““Did I Understand You Correctly?Did I Understand You Correctly? I Thought You Said..” I Thought You Said..”

How To Conduct An Effective Meeting

By Making Communications Work

AIM-IRS ConferenceAugust 2008

Presented by:Lawrence BarnesIRS:LMSB Director of Field Operations and Roslyn Russell IRS: W&I – Field Assistance (CARE) Territory Manager

The words you use and how you phrase them

make an indelible impact on the listener ........

Effective Communication

Crucial component of success as a manager

Strategies• Non verbal communication

• Listening

• Assertive communication

Mechanics of Effective Communication:

3 Vital Communication Tools

• Your voice

• Your ability to listen

• Your body language

Communication and Accountability

Employees look to their immediate manager to translate organizational strategies into actions they can take • Improves business results

• Improves employee satisfaction and engagement

Communications must be measured regularly and quantitatively• A business process

“….People need to feel connected to the overall objectives of what the organization is doing …..

…. All levels of teams are stronger when each person understands how they fit into the big picture . …”

- Glenn Brome

Accountability ….and the OZ Principle

Stay “Above the Line”:• See It – Communicate Openly and Candidly

• Own It –Act on Feedback I Received

• Solve It – Constantly Asking “What Else Can I Do?”

• Do It - Sustaining an Environment of Trust

Don’t Play the “Blame Game” (Don’t go below the line)

• Wait and See approach

• It’s Not my Job

• Ignore/Deny

• Finger pointing

• Tell me what to do - Partners in Leadership

See It

Own It

Solve It

Do It

Effective Communications

Technique is not enough

• Include yourself

Purpose of Meetings • Get reaction

• Solicit commitment

-Peter Block

Including yourself ..

Determine your communication style:• Open Door Policy

• Employees feel their opinion counts; interruptions can be distracting

• Rather receive in writing/email rather than conversation/voice mail• Although provides a record, can make employees

feel distant

• Prefer to talk individually rather than or in a group• Individual conversation is revealing but time

consuming; group discussion is more efficient but less detailed

Meeting Format

One - on - One

Group setting

Tele-conference

Steps for Effective Meetings

State/Present• Control flow

• Agenda

Ask• Look at Reaction (the heart of the meeting)

• Ask questions

Decide, (then) Consider/Test

• Keep balance

• Essential aspects• Discuss within group control

Give support(Peter Block)

Effective Communication for Successful Meetings

Don’t cast/imply blame

• Instead of .. “I thought you said….” determine “Than what did you say?”

• Use active listening techniques

Approach is important • It’s not your problem, it’s ours

• Move away from always being “in the moment”

Effective Communications includes …

Horizontal slices• To probe for how opinion/insight varies at same

level of the organization

Vertical slices• To understand how effectively upward

and downward communication works• To probe for awareness

- Daly & Watkins

Effective Communication …

answers the question …..

WII – FM (What’s in it for me?)

Effective communication builds: trust, respect and rapport - Glenn Brome

A good manager is a good facilitator.

Core Skills of Good Communication

Listening• Hear another person

Inquiry• Use thought provoking questions

Only after Listening/Inquiry:• Feedback

• Accountability/Goal Setting

Techniques for Good Listening(include but are not limited to …)

Summarize and Paraphrase

• “So, the way you see this …” Reflect Feelings

• “I can see that this is frustrating for you.” Use silence Be aware of and understand non-verbal

communications

“No one ever listened themselves out of a job.”

Calvin Coolidge

Effective Listening

Requires active involvement in the process

• Demonstrate your willingness to truly understand what the other person is saying

When Using Inquiries

Use open-ended questions• Thought provoking, challenging

One question at a time

Follow the interest and train of thought AND energy of the team/employee

No solutions, phrased as questions

Silence in Communications

Can be used for positive effect

• To strengthen the communication

Use gestures and expressions that indicate a probing point

Feedback …

One of the most challenging tasks of a manager

Necessary • For motivating and coaching,

• Conducting performance appraisals, meetings,

• Administering discipline

• Being an effective mentor

Helps employees • Grow, develop and correct their mistakes

Feedback is ….. (Peter Block)

Non-evaluative and descriptive

• Treat group as collection of individuals

• There is always some resistance• Do not over-invest

• “Be aware” of quick compliance

Language that is:

• Descriptive

• Focused

• Specific

• Brief

• Simple

Effective Feedback is Assertive (Peter Block)

10 Common Mistakes of Giving Feedback

Judges individuals not actions

Too vague Speaks for others Negative feedback gets

sandwiched between positive messages

Exaggerated with generalities

Psychoanalyzes motives behind behavior

Goes on too long Contains an implied

threat Uses inappropriate

humor The feedback is a

question, not a statement

Use C.A.R.E. when Giving Feedback

C .. Context• State the context ( situation, environment) that preceded

the observed action A .. Action

• State the specific behaviors observed R .. Results

• State how the action effected the context, the person or other people

E .. Empathetically Explore• Explore the interpretation of what happened and if any

changes are needed

Benefits of Feedback

Reduces Uncertainty Solves problems Builds trust Strengthens relationships Improves quality A way to learn

There is an expression …

You cannot be a prophet in your own land

…. “Communication is something you already know how to do, but need help practicing and refining.” …

- Glenn Brome

So... What did you hear today?