We talked recently about managerial communications, looking at the various ways you as a manager can deliver your message and the organization’s messages to your team. There’s more to talk about there, but we’re going to tackle a different type of communication this time.

Mark’s core skill is coaching managers and executives on their effectiveness. These efforts take many different forms, because different managers have different strengths and weaknesses. Some managers barely speak to their teams, are not personable, and are perceived (rightly) as not caring about their direct reports. They wonder why they can’t seem to get anything done.

Others of us show genuine care and concern for our team and communicate often, but our desks are a disaster. We don’t know how our team is performing against the standards the organization sets, and we’re constantly late meeting deadlines.

So, different managers need different help in achieving what OUGHT to be our core mission: effectiveness, which is achieving the right results for our organization.

And yet, Mark notices that regardless of their other skillsets, regardless of other strengths and weaknesses, almost all managers and executives he coaches need help with what he calls micro-communications, which is a critical but overlooked subset of interpersonal communications in general.

So, in this cast, we address some things you can do immediately to become more effective in your micro-communications.

Last week, we discussed the “Listening” side of communications. This week, we cover the other side, the “Responding” side. Of course, responding when you’re in agreement is the easy part. However, how do you respond when you disagree or there is potential conflict? That, my friend, is what this week’s podcast is about!

It’s been quite a while since we talked about feedback. We think one of the reasons for that is that there’s some negativity to it. What we mean by that is that one on ones are an easy winner. It’s about your team member, they want more time with you, a half hour with you every week seems too good to be true. And, if you’ve stuck to it, you’ve noticed improvements in areas that go beyond just employee relationships. Maybe they’re kind of hard on your schedule INITIALLY, but they’re perceived positively.

Not so much with feedback. I bet when we even SAID feedback, some of you cringed. Even though we encourage AFFIRMING as well as adjusting feedback, for some reason managers have a somewhat negative reaction to the feedback model.

And we think we know why: because adjusting feedback introduces conflict, or tension. Let’s not argue the merits of the value that sandpaper delivers to fine woodwork here today. Rather, we have an additional level of learning for you to use when you deliver feedback. Or put differently, we have an add-on to this tool which will make you more willing to use it, and will make the tool even MORE effective. (Though those of you who use it will find that hard to believe.)

During the show, we make reference to the DiSC® Behavioral Model. You’ll find a useful summary of the DiSC model here. You may even want to print it out and have nearby while you listen to the show.

If you are interested in learning in detail about YOUR profile, you may purchase the online version of the DiSC Profile here.

The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking and Problem Solving

Why We Like This Book:

The best book on business writing ever. Barbara Minto has given us a step by step process for producing clear, brilliant, simple writing that will persuade as well as inform. It is not cheap, nor easy - but neither is running a $100 million business. If you think you can do the latter, try the former first. Because we’ve read your writing, and it’s not very good. (Mike and Barbara are friends - she’s sharp and wonderful.)

Note: As Amazon doesn’t have the latest version of her book, the best way to get Barbara’s book is to order it direct from her (the links above will take you to her site for ordering information). Let her know you heard about her from Manager Tools!

Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini

Why We Like This Book:

This book is fascinating. It will both intrigue you, and make you feel like you can trick anyone into doing anything. And, you would be able to. Cialdini lays out how to influence and persuade others by teaching basic principles about why we act the way we do, and why we respond to others the way we do. This is a core book for sales and marketing professionals, and any manager who has to use more than just positional power to make things happen (that would include YOU).

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Why We Like This Book:

This book really IS a classic, and a perennial best seller… because it should be. These simple, basic truths about people withstand the test of time: “A person’s name, to that person, is the sweetest sound in any language”. Like it or not, you need to remember people’s names. Those who do outperform those who don’t. There are two other books in this genre that we also like: Never Eat Alone, and Love is the Killer App. If you like How to Win, you’ll love these two as well. Buy this book, especially if you’re an IT person or an engineer. Mike and I are, so we can say that.

This is the first of 4 shows giving a high level overview of how to communicate with different behavioral styles at work. We recently used the DiSC® profile system to supplement the way we give feedback. This is a broader application of the four major styles of behavior in the workplace, and how to modify OUR behavior to be more effective with them.

