144 Ways to Walk the Talk - adapted from the book
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The document outlines various strategies for enhancing technical knowledge, fostering teamwork, and driving organizational performance through clear communication, continuous self-development, and effective coaching. It emphasizes the importance of setting high standards, recognizing contributions, and addressing deficiencies to maintain accountability and integrity within an organization. Key recommendations include outdoor professional development, proactive risk-taking, and a focus on results-oriented processes to create a positive workplace culture.
144 Ways to Walk the Talk - adapted from the book
- 1. Walk-the-Talk 144 Ways to Walk the Talk – Eric Harvey and Al Lucia
- 3. Develop and Maintain Technical Knowledge 1. Dedicate a minimum of 2 hours per week to enhancing your technical knowledge. Consider activities such as reading, observing, listening, and doing. The KEY here is DEDICATE time and focus.
- 4. Develop and Maintain Technical Knowledge 2. Divide and Conquer – Work as a team to stay abreast of the technology advancements. For example: a) Divide the reading trade and professional journals among your work group and request they highlight key information prior to passing the publication on to others; b) Ask others to share key learning from all workshops and conferences they attend – and training programs and webinars they participate in.
- 5. 2. How can I do this Cheaply? Look for free online sources Combine with other schools and share resources Ask State and Federal sources for materials
- 6. Develop and Maintain Technical Knowledge 3. Volunteer - for projects that will likely increase your knowledge, skills, marketability, and value to the organization.
- 7. Develop and Maintain Technical Knowledge 4. Actively participate in Professional Associations – Most groups offer e-newsletters, journals, monthly meetings, blogs, and opportunities to network with others in your profession. These groups provide great opportunities to keep up with new developments – usually for a reasonable membership fee.
- 8. 4. How can I do this Cheaply Start you own local, regional, or consortium organization Maintain a blog site or website Email “Chain” with colleagues
- 9. Adopt an Orientation to Action and Results 5. Focus on results-oriented processes and outcomes - that add value to the organization, rather than on “staying busy” activities and events that merely consume time.
- 10. Adopt an Orientation to Action and Results 6. Create a list of desired results – (End States) when planning tasks and projects. By evaluating potential activities against your list, you’ll maintain focus and increase your chances of achieving the results you want.
- 11. Adopt an Orientation to Action and Results 7. Go on a Work Safari once a week – Hunt for an important task that needs to be done… and do it! Then place it in an imaginary trophy case. You’ll soon develop a reputation as a great “hunter”.
- 12. Adopt an Orientation to Action and Results 8. Tackle important, high priority tasks first – even though they may be the ones you least like to do. Save the fun work as a reward for handling the tougher issues.
- 13. Expect Top Performances 9. Be conscious of the Self Fulfilling Prophecy – when you expect something to happen (positive or negative), you unconsciously act in a manner which makes that thing more likely to occur.
- 14. Expect Top Performances 10. Involve you team in setting standards – that are achievable but also require everyone to stretch their knowledge and skills. Avoid settling for mediocre or sub-par work. Remember that regardless of what you say, it is the performance you’re willing to accept that becomes your true standard.
- 15. Expect Top Performances 11. Think of each team member as a High Jumper – Celebrate reaching of new heights – the raise the bar together. But don’t forget, as you’re raising the bar, so is your competition.
- 16. Expect Top Performances 12. Make sure you Walk the Talk – Earn the right to hold others to high standards by meeting them yourself.
- 17. Resource “10 Reasons Why Leaders Should Model the Commitment and Positive Attitudes They Expect from Others”
- 18. Commit to Quality and Continuous Improvement 13. Adopt the 10% Rule – Set a personal goal to improve everything you’re involved in by merely 10%. Small improvements ARE “doable” and add up quickly.
- 19. Commit to Quality and Continuous Improvement 14. Focus on People as well as Processes – Keep in mind that quality is ultimately a matter of individual performances. I t happens one day at a time… one person at a time.
- 20. Commit to Quality and Continuous Improvement 15. Recognize and Reward – those who make improvements to products, processes, and services.
