Newsletter #26 – Listening, Lay-offs, Dogs, Shoes

GREG’S RIGHT FIT NEWSLETTER #26
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Quick notes to help you get more done in less time. . . next week.

In this issue:

– Techniques for FIT
– Being Human
– Random Stuff
– Amalgamate: Summer 2016 in the mail
Techniques for FIT
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• Listen for language that terminates. Never, always, they, only, etc. Do your words open things up or close things down?
• Lay-offs always result in 3X the expected loss of productivity. If you have to lay-off, plan for it.
• Why does most strategy fail? Too rigid. You need a target, sure, but you need to be flexible when opportunity comes.
• Step back from your, “Yes, but. . .” answers. If you can’t answer with a singular yes, then it’s best to walk away.

Being Human – Not all dogs are the same
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Dogs have shared traits like a keen sense of smell and loyalty to humans. Dog breeds have certain traits too, like my border collie likes to fetch, and my beagle loved to eat. But not all dogs are the same. We accept that.

When you manage your people, it is wise to remember that they are all individuals. Individuals with free-will and the capacity to choose. Lumping them into a set of prescribed characteristics only serves to limit communication.

“Beagles don’t fetch,” I say.

“Mine does,” says another beagle owner.

Not all dogs are the same. That goes for your people too.
Random Stuff
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What did you hear?

I follow up with my speaking engagements a few weeks after the event to check on something very specific. I tell a series of stories to support the points I’m making and I want to know which ones are the most memorable, if any. In general I hear things like, “value and the Hawaiian shirt story” or “don’t do strategic planning” and I keep those, and test others.

It’s a process, not an event.

A few weeks ago, I went through the same exercise with a group that had me in for a lunch and learn. I received a single response.

“I should buy Allen Edmonds shoes.”

Hmm. Not exactly what I intended. I may rethink pairing my content with the fettuccine Alfredo.