Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 13, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 25 TALKING POINTS Think your way to success By John Graham T here are plenty of people in the workforce who do "something," but not so many who do what needs to be done. And this is both a problem and an opportunity. Success depends on being among the few others count on to get the job done right — and that takes thinking. Here are questions that can serve as a guide to thinking your way to success: "What if this isn't what my customer needs?" What if I'm trying to force it, at- tempting to make it work — and it isn't? Most of us tend to push forward as fast as we can to come up with a solution. The goal is not to come up with any answer; it's to come up with the right one. Slow down; it takes thought. "What if I put it aside and revisited it to- morrow?" You need to write a letter, memo, or article, but the clock is ticking and you can't get it started. You hate the assign- ment, your boss, yourself, or all three. You tell yourself to keep a low profile so it won't happen again. The goal is not to wrestle the task to the mat or do battle with it; it's to do your best work. That takes "noodling," putting it aside to let your brain work on it for a day or so. It's amazing what happens when you let your brain work on it. "What if I asked them for their thoughts and ideas?" The heart of marketing and sales is problem-solving. They also demand a "bring-it-on" attitude to be successful — and that can be a problem because it blocks other views and ideas. Asking what others think is an effective way to test your idea, plan or confirm the appro- priateness of your solution. "What if I offered several options instead of just one?" This may seem dangerous, but it's as threatening as putting people in a "yes or no" position, and "no" is easier to say than "yes." Offering several options creates a new dynamic where there's room for give- and-take. It makes it possible to come to a positive decision. "What if I don't have all the information I need to make the right recommendation?" Not long ago, an older woman, a widow, living in a condo community was seen ac- companied by a man on several occasions. After a couple of "sightings," the rumor spread with brush fire intensity that she had a boyfriend. A few weeks went by and someone said, "That was her brother who was visiting her from Europe." We call them snap judgments, conclu- sions made on the fly that get things mov- ing, more often than not, incorrectly. Taking time to figure out what we're missing separates us from those who are satisfied with just getting by. "What if I tried something new?" It's easy to get used to doing things a certain way and tune out anything that forces us to break existing patterns. It's effortless to stick with the same solu- tions, repeat the same concepts, fall back on the same products and services. If what we do today is a constant replay of the past, we con- tribute little or nothing to help meet the chal- lenges affecting our customers, our industry, and the company where we're employed. "What if I became a go-to person?" "Stay- ing under the radar" helps avoid getting noticed and causes less stress. It's also a good way to be passed over or be added to the "no longer needed" list. Anyone who wants to advance thinks differently. Getting known for innovative ideas, changing ways of doing things, or specialized expertise attracts attention and gets you noticed for your value. "What if I asked more questions?" It's ir- ritating if someone asks too many questions in a meeting. They can drag things out. Even so, not asking questions is a huge mis- take. Questions clarify issues and uncover valuable information, fill in the gaps, and help avoid making mistakes. John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. Contact him at jgraham@ grahamcomm.com, 617-774-9759 or johnrgraham.com. John Graham HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM POLL LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULT: NEXT WEEK'S POLL: Is the $769 million CTrail Hartford Line a smart investment for Connecticut? To vote, go online to hartfordbusiness.com Would an Aetna-CVS merger be good for Hartford? 68% No 32% Yes READER COMMENTS: "No. Aetna corporate moves to New York City. Remaining Hartford Aetna employees then move to Rhode Island." "As long as CVS maintains the current level of employees here in Hartford. I think business wise it is good for Aetna. It gives them access to the customers of CVS and revolutionizes the delivery of health care and insurance." "Why not, at least CVS has a history of evolving and re-inventing. That could be a good change for an old industry like insurance." BIZ BOOKS Simple steps to improve workplace conflict resolution By Jim Pawlak The Conflict Resolution Phrasebook: 2,000+ Phrases for Any HR Professional, Manager, Business Owner, or Anyone Who Has to Deal with Difficult Workplace Situations" by Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem (Career Press, $14.99). All of us have encountered situations where we miscom- municated, misunderstood what was said, let biases affect our responses, etc. The author's list of phrases and sentences aim to address our communications faux pas. Here are some highlights from two closely related chapters (1 and 6): Chapter 1 — "What's the prob- lem?" Before dealing with this prickly issue, answer this question: "What do you think will happen if we don't deal with this?" Realizing that a less-than-optimal outcome will result from non-resolution makes you think how to engage someone in a con- versation that doesn't become defensive or argumentative. Open with an "I value your input" lead like: "I'd like to share an issue and get your opinion." As they speak, don't inter- rupt. An "If I under- stand you correctly … " response moves the conversation into other com- ments (i.e. I see your perspective.) about common ground (i.e. We can agree that … ) and facts versus opinions (i.e. Do we have the information we need?). Chapter 6 — "Don't draw a line in the sand." When positions are front and center in a conflict, mutual interests go unidenti- fied as defending the position becomes par- amount. Try this instead, "This is a tough situation, but we are creative people. Let's work together to find a solution." This type of response defuses and diffuses the "position" by indicating a willing- ness to explore options and find common ground. This leads to a conversation centered around "What might have we missed?" and "How could we approach the problem dif- ferently?" Note the emphasis on we. A quote from the movie "Cool Hand Luke" sums up issues with dealing with conflict: "What we have here is a failure to commu- nicate." Jim Pawlak Book Review When positions are front and center in a conflict, mutual interests go unidentified as defending the position becomes paramount.

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