- 21. Commit to Quality and Continuous Improvement 16. Sponsor a Quality Art Show – Ask staff members to create visual representations for their programs, successes, improvements, goals, etc… The display these works of art in a common area or on a web page. This involves everyone in spreading the good news about your programs and reinforcing quality.
- 22. Be Student Driven 17. Adopt the following mindsets – a) Remember that everyone you come in contact with during the is an internal or external customer for you; b) If the students every stop needing you, so will your organization.
- 23. Be Student Driven 18. Learn from “Horror Stories” – Ask team members to share personal examples of poor teaching or service – along with the impact it had on them and the teacher. Discuss what could have turned it into a success story.
- 24. Be Student Driven 19. Deliver what the Student wants and Needs – make sure you are providing the students with what they want and need. Occasionally ask them if they are getting what they think they need from the program.
- 25. Be Student Driven 20. Build Business Partnerships with your Students – by under-promising, overdelivering, and follow-ups to ensure their success. Solicit their input of how things can be improved regularly.
- 27. Commit to SelfDevelopment 21. Become a Continuous Learning Machine – Set a personal goal to learn something new about your job, about your organization, or about your professional discipline every week.
- 28. Commit to SelfDevelopment 22. Encourage Others to Pursue SelfDevelopment Activities – Make time and resources available for them to enhance their knowledge and job skills.
- 29. Commit to SelfDevelopment 23. Learn by Teaching – Volunteer to be an instructor for classes or training programs. You’ll develop better knowledge about the subjects and you will be better able to help others develop and grow.
- 30. Commit to SelfDevelopment 24. Look Beyond Your Profession – Consider pursuing developmental activities that have nothing to do with your job directly, but can help you grow as a person. You will be surprised at how much “unrelated” learning can positively impact your job performance.
- 31. 24. What are some examples? Yoga Meditation Classes Anger Management Courses Relaxation Seminars Massages Creative Writing Classes
- 32. Make Timely and ValuesDriven Decisions 25. Avoid the Decision Making Extremes – a) Knee jerk reactions; b) Paralysis of Analysis
- 33. Make Timely and ValuesDriven Decisions 26. Involve Decision Implementers” in the Decision Making Process – Consider the ideas and opinions of those who will be “doing the work”. They frequently have good ideas and have a great deal to contribute. In addition, they are much more likely to embrace and support any decision they helped to make.
- 34. Make Timely and ValuesDriven Decisions 27. Become an “In-Sync-Erator” – Ensure your decisions are in-sync with the organizations values before you implement them.
- 35. Make Timely and ValuesDriven Decisions 28. Decision Explaining – When you announce a decision, it is always best to explain the reason for the decision, and the process by which the decision was reached
- 36. Make Timely and ValuesDriven Decisions
- 37. Solve Problems Effectively 29. Adopt the Solution-Plus-One Rule – Develop and consider at least 2 solutions for issue or problem you face. Don’t “run” with the first idea that comes into your mind unless you are positive that it is the very best play.
- 38. Solve Problems Effectively 30. Conduct a Pro-versus-Con Analysis – on all proposed solutions. Consider all of the relevant facts and issues – as well as the probable perceptions of the people who will be impacted. Eliminate those solutions with significantly more downsides.
- 39. Solve Problems Effectively 31. Avoid Negative Returns – by making sure that the ultimate of cost of the solution (money, time, effect on others, etc…) is LESS than the cost of the problem.
- 40. Solve Problems Effectively 32. Seek “Win – Win” Solutions – Whenever possible, adopt those solutions through which the most people are positively impacted.. And the fewest are negatively impacted.
- 41. Be Flexible 33. Encourage others to break with tradition – when appropriate, in order to find better ways of doing things. Remember: If you continue doing what you have always done, you will continue to get the same results.
- 42. Be Flexible 34. Be Open Minded – Remember that not everyone may do things exactly as you would do them. You might even discover that their way is better sometimes.
- 43. Be Flexible 35. Eliminate “Stop Signs to Progress” – by avoiding statements like: We’ve tried that before it does not work. That’s not the way we do it here. That will never work.
- 44. Be Flexible 36. Do not cast all Decisions in Cement – Be willing to modify them as changing circumstances or data dictate.
