The Conclusion of Start with No!

Hi! Welcome back.  I’ve had a busy week interviewing and would like with today’s post to end our discussion of Jim Camp’s thirty three rules for negotiation from his excellent book Start with No!  Below is the final set of Mr. Camp’s rules for successful negotiations.

·         Mission and purpose drive everything.

·         Decisions are 100 percent emotional.

·         Interrogative-led questions drive vision.

·         Nurture.

·         No assumptions.  No expectations.  Only blank slate.

·         Who are the decision makers?  Do you know all of them?

·         Pay forward.

In mission and purpose drive everything both you and the person you are negotiating with should be driven to accomplish your objective for the negotiations.  In the case of a job interview which I have been on recently the potential employer is looking for someone to fill a vacancy and I am looking for a stream of income but we both have a greater reason for why we are there.  I can’t speak for a particular employer out there but my purpose is to return to the business world to help coach people to improve them and work with them to improve the systems they use every day in their work to reach the goals they set for themselves and the businesses they work for.  As I evaluate different work scenarios be it as an employee or an independent contractor working on an assignment I am looking to see whether my mission and purpose coincides with that of the employer and can I help them reach their goals and objectives.  That thought process that I just describes is what Camp is saying should be used in all negotiations.

Decisions are 100% percent emotional.  If you would have ask me this question several months ago I would have said that I disagree with that view because I was schooled in the practice of business management and as we all know business managers are suppose to make logical, rational decisions based on empirical evidence found in the data right!?  Well that is not entirely true many decision makers and leaders that I have studies in the past few months have made the decision to do something and then looked for the evidence that supports that decision and only the evidence that supports the decision that they have made.  Much has been made for example in the last ten years about Mr. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq and then Afghanistan.  You will recall the run up to the Iraq War and Colin Powell’s speech at the UN where he claimed that America thought Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.  We know now that that claim by the US was not correct but we continued through with the invasion anyhow.  Did President Bush make his decision before the evidence was gathered and then only look at the evidence that supported his decision?  I don’t know perhaps he did and he would not be the first President or leader to do so.  The point is that more often than we would like to believe decisions by leaders and influential people are made before the evidence and the reasons for the decision are only gathered later as a defense of their original position.

Interrogative questions drive vision is that probing needs analysis that I think I’ve written about quite often in this piece on Camp’s negotiation rules.  What is the adversary really trying to accomplish within the negotiations and can you help them get what they want and in turn get what you want.

Nurture, not a rule you would suppose Camp would use when he labels his rules Start with no!  Nurture as I see it being used here is to serve.  The greatest example of serving especially this time of year is Jesus Christ at the Last Supper when he begins to wash the feet of the disciplines at the table.  Now I’m not suggesting that you bend down and wash your adversary’s feet in your next negotiations but think about what you can say or do to help them move toward their goals and objectives, how can you move the discussions along to a successful conclusion for everyone.

No assumptions. No expectations.  Only a blank slate means don’t come into the negotiations with a preconceived notion of what the adversary will say or do.  Listen, discuss, verify details and develop a custom solution to the issues after all if the solutions to which created the negotiations were obvious you probably wouldn’t need to negotiate in the first place right?

Who are the decision makers?  Do you know them all?  Obviously, you want to be communicating with someone who has the authority to act on the solutions you agree to within the negotiations.  However sometimes that is easier said than done because the person who you are negotiating with is acting as a go-between for the final decision maker.  Remember Camp’s rule about all agreements must be clarified point by point and sealed three times (using 3+)?  Getting to the final decision makers or at least clarifying each point multiple times with your adversary will allow you to find successful closure to your negotiations much easier.

Finally pay forward, a great movie by the way, how can you improve the world around you?  What can you do to make a difference in somebody’s life and circumstance?  It doesn’t have to be substantial, a kind word, a small bit of advice, a contact that can open the door and unlock a potential barrier to a problem can make a huge difference to people you are dealing with.

I hope you took away something from my review of Jim Camp’s Book Start with No!  Trust me my analysis doesn’t do it justice as I’ve written several times this is a great book on how to negotiated but I also see parallels to starting your own business.  Until next time thanks for your readership and all my best!  Jer.

Negotiation tips from Jim Camp Revisited

Hi! Welcome back.  I’m reviewing the thirty three rules for negotiations from Jim Camp’s book Start with No!  In past blogs I’ve listed the first 20 rules today we’ll look at rules 21-25 which are listed below.

