If asked to look at your work calendar for the week, the odds are pretty good that you have a few if not several meetings already scheduled. Now, if asked how you feel about attending some of those meetings, the odds are even better that you may either roll your eyes, groan or mutter something under your breath. Sound familiar so far? Okay, that was the easy part.
Coming from a background of 20 years in the corporate world, I can readily identify with attending a surplus of meetings. Additionally, I know all too well how employees come to "dread" going to meetings and clearly I fell into that category as well. But now in retrospect, I've come to learn a few things, as we often do once we step back and reflect. After reading this article, you'll have a better understanding of what causes meetings to break down-- (S.N.I.P.P.Y) syndrome and an alternative (C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W.).
See if you can relate to any of the following statements:
1. Look, I've invested a lot of time on this idea and
if we can't move on it, I'll have wasted my time. Self-serving
2. We never get anything done in this meeting, anyway. Negativity
3. We have to enforce this policy so people know right
from wrong. Insisting
4. Can you believe how domineering she is in these
meetings--who hired her, anyway? Provoking
5. Given our roles in the company, I think it's obvious
that I should make the final decision. Power driven
6. If you would let others speak once in a while, it would
be helpful. You statement
As human beings, it's easy for all of us to fall into any of these behaviors from time to time. What's more problematic however, is being unaware of our behavior and the effect we have on others in the workplace. As we know, like the "common cold," our attitudes can be contagious. The reason for this is something called the interaction cycle. The interaction cycle addresses how we interact with others and this impacts the quality of our relationships.
The key components of the interaction cycle include:
a. Values/Expectations/Mindset: these form our initial impressions.
b. Selective Perception: a filtering function that only lets in what matches our initial impressions.
c. Feelings: a range of negative to positive thoughts triggered by our perceptions.
d. Action: our feelings ultimately influence our behaviors.
e. Reaction: others respond to us by the way we act, so their behavior is in fact the result of what we send out.
What we know then is that behavior breeds behavior. Now, it's starting to make some sense as to why we and others act as we do. But, the more critical issue is figuring out what can be done.
This brings us to a C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W. which is as follows:
C = Concentrate on the listener
L = Listen with the goal of understanding
E = Eliminate judgmental attitudes
A = Actively listen (paraphrase what you believe someone said)
R = Respect differences
V = Value input offered by others
I = I messages (describing someone's behavior and its effect on you)
E = Encourage participation from others
W = Work towards agreement (build on what others say and then add your input)
Wouldn't you rather have a C.L.E.A.R. V.I.E.W. than the S.N.I.P.P.Y. syndrome? Change is a gradual process; however with increased insight and the right tools, we can all make a contribution towards constructive group dynamics. After all, why dread something that we could ultimately look forward to?
Contact information: www.speech-matters.com; dale@speech-matters.com
Dale Klein is a Corporate Communication & Speech Specialist and is the owner of SPEECH MATTERS. When it comes to ensuring you speak with power, professionalism and polish, you'll want to contact Dale Klein to get results at http://www.speech-matters.com or call 518-664-6004.
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareSometimes the greatest challenges lay not within the actions of... Read More
Let's look at the detail of giving feedback. Whether you... Read More
The grand purpose of coaching is to help your managers,... Read More
Did you know your work environment can actually make you... Read More
With over 25 years of research and experience, we have... Read More
Too often teams aren't assembled. They just happen. A project... Read More
Team Building Question:I'm a manager of a team of 20... Read More
Abstract: Based on significant research, Entelechy has defined characteristics of... Read More
In most organisations the administration/support team, although they can be... Read More
As I work with clients to strengthen their teams and... Read More
As a business owner, I've had staff come and go... Read More
Introduction:Working with teams, whether as leader of a single team... Read More
Proactive High Performance Teamwork is made up of nine proactive... Read More
Have you seen the tee-shirt with the slogan, "Talk to... Read More
Young minds are quite easy to shape. International Terrorist recruiters... Read More
Picture yourself entering a corporate meeting, team meeting, or business... Read More
One of the best lessons I have learned is the... Read More
Group discussions are where much of the creative work of... Read More
The world of work has changed. It used to be... Read More
The Sales Director had organised a great conference; the venue... Read More
A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Leaders are faced with unlocking the potential in the people... Read More
True or false? Teams that practice good teamwork contribute to... Read More
Over the years there has been much ado about team... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..Companies often have incentives for reps, but sometimes that isn't... Read More
It's all about focusing on where the best value in... Read More
Presenteeism is alive and 'not well' in many businesses today.... Read More
Abstract: Based on significant research, Entelechy has defined characteristics of... Read More
Recently my fourteen-year old son Matt dressed up as Santa... Read More
Ever watched a really brilliant idea meet with resistance and... Read More
TEAM LEADERS WORKSHOPAlice asked Cheshire cat "which road should I... Read More
Trainers, please picture this... You are presenting in a new... Read More
Do you let your people express their thoughts about the... Read More
In the new corporate environments where everyone wears more than... Read More
A follow-up companion reader to The 17 Indisputable Laws of... Read More
Reed Employment made a survey of their clients and compiled... Read More
No figure in history is like General Patton. He was... Read More
Feedback is such an important communication tool. Openness, honesty, candor,... Read More
The world of work has changed. It used to be... Read More
One of the best lessons I have learned is the... Read More
As a manager, your employees will come to you with... Read More
A lot of effort has been carried out in the... Read More
Recently I decided to stretch my athletic abilities and add... Read More
Today, most of us have been involved in a team... Read More
Teams, teams, teams. They're all the rage these days. Whether... Read More
Are workers telling the truth when they say they are... Read More
A Successful Team is built around mateship, around respect for... Read More
A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals... Read More
Truth on mlmDid you know that the truth on mlm... Read More
Team Building |