- 45. Learn from the Aesop Fable
- 46. Support Risk Taking 37. Intelligent Risk Taking – Work with team members to develop a shared definition for intelligent risk taking to be used as a guideline for future activities.
- 47. Support Risk Taking 38. Be able to identify behaviors that encourage and discourage risk taking – Make a commitment to adopt encouraging behaviors and avoid discouraging ones, and ask others to do the same.
- 48. Support Risk Taking 39. Make it OK to occasionally Fail – Turn failures into developmental experiences by asking question like: What is positive about this? What have we learned from this? How can we do better next time?
- 49. Support Risk Taking 40. Recognize and Celebrate Intelligent Risk Taking – regardless of the outcome, make it something to brag about. Consider having an “Innovative Mind of the Month Award”
- 50. Resolve Disputes Fairly 41. Remember that “Stuff” happens – Disputes are the natural outcomes of people working together. So expect problems and accept the challenge of resolving them as an opportunity to eliminate obstacles to organizational effectiveness.
- 51. Resolve Disputes Fairly 42. Make sure your “Open Door” is really open – Encourage members of your work groups to bring their complaints to you – and don’t become defensive when they do.
- 52. Resolve Disputes Fairly 43. Investigate and Resolve all Complaints – Always investigate all complaints and make a sincere effort to resolve them as quickly as possible. Handle them as though they are a top priority, because that is exactly what they are to the people complaining.
- 53. Resolve Disputes Fairly 44. Focus on WHAT is right and not on WHO is right – Do not let unrelated issues or your feelings about certain people (positive or negative) bias your decisions.
- 54. Resource “How to Resolve Conflicts in a C.A.L.M. Fashion”
- 55. Positively Manage Crisis Situations 45. Approach Crises as a Team – Allow everyone to own a piece of the problem. Do not be the over protective parent trying to shield your people. Capitalize on individual strengths and give everyone the opportunity to contribute to the solution.
- 56. Positively Manage Crisis Situations 46. Critically Assess Yourself, and Ask for Feedback – Assess your performances in crisis situations and ask others to honestly evaluate how you handled these situations too.
- 57. Positively Manage Crisis Situations 47. Over-Communicate to Inform and Keep Down the Rumor Mill – Consider implementing the 5/3 Status Briefing - 5 minutes updates 3 times a day (Beginning, Middle, and End of the Day).
- 58. Positively Manage Crisis Situations 48. Conclude Each Crisis with a PostMortem Celebration – Review what happened, identify key learning that can be applied in the future, and celebrate the accomplishment of getting through together.
- 60. Provide Recognition 49. Be A Star Catcher – Regularly catch people doing things right and recognize them for it. Make recognition self-perpetuating by recognizing people who recognize others.
- 61. Provide Recognition 50. Develop a Recognition List – Create a list of at least 20 ideas of how you can recognize people for their performances, accomplishments, or contributions. Some ideas are: E-cards Special privileges Small gifts Praise-A-Gram
- 62. Provide Recognition 51. Customize the Recognition You Provide – Ask members of your team how they can best be rewarded and try to provide it.
- 63. Provide Recognition 52. Let Everyone “Hold the Trophy” – Always be sure that every contributing member shares in the recognition.
- 65. Coach Others 53. Pay Attention to “Middle Stars” – Avoid the trap of only paying attention to the “Super Stars” and the “Fallen Stars”; most team members shine somewhere in the middle.
- 66. Coach Others 54. Schedule Short Meetings Once Every 2 to 3 Weeks – Discuss their work in progress, provide feedback, and ask how you and others can help their success.
- 67. Coach Others 55. Go Back To School – keep on top of things! Read articles, read books, watch videos, listen to tapes, attend workshops and always APPLY whatever you learn.
- 68. Coach Others 56. Build an Everyone’s a COACH Environment – Begin by identifying good characteristics a good coach possesses. Then ask team members for there commitment to the goals. Provide training if needed.
- 69. Minimize Obstacles 57. Create an Obstacles List – Have each team member list 3 obstacles they face in being successful in their job. Create a master list and begin to develop strategies to address these obstacles. Be sure to reward members for identifying obstacles.
