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Originally
developed by Bill Jensen in 2000. Modified by Steve
Trivett over the past six years, it has become a powerful
business conversation tool.
This
is a brilliant technique for supporting interpersonal
and team coaching. You ask five
questions (outlined
below) of yourself and others during a meeting, in conversation
on the phone or when answering an email.
Your
time is the most valuable asset you have. Improving
your day-to-day listening and questioning habits will
deliver huge improvements in performance over the year.
Start by asking yourself why this matter is, or is not,
getting your attention. Whose priority is it ? Why is
it important to me ?
By
respecting other people's time and expecting them to
respect yours, conversations will become more focused
and goal directed. This is not to say that you disregard
the pleasantries - far from it. The focus should be
on what connects you, as this builds rapport and enables
you to work SMARTER.
We
all like to feel understood and appreciated for what
we do, feeling we are contributing to something that
really matters and that everyone else is taking seriously.
This affects commitment and motivation. Treating others
as you would want to be treated allows you to share
your ideas without extra work - especially for you.
It's
obviously important to be realistic. This means being
clear about priorities because you will never have all
the resources or support you need. If your contribution
is important to the success of the task, negotiate and
sell your learning priorities. Look for ways in which
you can enhance yor contribution so that it helps others
as well.
So,
remember. People cannot waste your time without your
consent. Keep your intentions at the front of your mind
and pay attention to them. Write them infront of you
if it helps. Be clear about what's expected of you and
how your contribution will be judged. This way you will
focus on the results that really matter and will make
a difference for you and the team.
The
Five Key Questions
MY
CONTRIBUTIONS:
Is it clear why am I here and
what I can do/say that will be of value ?
MY
LINKS:
Have I made it clear
what I need from them and they from me ?
MY
EXPECTATIONS:
Am
I clear about what success will look/feel like and mean
for me ?
MY
ABILITIES:
Is
it clear what skills, support or resources I will need
to make my contribution ?
MY
RESULTS
How
can I measure or evidence the value of my contribution
?
I
have produced a
LOG SHEET that
you can use until you get the thinking patterns ingrained.
It will take a little practice, but the returns in performance
and improved relationships will be valued by everyone
concerned.
What
actions bring focus and clarity ?
In
my experience, the problems of communication are not
so much in the tasks or steps in the process, but in
the gaps between them. It's like brushing your teeth
and forgetting to floss. This is why high performing
teams seek to measure the gap and how to bridge it.
The reason for this is to make a distinction between
what you expect to happen and what is actually happening.
Once you understand the nature of the variation you
can focus on the actions that will make the biggest
difference.
If
everyone is engaging in CLEAR conversations that focus
on the gaps the process of performance improvement is
more likely to be understood and implemented. Indeed,
it provides you with an effective measure of how good
your performance is and how effective communication
has made the difference.
So
. . . .
Define the problem clearly
Understand the context
Crunch the numbers
Engage the customer
Have CLEAR conversations
It
is important not to make quick judgements asthey are
often wrong. Ask others to explain their thinking and
respect their answers even though you may disagree.
Self-confidence and self-belief are vital ingredients
for success so don't damage them. STOP
!
Step
back
Think and
Organise before
Proceeding.
 More
info at: http://www.enotalone.com/article/865.html
 Read:
Simplicity
by Bill Jensen. HarperCollins 2000
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