direct their energy at figuring out how you can put all three in to play.

The higher you go in management the more to the point you need to be and the more time your time should be spent on solutions, not problems or causes. Focusing too much time on problems or causes will result in them seeing you as whining and not proactive.

Word of caution: You MUST GIVE THEM A ROAD AP for your talk so they listen without interrupting.

BEST PHRASED:

"In the next 10 minutes I am going to share with you what is going well with project x, what are some areas we need to watch out for and what we are doing about them, and thirdly, what areas I could use your assistance with. Let me start with..."

This lets them know you will be ten minutes and that you have three points. They know you are giving the good and the bad so they won’t feel they have to hammer you over the head to find out what is wrong. If you just launch in with "Here is what is going great with this project." They will feel obligated to interrupt you and challenge you on the areas they feel are in trouble because the last thing they want are any surprises with problems later on.

 

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Outcome Thinking^® Guest Column
Lighting your way with new perspectives!

The Sandcastle Principle
by Steven Gaffney

One of the Most Important Leadership & Communication Principles

I was jogging back and forth on the hotel's beach one afternoon in Ixtapa, Mexico, when one of those life insights — an aha moment — hit me. Oh, what insights a vacation can bring!

As I was running, I noticed some children diligently building an enormous sandcastle with a bit of help from their parents. The children were clearly having great fun. I surmised the whole project had taken hours. Later that day, I returned to the beach to watch the sunset and I realized that the grand sandcastle was gone. No sign of it remained. The tide had washed away all the children's hard work.

The next day, I went for another run. Again I saw the same children playing in the sand. They were laughing and seemed to be having just as much fun as the day before. There was no mention that their great sandcastle was gone. No tears of sorrow that all their hard work was washed away. No complaining about how life could treat them this way. No moping around or bellyaching about how great yesterday was. Then it dawned on me how these children could teach us all something — a very important life principle. I call it the Sandcastle Principle.

As adults, we work so hard each day, investing our time, effort, and creativity in many projects and priorities — some of which remain and some of which get washed away. But the truth is that what lingers long after the priorities and goals are or are not achieved are the memories we have of our interactions with others. Hence the Sandcastle Principle.

Think about it. In today's work world, we are seeing that money and employment can come and go. Fortunes may be lost, businesses may be shuttered, but what will never be lost is our legacy and the impressions we leave with others.

I'm sure if you thought about it, you could tell me who your best teacher, boss, or mentor was. I am sure you might even be able to tell me who saw things in you that you did not even see in yourself; or you could name someone who gave you a break when no one else would.

For that reason, I have two questions for you:

Who are you building sandcastles with? What memories are you creating and what impressions are you leaving behind?

The Shocking Reality
Unfortunately, if we look at our lives and the way we spend our time, most of us would discover that we spend too much of our time with people who waste our time. These people come in many forms. Some are self-righteous and not open to accepting other points of view. Some are pessimists, some are complainers, and some are bellyachers. Some are the people who love to point out why something can’t be done but don’t offer any solutions of what could be done. Some are the ones who ask us for advice but don’t use it. All are Time Wasters.

It is easy to fall prey to these Time Wasters, especially when we enjoy helping people and want to make a difference. But in the end it is always a frustrating and draining experience.
  
Oddly enough, we often expend a lot of effort on Time Wasters, even to the detriment of the time we spend with people who really nurture, replenish, and enhance our lives—the Life Enhancers. In fact, we often are willing to make withdrawals from the bank of time that we spend with these Life Enhancers and deposit it in the Time Wasters. To make matters worse, the Time Wasters may leave us so emotionally exhausted that we have less to give of ourselves—less patience, less guidance, less support, and less happiness – to our Life Enhancers. Our exhaustion and frustration with our Time Wasters may even lead us to be short-tempered or rude to our friends and loved ones. It’s a trap most of us have fallen into at one time or another.

What an interesting reward system! We reward our time to those who don’t deserve it and take away our time from the people who are worth it. What a shocking reality!

The Great Switch Multiplier
What if we reversed this tendency and took time from the Time Wasters and invested it in the Life Enhancers? What if we invested that time by focusing on mentoring, coaching, and advising people who want and will do something with our wisdom, advice, and counsel? Besides feeling more gratified and satisfied, we would probably produce more results. Why? Because as the most effective leaders and managers know, if we invest in the Life Enhancers, they will pay it forward. What we give to them is multiplied because as they grow, they reach out and invest in the lives of other Life Enhancers. An investment in a Life Enhancer is like dropping a pebble in a pond — the ripple expands ever outward. I call this the Great Switch Multiplier.

I consult with numerous organizations, and everywhere I go, effective employees tell me they wish they had more face time with their boss and members of upper management. What is even more striking is how often leaders allow their time to get swallowed up by the Time Wasters. If they would only refocus their time on the Life Enhancers — those who would appreciate and make use of more guidance, coaching, and mentoring — the impact to the organization would be profound.

The Most Important Investment
 In these perilous economic times, when investments in the financial markets seem risky and uncertain, there are some surefire investments we can make. We can invest in the Life Enhancers. These are the people you want to build your sandcastles with.

Some things may be lost during this economic downturn, but much of that can be regained. Time, however, is not one of those commodities. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. So invest your time wisely.

Here are four immediate actions you can take for profound, long-term impact:

• Distance yourself from the Time Wasters.
• Share this article with your Life Enhancers.
• Thank them for all that they have contributed to you and to your organization.
• Let them know that this year they will be your priority.

This is how you can multiply your effect and make a difference in the quality of your life and the lives of others. Implement the Sandcastle Principle and reward your time to the people who are worth your time. Then watch the results multiply in the lives of the people around you.

Steven Gaffney, President of the Steven Gaffney Company, is a leading expert on honest, interpersonal communication, influence and leadership. Thousands of people credit, Steven's speeches, seminars, TV, and radio appearances as well as his books and products with making immediate and lasting change in both their organizations as well as their personal lives. Serving such a diverse clientele has enabled Steven to create and implement innovative, cross-discipline solutions to achieve maximum effect. His clients include Marriott, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, BP, Citigroup, American Express, SAIC, Allstate Insurance, Blue Care Network, Texas Instruments, US Department of the Treasury, NASA, American Cancer Society, The US Navy, The US Marine Corp, among many others.