- 70. Minimize Obstacles 58. Identify Who Has Control Over the Obstacle – If you do not have direct control over an obstacle identify who does. Address these obstacles with the proper people. Sometimes it only takes bringing it to someone’s attention to get it solved.
- 71. Minimize Obstacles 59. Find Out if You Are an Obstacle – Ask others if you, or something you are doing is creating an obstacle for them. Do not be defensive, and try to address the issue and eliminate the obstacle.
- 72. Minimize Obstacles 60. Benchmark the Best – Study others with outstanding programs and success and learn from them. Also study or review case studies of programs or schools that failed and learn from others mistakes.
- 73. Provide Feedback 61. Make Expectations Clear – Make sure that everyone knows and understands clearly what your expectations are. Feedback is most effective when people know the standards by which they are being judged.
- 74. Provide Feedback 62. Provide Feedback Weekly – Commit to providing every team member some feedback each week.
- 75. Provide Feedback 63. Make Sure Your Feedback Passes the Tips Test – Timely – Given as soon as possible. Individualized – Tailored to the receiver. Productive – Focuses on the performance not the performer. Specific – Pinpoints observable actions and behaviors.
- 76. Provide Feedback 64. Solicit Feedback on Your Feedback – Ask others to critique your verbal as well as nonverbal feedback. Remember that expressions and body language often communicate stronger than any words.
- 77. Apply Rules Fairly and Consistently 65. Ensure Understanding – Make sure everyone understands the importance of, reasons for, and specific details of work rules and organizational policies.
- 78. Apply Rules Fairly and Consistently 66. As a Group Define Fairness and Consistency – As it relates to policy and rules. Use those definitions as guideline for yourself and others.
- 79. Apply Rules Fairly and Consistently 67. Don’t Ignore Bad Rules and Policies – Try to get those changed. Study and be prepared to explain why the change is needed and be prepared to offer a couple of alternatives.
- 80. Apply Rules Fairly and Consistently 68. Create a List of “Other Rules of the Road” – Examples would be respect for others, practicing open and honest communication, etc… and treat those rules as equally important.
- 81. Address Deficiencies 69. Pay Attention to When Someone Has a Performance Problem – Unaddressed deficiencies have a negative effect on everyone. Dealing with these deficiencies early can prevent them from growing into a major problem.
- 82. Address Deficiencies 70. Investigate Every Deficiency to Uncover the Root Cause – Identify where the problem stems from and then address the problem. If the problem is a lack of skill, provide training. If you believe the person can perform, but is not doing so, review the standards required and make them accountable.
- 83. Address Deficiencies 71. Follow-up for Follow-Through – Follow up any initial meeting with a couple of short meetings to assess progress and encouraged continued improvement.
- 84. Address Deficiencies 72. Treat People as Adults – Never assume total responsibility for correcting someone else’s deficiencies. If you alone take the responsibility, they become nonresponsible.
- 85. Use Discipline Appropriately 73. Try a Positive Approach to Discipline – Focus on correction and individual responsibility and NOT on blame and punishment. Avoid perspectives like “write you up” and “Punishment fits the crime”.
- 86. Use Discipline Appropriately 74. Never Document a Discipline Problem Without Addressing the Person First – A good rule of thumb is, “If it is important enough to document, it is important enough to talk about”. Problem! Problem!
- 87. Use Discipline Appropriately 75. Disciplinary Discussions – When conducting a disciplinary discussion focus on the particular problem and its impact on the team or school. Deal with specific facts and behaviors, not on personality or attitude traits. This will help to avoid a defensiveness.
- 88. Use Discipline Appropriately 76. Apply Discipline Effectively – Ensure that a) your process and decisions are fair and consistent; b) your overall objective is to build commitment rather than force compliance.
- 90. Perform with Integrity 77. Everyone Must Play by the Same Rules – Rank may have its privileges but not when it comes to lapses in integrity.
- 91. Perform with Integrity 78. Nobody is Perfect – Everyone makes mistakes, even those in charge. When you make a mistake, admit to them and apologize for any negative impacts it might have had on anyone. How you recover from a mistake is the real measure of integrity.
- 92. Perform with Integrity 79. Be a Person of Your Word – Write down all promises and agreements you make and honor them. Remember; one broken promise overshadows five promises kept.
