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Become a Brain-Friendly Leader in 3 Steps
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Using her CONNECT™model, you'll identify specific steps to minimize threat and maximize reward in the brain - key strategies to improve people's thinking, to bring out the best in them, and to drive engagement and collaboration.
Let's look at how to have the difficult conversation with a positive outcome. First, it's important to recognize that all difficult discussions have at their core, 3 common ingredients:
• Differing perspectives
• Potential for emotional triggering
• High stakes (either the results or the relationship may suffer).
Let's go over some specific strategies to avoid falling into the traps that these three problems normally create.
1. Check to make sure that your intentions are to have a positive conversation and then begin the conversation by communicating your intentions. Your positive intention, for example, might be that you want the other person to be successful and that, by having this conversation, you hope they will learn and grow from it.
This starts the discussion off on a positive note and is reassuring to the person.
Here's an example of how to kick off the discussion: "I would like for us to discuss the recent interaction you had with our patient, Mr. Jones, because I want our patients to continue coming to our practice and I want to help you feel more effective when you communicate with them." Or it could be, "I know it is not easy to hear that there is something you could have done more effectively with patient care, so I am sharing this with you as a way to help you grow your clinical skills."
2. Look for ways to minimize threat for the other person, to reduce triggering strong emotional responses. It is never easy to hear that someone is not happy with your performance or actions, so how you communicate that dissatisfaction is critical. Strategies to minimize threat include offering encouragement and support and getting their perspective on the situation. For instance, you could say, " I believe in the your potential to grow and change, (what are ways that I might be able to support you in addressing this situation) ?
3. Change your role, don't be a teller, be an asker.
Whenever possible, it is best to ask more than tell. When you communicate genuine curiosity in how the person sees the situation, you allow them to begin to explore and examine their own ideas and insights.
Understanding what might be "at stake" for your co-worker can be important. Knowing that they are feeling afraid of losing their job, or feeling unliked can allow you to give them reassurance as appropriate.
Of course there are times when asking questions is not the most effective strategy for changing behavior — this occurs when the person lacks necessary knowledge and/or skills. In this case, it may be appropriate to do less asking and more sharing of information.
4. Focus more on the solution than the problem.
Asking questions and providing feedback that is solution-oriented is much less threatening than focusing on the problem.
Being more solution-focused involves asking questions such as "How might you help Mr. Jones feel that we are being responsive to his concerns?" or "What ideas do you have for how to improve patient flow in the office?" or "I would like you to prepare the patient in this manner so that we can be more efficient in treating the patient."
Solution-oriented communication can help to foster a positive learning culture in your practice, where people engage in resourceful problem-solving rather than negative complaining or blaming behaviors.
Of course, like any other skill, successfully managing difficult conversations takes practice and a genuine desire to learn effective communication practices. Put the strategies above into practice and you will find that those conversations are actually not as difficult as you thought they would be.
Here's your homework: Answer this question.
"Is there a difficult conversation I've been avoiding and what would be gained if I were to have the conversation today?
• Differing perspectives
• Potential for emotional triggering
• High stakes (either the results or the relationship may suffer).
Let's go over some specific strategies to avoid falling into the traps that these three problems normally create.
1. Check to make sure that your intentions are to have a positive conversation and then begin the conversation by communicating your intentions. Your positive intention, for example, might be that you want the other person to be successful and that, by having this conversation, you hope they will learn and grow from it.
This starts the discussion off on a positive note and is reassuring to the person.
Here's an example of how to kick off the discussion: "I would like for us to discuss the recent interaction you had with our patient, Mr. Jones, because I want our patients to continue coming to our practice and I want to help you feel more effective when you communicate with them." Or it could be, "I know it is not easy to hear that there is something you could have done more effectively with patient care, so I am sharing this with you as a way to help you grow your clinical skills."
2. Look for ways to minimize threat for the other person, to reduce triggering strong emotional responses. It is never easy to hear that someone is not happy with your performance or actions, so how you communicate that dissatisfaction is critical. Strategies to minimize threat include offering encouragement and support and getting their perspective on the situation. For instance, you could say, " I believe in the your potential to grow and change, (what are ways that I might be able to support you in addressing this situation) ?