·         “No” is good, “yes” is bad, “maybe” is worse.

·         Absolutely no closing.

·         Dance with the tiger.

·         Our greatest strengths are our greatest weakness (Emerson).

·         Paint the pain.

The first rule “No” is good, “yes” is bad, “maybe” is worse.  To me means that in a negotiation you don’t want to move to yes too quickly.  Let’s take for example car shopping, many of us dread shopping for a car because we despise the negotiation process that always seems to happen at the car dealership.  You know what I mean you see a car which you think will meet your needs and all you want is for the dealer to give you a fair price.  But if you haven’t done your research and know what the car is worth you might be tempted to reach for an agreement too soon and thus pay too much for the auto.  A maybe answer is even worse because you don’t know where your adversary stands on the issue or whether they are engaged enough in the negotiation to come to an agreement.

The second rule “Absolutely no closing” from Mr. Camp’s perspective means that you are not trying to “sell” your adversary on your position, your position should be such that it address your adversary’s greatness needs and issues that brought the two of you in the negotiations in the first place.  The third rule “Dance with the tiger” follows Camp’s rule of no closing.  The negotiation is a process by which you are engaging with your adversary and working with them to find a solution that first meets their needs and then yours.

Our last rule for this blog today “Paint the pain” to me means that when you are in a negotiation you need to concentrate your efforts on the root causes that are causing your adversary discomfort and ignore the symptoms.  Next time I’ll wrap up my discussion of Camp’s book.  What are your thoughts on this book and blog?  Please drop me a line and let me know I value your input.  Until next time all my best!  Jer.

Negotiation advice from Start with No!

Hi! Welcome back.  I continue to review the thirty three rules from Jim Camp’s book Start with no!  It’s a book that I read several weeks ago and it deals with the art of negotiations.  I found the book an excellent read and I’ve been reviewing the 33 rules Mr. Camp explored in his book. 

Some of Mr. Camp’s rules resonated more with me than others but as I’ve mentioned previously I was looking at them through the lens of someone who is starting their own consulting practice and looking to apply them to that endeavor.  Below I list rules 16-20 from Jim Camp’s book Start with No!

·         The value of the negotiation increases by multiples as time, energy, money, and emotion are spent.

·         No talking.

·         Let the adversary save face at all times.

·         The greatest presentation you will ever give is the one your adversary will never see.

·         A negotiation is only over when we want it to be over.

The two rules in this group that I most remember having an impact on me are the first one “The value of the negotiation increases by multiples as time, energy, money, and emotion are spent”; and “No talking”.

As I recall Camp’s explanation of the first rule “The value of the negotiation increases by multiples as time, energy, money, and emotion are spent” implies that the more we invest time, energy and money into a negotiation the more valuable the outcome of that negotiation is to us.  I think we can all agree that if for example, we have spend many years say investing in a relationship we will work to continue that relationship regardless of how ineffective, unloving or non-nurturing it currently is because we have invested so much of ourselves in that relationship in the past. 

Likewise for example I think we can all agree that an owner is more involved in the process of keeping a property properly maintained and looking good as opposed to someone who is renting a similar piece of properly.  The owner is committed not only because they have a mortgage on the property but also because they have no doubt invested time, energy and money in the upkeep and beautification of the home over the years.  Thus the longer we are involved with something a negotiations, business, relationship or property for example the higher its value is to us because of the amount of attention we have give to it in the past.

Camp’s rule of no talking means that we should focus our efforts in getting the adversary to open up and talk about what they are looking for or what they are trying to accomplish within a negotiations so that we can better understand their issues and make the case that our proposal will help them in some way rectify that situation.  More listening and less talk on your part will clarify the situation and allow you to propose a solution that more directly solves the issue or in the case of No, walk away from the negotiations because you don’t see how you can assist them and yourself at the same time.

Well that’s all I have for today, if you have suggestions as to topics you’d like to see explored on this blog please place your comments below.  Again thanks for reading and until next time all my best!  Jer.

Forget Win-Win, Start with No!

Hi! Welcome back.  I’m in the process of reviewing the rules of negotiation from Jim Camp’s book Start with No!  Mr. Camp offers thirty three rules for negotiations and I’m looking at each of them in five rules segments.  Although the book was written for how to negotiate I think that his rules also apply to starting and maintaining a business and I’ve saved them on my computer to review for that purpose. 