- 93. Perform with Integrity 80. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide – Always do the right thing no matter how unpopular, inconvenient, or painful it may seem. That is Integrity .
- 94. Resource
- 95. Resource #2
- 96. Support Organizational Values 81. Provide Everyone a Copy of Your Mission, Vision, and Values – Adopt the mindset that these are important to you and should be used daily guidelines.
- 97. Support Organizational Values 82. Enlist Your Staff in the “Values Patrol” – Encourage everyone to notice and comment on anyone not supported the teams values and goals. Make it a game, appoint a Monthly “values officer”.
- 98. Support Organizational Values 83. Develop Rewards for Behavior in sync with the Organizations Values – Work on a list to reward those adhering to the organization’s values, and once you have a list of 15 or more, start implementing the rewards.
- 99. Support Organizational Values 84. Planning Projects and Activities – Write down what you intend to accomplish at these events and add the phrase, “In a way that supports and furthers our organizational values”. Evaluate your plan and the end results.
- 100. Accept and Meet Responsibilities 85. Ensure That Responsibilities are Clearly Defined and Commonly Understood – Discuss it! Do not assume that everyone knows how is responsible for what.
- 101. Accept and Meet Responsibilities 86. Be Selfish – Never share the blame for your mistake.
- 102. Accept and Meet Responsibilities 87. Volunteer to Take on Additional Responsibilities and Duties – especially when nobody else wants to. This may make more work for you initially, but your gesture should encourage others to volunteer and get more involved in the future.
- 103. Accept and Meet Responsibilities 88. Check the Mirror First – Make sure you are meeting all of your responsibilities before holding others responsible for theirs.
- 104. Handle Authority Appropriately 89. Adopt the Mindset That Your Staff Does Not Work for You – You work with each other, and you should refer to them as the people you work with.
- 105. Handle Authority Appropriately 90. Avoid “My Way or the Highway” Thinking and Behaviors – These are counterproductive and limit possibilities of discovering new and better ways to do things.
- 106. Handle Authority Appropriately 91. “I Do My Most Effective Work for Leaders Who…” – Make a list completing that sentence and use it as your guide to lead others.
- 107. Handle Authority Appropriately 92. With Authority Comes Responsibility – You must use it wisely, sparingly, and for the benefit of everyone. An organization can bestow a leadership title, but it is up to you to earn it.
- 108. Empower Others 93. Share Authority – Let each team member be the “owner” of something meaningful; a process, a database, piece of equipment, a room, etc… having real and recognized authority changes the scope and perception of a responsibility that is already part of the job description.
- 109. Empower Others 94. Create Opportunities for NonAdministrative Faculty to Shine – Invite them to lead task forces, projects, committees and you may discover some hidden talents and assets.
- 110. Empower Others 95. Never Turn Your Back on People After Giving Them Authority – Instead increase communication, feedback, and interaction. Help them be successful by providing them with help, resources and parameters.
- 111. Empower Others 96. Speak EMPOWERESE – Add statements, like these to your vocabulary: Would you like to take the lead on this one? How can I best support you? It’s you call on this one. I trust your judgment.
- 112. Support Teamwork 97. Team Approaches May take Longer – Sometimes a team approach may take longer, but they usually add more value and produce better results in the long run.
- 113. Support Teamwork 98. Make Teamwork a Stated Performance Expectation – Involve others in creating a list of factors and characteristics required for successful teamwork; and then hold everyone accountable of honoring and implementing those.
- 114. Support Teamwork 99. Provide Training and Coaching – Don’t assume people will or know how to work well as a team. It might require some workshops or training.
- 115. Support Teamwork 100. Recruit and Select People Who Have Walk-In Teamwork Behaviors – It is difficult to change behaviors or employees you have without bringing in new human obstacles.
- 116. Resource
- 117. Enhance the Work Environment 101. Hold Everyone Accountable – for their jobs so nobody has to take up the slack for anyone.
- 118. Enhance the Work Environment 102. Have Team Members Submit Ideas – for enhancing the quality of the work environment. Create a master list to work from and implement the doable ones as quickly as possible.
