More Joy on the Job » Archive » COMMUNICATE YOUR NEEDS TO MANAGEMENT AND COWORKERS

COMMUNICATE YOUR NEEDS TO MANAGEMENT AND COWORKERS

Posted in Articles on January 14th, 2008

The following material was excerpted with permission from the book, Joy on the Job – Over 365 Ways to Create the Joy and Fulfillment You Deserve, by Doris Helge, Ph.D., © 2005, Shimoda Publishing, shimodapub@mindspring.com.

Any material from this website that you quote, download, or reprint must include the credit line above.

Click here to order Joy on the Job now.

In chapter one, you identified what you need to achieve fulfillment on the job. This chapter shares proven techniques for communicating your needs to management, team members, and coworkers.

FOCUS ON STRENGTHS AND SOLUTIONS

Take steps to ensure that you are perceived as part of the solution-not as the problem. Talk about challenges instead of problems and simultaneously present possible solutions. If you do not have a solution to propose, suggest a way of determining one. Make it clear you are concerned with the bigger picture rather than merely taking care of yourself.

Present your strengths and your data. Stress how your contributions benefit the organization. (You might say, “It’s beneficial to the company that I have done . . .”). When possible, specifically demonstrate how your performance boosts the company’s bottom line.

Tell your boss or coworkers what you need in order to do the best possible job for the organization. Promise results you can truly deliver. State a timeline, if possible.

Remember both you and the organization will gain more when you:

Manage your weaknesses rather than focusing on how to correct them
Illuminate your strengths

We lead ourselves in the direction of our attention. About the best result you can obtain when you focus on your weaknesses is the avoidance of failure. Concentrate instead on capitalizing your strengths, and you will do your best work.

USE WORDS THAT BUILD SUPPORT

Gain new resources by choosing phrases and words that develop awareness of what you have achieved and what you need to improve in the future.

EMPOWER YOUR POSITION WITH LANGUAGE

Use the words, “but” and “however” carefully because they contradict the phrase that precedes them. If you say, “I’ve been a strong producer during the last six months, but I could have accomplished more if . . . ,” most listeners will hear, “He knows he should have done a better job.”

Notice the difference in effect that occurs by simply changing “but” to “and”: “I’ve been a strong producer during the last six months, and I can accomplish even more now.”

The word “and” encourages the listener to adopt your line of thinking. (In addition, the word “now” tells the boss, help this person now.)

This is also a good time to tell the boss exactly what else you need. Your sentence might be, “I’ve been a strong producer during the last six months, and I can accomplish even more when I have . . . ” (Insert the specific resource you need to help you reach peak performance.)

When asking for assistance, remember the phrase –”Will you. . ?” produces better results than “Would you . .?”

You can state, “. . . is what I need so I can do my best for this organization.”

Click here to order your copy of the book, Joy on the Job – Over 365 Ways to Create the Joy and Fulfillment You Deserve, with hundreds of additional proven strategies you can immediately use.

Click here to learn how author and international speaker, Doris Helge, Ph.D., can assist you as a keynote speaker or seminar leader.

Share it