Today let’s look at five more of Camp’s rules for negotiations and I’ll offer some comments as we move through them.  Below are rules 11 through 15 from Jim Camp’s book Start with No!

·         Only one person in a negotiation can feel okay.  That person is the adversary.

·         All action-all decisions-begin with vision.  Without vision, there is no action.

·         Always show respect to the blocker.

·         All agreements must be clarified point by point and sealed three times (using 3+).

·         The clearer the picture of pain, the easier the decision-making process.

In “Only one person in a negotiation can feel okay” I believe Camp’s view is to keep the focus of the negotiations on your adversary or who you are in negotiations with.  Camp is big on this idea of staying focused on what the adversary in the negotiations needs.  As an Organizational Development professional I see this as a needs analysis where you are focusing on the gaps in your adversary’s situation, what is it that they are trying to accomplish.  Stay in their world work in their space and you will have greater success in the negotiations or if it’s a business situation with the client.

“All action-all decisions begin with vision” boils down to where do you and your adversary ultimately want to be?  It analogous to the saying if you have no goals or objectives as to what you are trying to do any action will get you there.  As someone attempting to start a new business for example, you get many solicitations of advice, but you can’t be everything to everybody so you have to keep your eyes on where you ultimately wish to go and try to do those things that can advance your chances of fulfilling your vision or desire.

“Always show respect to the blocker” refers to those people administrative assistants, secretary etc.  Who by the duties of their positions run interference for the adversary or client.  You should treat these people with respect first because it’s the right thing to do and second because often times they setup the appointments and are the gatekeepers to the people you wish to see.  Get on their bad side and they can talk negatively about you to your negotiation adversary or business client; treat them with respect and be courteous and they may open doors to those individuals who are critical to helping you get what you want.

”All agreements must be clarified point by point and sealed three times” emphasizes thoroughness in your agreements.  By restating the each point and its clarification three times you are making sure that both you and the adversary understand each point in the agreement and how it will be resolved.

Finally, “The clearer the picture of pain, the easier the decision-making process” means that as I see it unless the party you are dealing with has a definite need or in this case a “pain” about a particular issue you aren’t going to get to a decision on the topic your discussing no matter how hard you try.  If your adversary is in a bind and not doing something is going to hurt them and what they wish to accomplish they will ultimately reach a decision on the issue.  If however they don’t have or feel pain about the issue chances are they will never come to a decision no matter how long or hard you try.

Well there you have it.  Camp’s rules number 11 through 15 on negotiations.  I’ve addressed almost half of Jim Camp’s rules for negotiations what do you think about them so far?  Do you agree or disagree with any of them?  Do you have any further comments if so please post them below and thanks again for reading.  Until next time all my best!  Jer 

More on Start with No!

Hi! Welcome back.  Before I continue with my blog post on Jim Camp’s thirty three rules from his book Start with No!  I’d like to send my prayers and best wishes to my fellow neighbors in Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky who lived through yesterdays’ furious tornados.  I live just north of Louisville, KY in New Albany, Indiana and last night it was reported that there were 23 tornados in the Louisville, KY area alone; so it was quite an usual day weather wise and many of those affected by yesterday’s storms will never forget it God bless you.

Today let’s look at five more of Mr. Camp’s rules for negotiations.  As I wrote last time as I read this book I thought about my efforts to start my organizational and staff development business called Yurway Coaching Consultants and apply these rules to that process, here are today’s rules:

·         The only valid goals are those you can control; behavior and activity.

·         Mission and purpose must be set in the adversary’s world; your world must be secondary.

·         Spend maximum time on payside activity and minimum time on non-payside activity.

·         You do not need it.  You only want it.

·         No saving. You cannot save the adversary.

How true is the first rule about the only valid goals are those you can control?  How many times have you worried about things and got all worked up over issues that later never happened?  I’m finding as I get older that I can only do what I can do, if I handle those items that require my attention on a daily basis that’s the best I can do.  The issue may not work out to my satisfaction but at least I know that I did all I could do and did it to the best of my abilities at the time.  Sure after it’s over I might review my efforts and see areas where I could improve on if I get a chance to do it over, but I don’t regret attempting to handle the issue.  In a negotiations you can only control your actions and behaviors what your opponent does and how they react is not under your control, don’t fret about it stay on task.

The second goal about the mission and purpose being set in the adversary’s world means to look at the issues being discussed in a negotiation from your adversary’s point of view.  Since as we saw last time that everyone has the right to say no, keeping focused on your opponent’s needs will help you move the process forward.  That’s not to say that you forget your needs you don’t you just attempt to address their issues first.