- 119. Enhance the Work Environment 103. Place “Quality of Work Life” on the Agenda – regularly and solicit feedback on how the group is doing and where you can make improvements.
- 120. Enhance the Work Environment 104. Recruit an “Ambassador of Fun” – Have resources Available for this person to bring enjoyment into the work place and consider rotating the position periodically.
- 121. See “The Big Picture” 105. Keep This in Mind – Everything you and your team does supports the organization’s mission…or it does NOT. Too many of the latter and people may begin to question the value of your contributions.
- 122. See “The Big Picture” 106. Identify and Consider All Sides of Each Issue – before you make a decision or plan activities. Ask yourself: “How will this decision affect other departments, individual team members, our students, and the organization as a whole?”
- 123. See “The Big Picture” 107. Involve Others in Developing a Mission Statement for Your Organization – have departments make their own mission statements for their departments and make sure it falls under the overall district mission statement. Our Mission Our Mission Statement ! ! Statement
- 124. See “The Big Picture” 108. Take a Field Trip – Let your team see “the big picture” by letting them see other departments, local community college settings, or business settings.
- 125. Be Enthusiastic 109. Get Excited About Positive Things – Initiate and work up an excited feeling about positive things, it is contagious.
- 126. Be Enthusiastic 110. Find the Most Enthusiastic Person You Know – ask him or her to share their secrets to maintaining an enthusiastic outlook, then practice those and pass them along to others.
- 127. Be Enthusiastic 111. Enlist Members to Help You Establish a “Build-Me-Up” Library – include motivational books, audio and visual tapes, a list of websites offering motivational materials; and then encourage everyone to take advantage of the materials.
- 128. Be Enthusiastic 112. Spread the Sparkle – get enthused about others that are enthusiastic and that can snowball quickly. Recognize and reward those with an enthusiastic attitude.
- 129. Resource
- 130. Display Resilience “When facing disappointment or frustration….” 113. Take a Deep Breath – take a deep breath, count to 15, and think about how you want to affect others. It is your job to lead people OUT of disappointment, not into it.
- 131. Display Resilience “When facing disappointment or frustration….” 114. Take a Hike – Go for a 10 minute walk to calm down, reflect, and develop a bounce back strategy.
- 132. Display Resilience “When facing disappointment or frustration….” 115. Maintain the Proper Prospective – It is not the end of the world, so never act like it is. Find 1 or 2 positives and keep thinking about them until you feel better and then move on to other tasks.
- 133. Display Resilience “When dealing with worries….” 116. Try Celebrating Your Worries – Create a worry jar. Write down everything you have to worry about and put it in the jar. Once a week open the jar and worry about those things, and then throw them away and stop thinking about them. Over time you will find you will have fewer and fewer worries.
- 134. Show Concern for Others 117. Remember Special Occasions – Send cards, e-notes, email, or person messages to people on your team on special days.
- 135. Show Concern for Others 118. Regularly Spend One-to-One Time with Team Members – Have separate meetings with team members to hear what they have going on at the time. Remember; listening is the key phrase for these meetings.
- 136. Show Concern for Others 119. Help to Balance Work and Personal Needs – Try to be considerate when dealing with team members’ personal issues and work issues. Try to be as flexible as you can.
- 137. Show Concern for Others 120. Walk a Mile in Their Shoes – Periodically, tag along with team members to see what they are dealing with and facing every day. It will help you understand better their positions and where they are coming from concerning certain issues.
- 138. Solicit and Apply Feedback From Others 121. Do Not Wait for Annual Reports for Feedback – Meet at least once a month to get some feedback during the school year.
- 139. Solicit and Apply Feedback From Others 122. Contact Others in Your Sphere of Influence – Seek guidance on how you are perceived, what can you improve, what do they offer you can learn from?
- 140. Solicit and Apply Feedback From Others 123. Keep a Feedback Log – Dedicate some space (calendar, log, journal, etc…) to recording feedback you get. Review that feedback and be sure to comment on how you will ACT on this feedback. Feedback Feedback Journal Journal
- 141. Solicit and Apply Feedback From Others 124. Submit First-Draft Work to Appropriate Individuals for Upgrades or Suggestions – Chances are you will get suggestions and corrections that you has not thought of yourself. Incorporate anything that is useful and be sure to thank the reviewer.
