Title: All Those Difficult People by Gayle Carson
Some people are like Sherman Tanks. They'll roll right over you.
When they can't get it done, they scream and shout and jump up and down. Subordinates respond, but out of fear, and that's not positive. Then there are snipers—people who wait in the wings to give you that rifle shot and call you out when you make a mistake. Those are antagonistic people too. Exploders, who appear to have no hostility in them at all, reach a certain point and then blow up. Five minutes later, they very often forget what they even blew up about. Although they're not hostile people, they appear to be.
Your staff needs to know there is predictability, that you'll behave fairly, that you're not out to get them, that you'll respond appropriately, and that the same method of treatment is for everyone. One person should not get preferred treatment for any reason. The main task of someone who tries to create and maintain a disciplined environment is predictability.
Here are some specific steps that will help your staff work more effectively:
1. State your expectations. You cannot tell someone what to do unless you give them the reasons the job needs to be done, what the results are, what you expect of them, when it's due, what it should contain, and why it's necessary. You may have thought this all out in your head, but your people don't necessarily understand. Let them know where you stand.
2. Summarize. Remember that you need something repeated six times before you hear it. Because their minds are on something else, they'll forget what you have said.
3. Get feedback. Ask the person to repeat what you've said. What they've heard is not necessarily what you've told them. They've heard it based on what's going on in their mind.
4. Make sure you have the person repeat back to you what they hear you're expecting. Say to them, "Is this what I understand you to say?" Many times you hear what they are saying to you differently. This will avoid a lot of crossed communication.
Some people are like Sherman Tanks. They'll roll right over you.
When they can't get it done, they scream and shout and jump up and down. Subordinates respond, but out of fear, and that's not positive. Then there are snipers—people who wait in the wings to give you that rifle shot and call you out when you make a mistake. Those are antagonistic people too. Exploders, who appear to have no hostility in them at all, reach a certain point and then blow up. Five minutes later, they very often forget what they even blew up about. Although they're not hostile people, they appear to be.
Your staff needs to know there is predictability, that you'll behave fairly, that you're not out to get them, that you'll respond appropriately, and that the same method of treatment is for everyone. One person should not get preferred treatment for any reason. The main task of someone who tries to create and maintain a disciplined environment is predictability.
Here are some specific steps that will help your staff work more effectively:
1. State your expectations. You cannot tell someone what to do unless you give them the reasons the job needs to be done, what the results are, what you expect of them, when it's due, what it should contain, and why it's necessary. You may have thought this all out in your head, but your people don't necessarily understand. Let them know where you stand.
2. Summarize. Remember that you need something repeated six times before you hear it. Because their minds are on something else, they'll forget what you have said.
3. Get feedback. Ask the person to repeat what you've said. What they've heard is not necessarily what you've told them. They've heard it based on what's going on in their mind.
4. Make sure you have the person repeat back to you what they hear you're expecting. Say to them, "Is this what I understand you to say?" Many times you hear what they are saying to you differently. This will avoid a lot of crossed communication.