Spend maximum time on payside activity and minimum time on non-payside activity means to concentrate on those items that affect monetary issues.  I guess it’s like Steven Covey’s “First things first” mantra if you are negotiating issues that involve something of value spend most of your time addressing those issues whether that be your client costs or revenue, or your revenue and costs.

I honestly forgot Jim Camp’s point about needs and wants so I’ll move on to the final rule for today no saving.  You are not Christ!  You cannot save your adversary nor should you.  What you should try and accomplish is to meet their needs for which you are in negotiations or business for.  Your adversary may certainly have additional issues that lie outside of the scope of your negotiations don’t get involved with them you will only get sidetracked spend too much time on non-payside activities and probably won’t help your adversary anyhow.  In order to be successful within a negotiation, satisfy your adversary’s needs and meet your requirements you must maintain your focus. 

Do you see some relevance in these five rules?  Can you apply any of these to your next negotiations or business transaction?  I hope so until next time thanks for reading my post and all my best!  Jer.

Start with No!

Hi! Welcome back.  I’d like to begin this blog post with a shout out to two of my most frequent readers, my friend George in D.C. and my Ex-neighbor Gerrie in Southern Indiana.  Although you two haven’t posted comments to my blog directly I see your comments and encouragement on Facebook and I appreciate it greatly.

I’ve been looking at the topic of Leadership lately and will post more items in the future if I believe the insights would be beneficial to you.  I get my material for this blog by reading various books and articles and today I’d like to start a short series on the book “Start with No!” by Jim Camp. 

I found this book at my local library the New Albany (Indiana) Public Library which if you haven’t been to your local library lately I would highly recommend you schedule a visit.  I can think of no better place to immerse yourself into any subject or topic you are currently interested in then by going to your local library.  I know for me Ms. Paulette Gibbs and her staff at the New Albany Public Library have been a great help anytime I ask for guidance in selecting a book or assistance in looking for an answer to my question.

Start with No! is actually a book about the art of negotiating but while I was reading it I thought of my current project which is establishing my organizational and staff development consulting business which I call Yurway Coaching Consultants.  In the next few posts I’ll list and describe briefly Mr. Camp Thirty Three rules.  I have no idea why he settled on the number thirty three but I think you’ll soon see why I believe they are insightful for both negotiations and starting a small business.

Here are the first five rules in the order that he describes them:

·         Every negotiation is an agreement between two or more parties with all parties having the right to veto-the right to say “no”.

·         Your job is not to be liked.  It is to be respected and effective.

·         Results are not valid goals.

·         Money has nothing to do with a valid mission and purpose.

·         Never, enter a negotiation-never make a phone call-without a valid agenda.

Mr. Camp disputes the idea of win-win negotiations in his first rule “everyone has the right to say no” I believe he is stating the obvious that no matter what you are negotiating either party can walk away at anytime and to be successful you must take the time to find out what the real needs of your adversary in the negotiations are and clarify to them what your needs are.  That is the true way to “win, win” negotiations not some watered down solution that everybody agrees to but nobody wants, like say “Obamacare”.

His second rule dovetails off the first, your objective in an negotiation is not to be liked but respected and effective working to obtain a goal that will not only satisfy your needs but also that of your adversary in the negotiations.  You’ll note I’m saying adversary and not colleague for instance that is the tone of Mr. Camp’s writing but before you dismiss him as too aggressive and uncaring read through these and the other rules I’ll post on subsequent blogs and determine for yourself whether Mr. Camp is being too aggressive I don’t believe so.

The third rule “results are not valid goals”  means that if you for example wish to be successful and who doesn’t that you have to define that success and set benchmarks for your journey.  It’s not enough to state that I what to make a million dollars in revenue this year, you’ve got to set goals and objectives that will get you to that stated result the million dollars in revenue in this case.  What are your goals for your business or life have you written them down or at least can you verbalize them it asked?

The fourth rule “Money has nothing to do with a valid mission and purpose” dovetails off of the third rule which is how Jim Camp presents his thirty three rules for negotiations in Start with No!  Each rule is a stepping stone for the next rule he presents.  Money is a result and not a mission or purpose perhaps the folks in Washington and Wall Street should be reading this book!

Finally the fifth rule “Never, enter a negotiation-never make a phone call-without a valid agenda.”  Basically means always have a plan of action for what you are doing whether in negotiations or in business.

