My friend, Priscilla Richardson, publishes a lively newsletter. This issue helps in the practice of the fifth and sixth disciplines of workplace spirituality. Here is a copy of her recent issue. You can subscribe at her website.
This Year, Deal with those Turkeys
Word count: 389, about a minute to read
Every year I find myself very thankful I don't have to
kill the turkey we'll be having on Thanksgiving.
But what about the human turkeys you find in every
business situation? Please don't kill them! Jail is no fun,
as Martha Stewart will be affirming in a few months in
her planned best-seller.
What can you do when some turkey drives you crazy?
Defend yourself. And here are action steps you can use.
Questions become the answer.
Action step 1
If the turkey asks you personal questions, the Ann Landers
question, "Why do you want to know?" always works.
Try to carry it off with wide eyes and the sound of true
curiosity. Then change the subject.
Action step 2
When the turkey wants you to listen to workplace rumors,
or gossip about coworkers, you can say you don't listen to
such stuff.
Even better, ask the turkey, "How will that give us a raise
this month?" Or, "Is this the new order from the CEO?" You
can think of others.
When the turkey is a boss, see action step 3 after this
commercial.
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Do you want a 10% rise in productivity for
the engineers who work for your organization?
Call Priscilla at 540/992.1279, to discuss your problems today.
She has helped many engineers and technicians raise productivity.
Call today, 540/992.1279
Six good reasons to call Priscilla?
1. She listens to you.
2. She asks you about your operation, your office, your people.
3. She wants to know your objectives.
4. She starts with you, where you are.
5. She has never (yet, anyway!) criticized or called anyone down.
6. She just doesn't have one-size-fits-all solutions. Everything
she does is customized.
7. If she cannot help you, she will tell you. And help you find
someone who can.
Call today! 540/992.1279.
PS If you want me to reserve a spot on the calendar for your convention
or workplace, email
Guru@WriteSpeakforSuccess.com and
let me know what you need. My fall and winter calendar is filling up
fast.
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Action step 3
Another kind of turkey runs a team or group, expecting
two sentences of command will get perfect results. So for
those of us who aren't blessed with mind reading ability -
that is, everyone - questions are always in order.
Start with the old journalistic list asking who does what, when,
where and how, or why.
So if boss turkey wants "you" to do something, does that mean
just you or everyone in the room? Who else will be working on
this project? What is the goal? the objectives?
Is there a deadline? Or any preliminary or intermediate deadlines?
Who do you report to?Where is this project going?
And so on.
These are all perfectly reasonable questions about any business
activity you are supposed to work on.
Because when you assume the turkey meant one thing but it turned
out to be another, you get the real meaning of that word ass-u-me. It
turns both "u" and "me" into an "ass."
How do I know? I speak as an expert assume-er, having made at
least a trillion mistakes because "But I assumed . . .."
So the next time you need to deal decisively with a turkey you
didn't get from a grocery store, think about using questions.
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