- 142. Manage Time 125. Target the “Time Wasters” – Work with your team to identify inefficient uses of time and work to create to plan to address those. If there are many, start with a small number, maybe 3.
- 143. Manage Time 126. Delegate Tasks – Delegate tasks to other team members, but make sure you are not just giving busy work, and overburdening anyone.
- 144. Manage Time 127. Tackle Your “In Basket” and “In-Box” – I suggest to tackle those tasks once a day (morning or afternoon) and suggest for people to flag urgent information.
- 145. Manage Time 128. Go on an “In Office Vacation” – Isolate yourself to handle specific important or critical issues. Close your door and complete these tasks. If you can, have a set time and announce when that is to your team.
- 146. Manage Meetings 129. Does it Make Sense to Have a Meeting? – Don’t have a meeting if there is a better way to handle a situation. If 2 team members are constantly late; don’t have a meeting with everyone about it.
- 147. Manage Meetings 130. Supply an Agenda 2 or 3 Days Prior to the Meeting – Be sure to include what participants should bring, length of meeting, times and place, or how participants should prepare for the meeting.
- 148. Manage Meetings 131. Manage the Meeting – Establish the meeting ground rules in advance. Adhere to those ground rules, stay on track, and adhere to your time schedule.
- 149. Manage Meetings 132. End all Meetings with a Review – Review what was accomplished and what should be done after the meeting (by when, by whom, etc…)
- 150. Communicate Effectively 133. Think Before You Speak, and Plan Before You Write – Consider these points: Make sure you understand your message first Use terminology geared toward your audience Consider pre-testing your message on a trusted colleague.
- 151. Communicate Effectively 134. Be Concise and Be Specific – Avoid ambiguous words that mean different things to different people (usually, sometimes, a lot, rarely, etc…)
- 152. Communicate Effectively 135. Use “Right Brain Messages” – Try communicating creatively with props, stories, pictures, and examples. This will help convey your message and increase retention.
- 153. Communicate Effectively 136. NEVER Assume Others Understand What You Say or Write – Check to be sure! Ask people to comment on the message to make sure they understand.
- 154. Keep Others Informed 137. Establish a “No Surprise” Rule – do not hole back information and withholding bad news is one of the worst violations.
- 155. Keep Others Informed 138. Don’t Be an Information Hoarder, “Power Broker” – Make sure your team has all of the information you have, EXCEPT of course confidential information.
- 156. Keep Others Informed 139. Regularly Update Team Members and Your Superiors on Progress and Activities – This way if there is a problem you will hear about it, and if things are going right, you should hear about that also.
- 157. Keep Others Informed 140. Designate an Information Central – Provide a bulletin board or intranet site for displaying; accomplishes, progress, activities, organizations, meetings, etc…
- 158. Resource
- 159. Listen to Others 141. Give Each Speaker Your Conscious Attention – Maintain eye contact and listen for feelings as well as words. This will help you comprehend the full meaning of the communication and make the person feel important also.
- 160. Listen to Others 142. Paraphrase – Repeat back to the person in your own words what they have said to you…”What I hear you saying is…”
- 161. Listen to Others 143. Make Listening a Top Priority – make it your priority and make it a priority for your team as well. Provide listen skills training. Remember, you EARn the right to be heard by listening to others.
- 162. Listen to Others 144. NEVER – Interrupt someone while they are speaking Plan what you will say while they are talking Assume you are listening just because you can hear
- 163. Ok, so now what do I do with all of this information? Can I go back tomorrow and say, “Hey gang, we’re changing everything!”
- 164. Recommendation Look through all of the notes on 144 Way to Walk-the-Talk Highlight those that would apply to your workplace and teams Choose 3 to start with, and work on those. As you complete or master one of the first 3, add another one – this way you will always have 3 ideas going at any one time.
- 165. Remember!
- 166. Thank you Marcus Simmons Counselor/Coordinator Supportive Services Itawamba Community College 2176 South Eason Blvd. Tupelo, MS 38804 Phone: 662-620-5314 Fax: 662-620-5315 Email: [email protected]
Editor's Notes
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