What did you think about these first five rules?  Can you see a benefit in knowing them and applying them in your next negotiation, your business or your life?  Have I whetted your appetite for Jim Camp’s book Start with No!?  Hopefully so I’d love to see your comments please feel free to leave me yours and until next time all my best!  Jer.

The Soul of Leadership: Deepak Chopra's thoughts on Leadership

Hi! Welcome back.  I’ve been studying the topic of leadership lately and trying to ascertain first what constitutes leadership by reading and listening to various authors who have either been in leadership positions or who have written about the subject.  In my two most recent blog posts I’ve taken a look at how Lee Iacocca and Billy Graham viewed the subject and today I want to introduce the thoughts of Deepak Chopra on this subject and in successive posts explore more fully what Mr. Chopra’s acronym for a leader means to him.

The information I’m presenting today was obtained from Mr. Chopra’s book entitled “The Soul of Leadership”.  Most leadership material, at least those I’ve read are written for the business community and having been a business student for most of my life I’ve arrived at the subject with that frame of reference.  I wanted to alter my perspective with this book because my current client isn’t a business but a church and I thought Mr. Chopra’s insights could be of benefit not only to me but others.

Now here’s an introduction on the subject of leadership by Deepak Chopra.  At the deepest level, a leader is the symbolic soul of the group.  His role is to fulfill the needs of others and when each need is met, to lead the group onto fulfilling ever higher needs, lifting the group’s potential at every step.  The inspired leader’s power base comes not from other people but from her very being, and the path she walks is guided by her soul.  Its hallmarks are creativity, intelligence, organizing power and love.

Chopra’s acronym for leaders:

L = Look and listen.  Do this with your senses, as an unbiased observer who has not judged anything in advance.  Do it with your heart, obeying your truest feelings.  Finally, do it with your soul, responding to the vision and deep purpose it provides.

E = Emotional bonding.  Leading from the soul means going beyond the melodrama of living in crisis mode.  It requires recognizing and clearing away toxic emotions so you can clearly understand your own specific needs, and those of others.

A = Awareness.  This means being aware of the questions that underlie every challenge: Who am I?  What do I want?  What does the situation demand?  A leader must continually ask these questions of herself, and inspire her team to ask them for themselves.

D = Doing.  A leader must be action-oriented.  In whatever he does, he must serve as a role model, holding himself responsible for the promises he has made.  This requires persistence and tenacity, but also the ability to view any situation with flexibility and humor.

E = Empowerment.  The soul’s power comes from self-awareness that is responsive to feedback but independent of the good or bad opinion of others.  Empowerment isn’t selfish.  It raises the status of the leader and team together.

R = Responsibility.  Responsible leadership includes choosing considered risks rather than reckless ones, walking the talk, having integrity, and living up to your inner values.  Seen from the level of the soul, a leader’s greatest responsibility is to lead the group on the path of higher consciousness.

S = Synchronicity.  This is a mysterious element from the underlying universal field of consciousness that all great leaders harness.  Synchronicity is the ability to create good luck and find invisible support that carries one beyond predicted outcomes to a higher plane.  In spiritual terms, synchronicity is the ultimate ability to connect any need with an answer from the soul.

Okay, with that brief introduction to leadership by Mr. Chopra what are your thoughts?  Have you heard of leadership described in terms of love and soul before?  I haven’t.  Do you believe that we can actually rid ourselves of “toxic emotions” in the course of being a leader?  I’d love to have your thoughts on this subject, please stop and write a comment and thanks for reading my blog; until next time all my best!  Jer

The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham

Hi! Welcome back.  Today I continue my writing on the topic of leadership.  As I mentioned last time I have a project with a local church to help their Church Council members improve on leadership, but as I also asked last time what does leadership mean?  Well that all depends on what type of entity you are and what you are trying to achieve doesn't it.  However, I do believe there are some basic tenets to leadership and in the past few weeks I have tried to study them.  Today I'd like to offer some thoughts from the book "The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham", before you say oh I don't wish to be preached at today read on I think you will find some great quotes from not only Pastor Graham but others quoted in this book.  Below unedited are my notes and take aways from the book "The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham".

Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great

He found the CEO’s with extraordinary results, what he calls “Level Five Leaders” were not ego-driven but self effacing.  They blended extreme personal humility with fierce resolve.  Instead of being I-Centric they channeled their ego needs away from themselves and towards the larger goal.  When interviewed these leaders talked about other’s contributions.  Collins reported that they would say things like “I don’t think I can take much credit.  We were blessed with marvelous people.”