After listening to the show, print and use the information below to serve as a quick reminder of some of the key characteristics of the high “D”.

Dominant Director Business Characteristics

• Prefer time frames
• Seek personal control
• Get to the point
• Strive to feel important and be noteworthy in their jobs
• Demonstrate persistence and single-mindedness to reach goal
• Express high ego strength
• Prefer to downplay feelings and relationships
• Focus on task actions that lead to achieving tangible outcomes
• Implement changes in the workplace
• Tend to freely delegate duties, enabling them to take on more projects

Dominant Director: Preferred Business Situations

• Like to call the shots and tell others what to do
• Like to challenging workloads which fuel their energy levels
• Tend to personally oversee, or at least know about, their employees’ or co-workers’ business activities
• Like to say what’s on their minds without being concerned about hurting anybody’s feelings
• Enjoy taking risks and being involved in changes
• Prefer to interpret the rules and answer to themselves alone
• Interested in the answers to what questions, not how ones
• Like to see a logical road toward increasing and ongoing advancement, since bigger is better to them

Discussion Forums

As we discuss at the end of the podcast, we’ve noted that although many of our listeners really would like to engage in more meaningful discussions on management topics, the blog doesn’t lend itself too well to the task. We’ve attempted to improve the situation by implementing discussion forums on our website. You can find the discussion forums here. We’d very much appreciate it if you would direct your questions and comments to the discussion forums vs. leaving them here on the blog or sending them to us via email. There are an awful lot of good conversations happening, particularly on email, that we would like to share with the broader Manager Tools community. If you have a particular challenge or question for us, it’s very likely that others do so as well … sharing your problems/questions on the discussion forum will allow all of us to benefit and learn!

If you are interested in learning in detail about YOUR profile, you may purchase the online version of the DiSC Profile here.

DiSC is a registered trademark of Inscape Publishing, Inc.

We hate to use the name headhunters rather than recruiters, because Mark never liked that term when it was applied to him. But it’s a pretty common nickname for a group that is playing an increasingly important role in career management today. The World is Flat has taught us that no job is safe (note even fast food order takers!). Companies are no longer taking responsibility for your career. Tom Peters believes in a Brand Called “You”. Your career and its transitions are IN YOUR HANDS. You can’t call yourself a smart manager if you don’t know how to create the right relationship with recruiters in your industry.

Over the next two shows, we’ll tell you EXACTLY how to handle it when a recruiter calls you. There’s a right way to do this, and over NINETY PERCENT of managers fail at miserably. It’s not hard, and we lay it all out here. We’ll tell you some basic things you need to know about recruiters, the guidelines for the first call, and the key questions to ask THEM. As well, we share how to actually address their specific request, and then how to maintain a relationship with them after the call if you care to.

Last week, we discussed some basic things you need to know about recruiters and specifically how to handle the first call from the recruiter. Today, we discuss the key questions to ask them, as well as how to address their specific request. Additionally, we discuss what you can do to maintain a good relationship with them going forward. Would it surprise you that it looks a lot like maintaining ANY relationship?

We’ve also included on the website an Executive Recruiter Cheat Sheet. Print this sheet out and keep it handy in your desk … it will help you remember how to handle that initial call (what to say, what to ask) and assist you in ensuring that the first call from the recruiter isn’t the LAST call. You’ll find the cheat sheet here.

Join in and discuss this topic in the discussion boards here.

This week’s show (part 1 of 2 parts) is about a rarely used but powerful Manager Tool, The Skip Level.

If you’ve ever wondered what was going at senior levels, and thought that if “they” would keep you informed, things would be a whole lot better, the Skip Level is YOUR way of reducing those problems in your part of your organization. The fact is, it’s hard to communicate even directly to your team. Many of us learned that when we “discover” our teams through One on Ones.

Skip Levels help managers communicate more directly and deeply into their organization. It can never take the place direct communications among teams and individuals, but it is a powerful adjunct to those efforts.

We lay it all out for you: their purpose, the basics of setting one or more up, what the agenda should be, what to cover and how, and, what the most important item on the agenda always is.

Other managers not welcome - that’s the Skip Level.