3. Change your role, don't be a teller, be an asker.
Whenever possible, it is best to ask more than tell. When you communicate genuine curiosity in how the person sees the situation, you allow them to begin to explore and examine their own ideas and insights.
Understanding what might be "at stake" for your co-worker can be important. Knowing that they are feeling afraid of losing their job, or feeling unliked can allow you to give them reassurance as appropriate.
Of course there are times when asking questions is not the most effective strategy for changing behavior — this occurs when the person lacks necessary knowledge and/or skills. In this case, it may be appropriate to do less asking and more sharing of information.
4. Focus more on the solution than the problem.
Asking questions and providing feedback that is solution-oriented is much less threatening than focusing on the problem.
Being more solution-focused involves asking questions such as "How might you help Mr. Jones feel that we are being responsive to his concerns?" or "What ideas do you have for how to improve patient flow in the office?" or "I would like you to prepare the patient in this manner so that we can be more efficient in treating the patient."
Solution-oriented communication can help to foster a positive learning culture in your practice, where people engage in resourceful problem-solving rather than negative complaining or blaming behaviors.
Of course, like any other skill, successfully managing difficult conversations takes practice and a genuine desire to learn effective communication practices. Put the strategies above into practice and you will find that those conversations are actually not as difficult as you thought they would be.
Here's your homework: Answer this question.
"Is there a difficult conversation I've been avoiding and what would be gained if I were to have the conversation today?
What is "brain-friendly" business?
Brain-friendly means minimizing threat (which impairs our ability to think) and maximizing reward. The CONNECT model teaches you how to do that.
A brain-friendly work environment leverages people's best thinking, promotes creativity and innovation, retains talent to create a happy work environment. Learn more ... |
Are you a brain-friendly leader?
Take 60 seconds
to find out.
Probably not. .
Neuroscience tells us that our brains are wired to avoid risk and threat, something an average workday is full of. Your colleagues are underperforming everyday. With a little guidance, you can solve your organization's most challenging problems using science-based techniques to create a work environment that motivates your people and taps into their best thinking. but you can transform their working environment if you understand how to translate neuroscience into success.
Catherine Hambley's CONNECT model leverages brain science by identifying specific behaviors that minimize threat and maximize reward, organizations can bring out the best in their people, drive workplace engagement, and encourage collaboration.
Neuroscience tells us that our brains are wired to avoid risk and threat, something an average workday is full of. Your colleagues are underperforming everyday. With a little guidance, you can solve your organization's most challenging problems using science-based techniques to create a work environment that motivates your people and taps into their best thinking. but you can transform their working environment if you understand how to translate neuroscience into success.
Catherine Hambley's CONNECT model leverages brain science by identifying specific behaviors that minimize threat and maximize reward, organizations can bring out the best in their people, drive workplace engagement, and encourage collaboration.
With a little guidance, you can solve your organization's most challenging problems by creating a (brain friendly) work environment that engages your people and facilitates resourceful problem-solving.
Catherine Hambley's CONNECT system leverages scientific findings about the brain into specific leadership behaviors which can transform your organization.
(Other examples - One recent discovery in neuroscience in the past decade is that the brain is never truly at rest)
deleted - and they are critical to the success of your business and your people. You'll maximize the potential and effectiveness of your leaders, your teams, and your organization when you translate neuroscience into practice.
Brain based strategies are the hard science of the soft skills. (Now explain what brain-based strategies are ... for example) Neuroscientific findings that show that when ...........
Catherine Hambley's CONNECT system leverages scientific findings about the brain into specific leadership behaviors which can transform your organization.
(Other examples - One recent discovery in neuroscience in the past decade is that the brain is never truly at rest)
deleted - and they are critical to the success of your business and your people. You'll maximize the potential and effectiveness of your leaders, your teams, and your organization when you translate neuroscience into practice.
Brain based strategies are the hard science of the soft skills. (Now explain what brain-based strategies are ... for example) Neuroscientific findings that show that when ...........