Woodrow Wilson

“Absolute identity with one’s cause is the first and great condition of successful leadership.”

Vulnerability

A leader without admitted weaknesses has no need for teammates; a leader who reveals no vulnerabilities provides no opportunities for teammates to make a significant contribution.  Grady Wilson said of Billy Graham, “He was painfully aware of his humanity—he has flaws, and he’s the first to admit them.”  Billy didn’t try to hide what he couldn’t do.  His vulnerability and style of working side by side made his team well aware of both his strengths and his weaknesses.

Teamwork

The leader’s attitude toward the team largely determines how strong it will become.  The Billy Graham team became strong because Billy nourished it and gave each member ample opportunity to exercise significant responsibility.  Cliff Barrow describes Billy’s relationship to the team.  “He sought God’s will, he was God-dependent, motivated by his love for God and man.  He was self-effacing, but he was secure in the place of God’s appointment.  He was anointed of God.  He was considerate.  He was not authoritarian.  He knew that in the multitude of counselors there is safety.  His decisions were based on mutual agreement rather than on a dictatorial basis.  He thought about and relied on the counsel of those he trusted.  He never was demeaning nor reprimanding.  He trusted people and respected their contribution.”

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Urgency

In his book “On What Leaders Really Do”, John Kotter claims that infecting others with a sense of urgency is the difference between effective and ineffective leadership.  Urgency is more important than even the leader’s own work ethic.  “Sooner or later, no matter how hard they push,” writes Kotter, “if others don’t feel the same sense of urgency, the momentum will die far short of the finish line.”

Change

Leadership, by definition, means change, which makes criticism inevitable.  Even if the road ahead is progress, change produces disequilibrium, uncertainty, and a reluctance to part with the past.

“Leaders take people where they want to go.  A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.”  Rosalynn Carter

Abraham Lincoln’s Leadership Lessons:

1.       Settle on your deepest convictions about your mission.  Lincoln’s goal was to save the Union (USA).  Bill Waugh was asked to become chairman of the Salvation Army.  He chose as his theme “keep the purpose of the organization clearly in mind and don’t get diverted from it”.   A leader must seek the depths of conviction so that when the fierce storms come, priorities and stance are clear.  One way to filter criticism is to reject any that distracts from the organization’s main purpose.  Billy Graham frequently would hear out a critic, then explain his calling and his determination to fulfill that mission, inviting the critic to help with what he was compelled to do.

2.       Ignore most of it.  Lincoln often chose to ignore criticism.  He said “ I abstain from reading the reports of attacks upon myself, wishing not to be provoked by that to which I cannot properly offer an answer.”  Sometimes if a racehorse pays too much attention to a horsefly, it makes the fly too important.  Some people’s only taste of success is the bite they take out of someone whom they perceive is doing more that they are.

3.       Don’t respond reactively.  Many times Lincoln would write a heated letter of response to critics, but then he would hold it and just leave it in his desk.

Optimism and Hope

General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the dark tunnels under Gibraltar when he came to view communicating optimism as a requirement of leadership.  Deeply discouraged by military reversals, his depressing quarters, and the power of the enemy, he realized he couldn’t allow the troops to be further demoralized by his mood.  As a student of leadership, he believed it could be developed by “studious reflection and practices.”  As he thought through his situation, he concluded he had to share enthusiasm- first, so he himself would not be demoralized; second, to inspire others.  He wrote in his diary, “ I firmly determined that my mannerisms and speech in public would always reflect the cheerful certainty of victory—that any pessimism and discouragement I might ever feel would be reserved for my pillow.  I adopted a policy of circulating through the whole force I did my best to meet everyone from general to private with a smile, a pat on the back, and a definite interest in his problems.”

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”  Martin Luther King Jr.

Empowerment

Inspiring and challenging others, watching them rise to their full potential, is the complex yet enormously rewarding role of the leader.  Warren Bennis observes that the successful leader is not the “one with the loudest voice, but the readiest ear”, and that “the real genius may well lie, not in personal achievement, but in unleashing other’s talents.”

 Okay so what did you think?  Which quotes or thoughts resonated with you the most?  Have you ever shown vulnerability when leading a group of people?  Have you ever felt like crying in your pillow like General Dwight D. Eisenhower?  Let's hear from you please leave a comment and thanks for reading, until next time all my best!  Jer 

Training 101: Tips on on-the-job training

Hi! Welcome back.  Today I’d like to conclude our discussion of structured on-the-job training with another example of it and then finish with some tips on conducting on-the-job training.  Every trainer will after some experience develop their own particular style of training; that’s okay, no two trainers will conduct lessons in the exact same manner and that a good thing because to mechanize the approach might lessen the richness of the educational experience.  I am providing this example to give the novice, first-time trainer some idea of what good, sound on-the-job training should look like.  How you accomplish the goals of your structured on-the-job training will vary but keep these basic steps in mind as you conduct your programs.

Structured on-the-job training example:

The six-step, task training approach:

• Step 1. Show the worker how to perform the task and explain the key elements. The trainer demonstrates task performance and explains what's happening as it happens. Where applicable, the trainer explains why this task must be done, when it is done, why it is important that it be done correctly and what’s the impact if it is not done correctly. Most of these items are should also be included in a trainee's guide if you have one.
• Step 2. Allow the worker a second opportunity to watch the trainer to perform the task. The first time through, the trainer was probably not performing the task at a normal rate of speed because they were talking during the demonstration. This second time through, the worker is simply watching so that the trainer can perform the task at "production speed."
• Step 3. Allow the worker to perform simple elements of the task. In this phase of the instruction, the trainer and trainee are performing the task together with the trainee performing at least some the task and the trainer coaching as necessary.
• Step 4. Allow the worker to perform the entire task with coaching as necessary from the trainer. Ideally, this is a one-try occurrence. For complex tasks however trainees might have to stay in this step for several passes.
• Step 5. Observe the worker performing the entire task without supervision. For each task, this is the "final test." When the worker can perform the task without supervision, he or she is considered trained or proficient in that task. For complex tasks however, experience might suggest that trainees should be required to demonstrate task performance two or possibly three times. If you have a trainee guide consider having a place to "sign off" that this particular task has been preformed successfully. There will be times when attempting to perform the task for sign off, the trainee will require coaching. In this case, I recommend that this attempt be treated like Step 4 above.
• Step 6. Allow the worker to perform task without continued supervision. At this point the trainee's training for that particular task has been completed.

Now there are three common errors made by trainers while conducting OJT Training they are:

1. Going too fast
2. Overcomplicating the information (i.e., giving too much information)
3. Not sticking to the subject

With that in mind here are some tips when conducting on-the-job training:

1. Be prepare!  Have all necessary resources available and ready to use.

2. Set aside time for training, having someone simply “tag along” is not good enough to

    provide adequate training remember our discussion on unstructured OJT?

3. Make sure that everyone can see and hear what you are doing.

4. Don’t try to teach more than three (3) specific topics in any one training session.    

    (That information was contained in our last post remember?)

5. Emphasize key items or steps and review these elements frequently during the

    training.

6. Always allow trainees to ask questions and respond to their questions or concerns

    immediately.

7. When appropriate, provide written material (handouts and job aids) that the

     trainees can refer to or write notes on.

Okay I couldn’t resist here are a few more tips when conducting on-the-job training:

1. Slow down!  Don’t move too rapidly when demonstrating or explaining material.

2. Begin the training at the point where the trainees are.  Never assume that a trainee

    should already know something, particularly with experienced trainees.

3. Check your ego, assuming a superior attitude can discourage others from learning.

4. Be patient, allow the trainees to make mistakes and learn from them.

5. Be accessible, allow trainees to come back later for additional help.

Well there you have it my program on how to design a structured on-the-job training program.  We’ve discussed a lot in the last four posts: the difference between structured and unstructured on-the-job training, training and change, needs and job/task analysis, learning objectives and lesson planning, and today more examples of structured on-the-job training and some tips.

I hope you found this series on structured on-the-job training helpful and informative.  If you have comments or would like to contact me for help with your training needs please leave a comment for me.  I’ll have another topic next time but until then all my best!  Jer.

Training 101: Learning objectives and lesson planning

Hi! Welcome back.  Last time I wrote about how to develop a structured on-the job training program and we looked at three issues: change, needs and job/task analysis.  Today I would like to continue the discussion on how to design a structured on-the-job training program by writing about learning objectives and lesson planning. 

I’d like to mention at the outset that these two issues are very academic just ask any teacher and I don’t wish to get too technical in this blog but I feel that these topics are very important for you to know and understand so that you can either develop a structured on-the-job training program yourself or at least talk the lingo when you speak with a workplace learning professional.  I will guarantee that if you review these blogs on structured on-the-job training and apply them that you will improve the training your employees receive at your workplace.

In my January 3 blog entitled “Structured vs. Unstructured OJT” I stated that unstructured OJT doesn’t help an organization improve their effectiveness for the following reasons: It’s inconsistent, incomplete, lacks vision and contains bad habits.  Today’s topic areas--learning objectives and lesson planning help to correct the deficiencies that accompany unstructured OJT.

Learning objectives are just that those things that you wish to accomplish and improve as a result of your on-the-job training and lesson planning is the roadmap if you will of how you are going to do it.  Remember last time we said that needs analysis identifies what gaps in skill, knowledge or awareness exist between the current and desired levels of performance.   And that job/task analysis takes each job: identifies the various thoughts, actions and decisions, of each task and describes each step starting from the beginning and ending with the final task which must be accomplished to successfully complete each job/task.  Well after you complete a needs and job/task analysis the areas where knowledge, skill or awareness are lacking become your learning objectives.  It’s as simple as that, where is the worker deficient, what are the areas that they need to improve on to obtain a level of performance that you are comfortable with and can tolerate—those items are your learning objectives!  For effective on the job (OJT) training you should have no more than 3 specific training objectives or goals for each training session.

I talk a lot about golf and football because I’m passionate about these two sports.  Have you ever tried to learn golf while on the course?  Perhaps you were playing with your friends or spouse and they were trying to give you pointers while you make your way around the golf course, how did that experience work out for you?  If you are like most people you probably hated it and became easily frustrated why?  Well most likely your friend or spouse was critiquing every move you made and you couldn’t concentrate on any one thing.  The same thing happens on-the-job when you have someone critiquing every move the trainee makes with no plan or specific goal in mind.

Education is all about repetition and context but when you are new to a task and have no frame of reference how do you build on what someone is telling you unless you gain familiarity and confidence in the basics?  The human mind can only recall seven items at one time, why do you think telephone numbers are seven digits long?  When the eighth item is mentioned something gets messed up in our brains (how’s that for academic jargon) and we can’t retain the message and connect the dots as to why one item is related to another.  If you concentrate on only teaching no more than three items during a training session your chances of success with that topic increase because the trainee can start to understand what is being communicated to them and how the first item relates to the second and so on, if you don’t believe me try it out for yourself on any material you are trying to teach to someone else and improve their skill level I think you’ll find out I’m right.

After you have your objectives you must have a plan as to how you are going to teach so that those objectives can be learned, that plan is your lesson plan!  In order to successfully deliver the training and meet the learning objectives you have identified, some type of lesson plan should be established to guide you through the program.  This plan should provide structure for you and show how you will link various aspects of your training program together.  A typical lesson plan should contain these basic elements.

            1. The learning objectives you wish to achieve.

            2. The subject matter you wish to cover.

            3. The activities, methods or special instructions you wish to demonstrate or

                impart subject knowledge from.

            4. How much time will be designated to each topic area?

Lesson plans vary with every trainer and can be as simple as 1-2-3 on a piece of paper.  An example of a lesson plan appears below.

Sample Lesson Plan

Topic: Introduction to Voice Mail

Objectives: After completing this session each trainee should know:

                  1. What voice mail is?

                  2. How they may benefit from it.

                  3. What each voice mail option does.

                  4. How to setup some voice mail accounts.

Subject                                                Activities/Methods Used                     Time

1. Explain the learning            Provide a copy to each trainee                       2 min.

    objectives

2. Introduce voice mail           Explain, use handouts                                     1 min.

3. State voice mail benefits    Explain, use handouts and ask for                  5 min.

                                                additional benefits.

4. Review voice mail options  Explain, use handouts, show options 60 min.

                                                using computer system.

5. Break                                                                                                           15 min.

6. Demonstrate setups            Use computer system and handouts              30 min.

7. Allow trainees to practice  Use computer system                                     30 min.

8. Review subjects, answer questions and ask for input.                               15 min.

Okay there you have it we’ve completed the second session on how to design a structured on-the–job training program.  Next time I’ll finish my discussion on structured on-the-job training with some examples and tips which I hope will help you improve your training sessions; until then thanks for reading and please comment if you have any questions or would like to post a comment.  Until next time all my best! Jer.