High Performance Management - Is Your Message Getting Through?

All managers regardless of what industry they’re in or how many team members they oversee spend the vast majority of their day dealing with people-related issues.

It was once said by John D. Rockefeller that he was willing to pay more for a person’s ability to deal with people than he would for any other commodity under the sun.

Working effectively with all people comes down to one thing and one thing only – the ability to communicate with that person in such a way they understand what you mean and walk away with a vision that mirrors what you had in mind.

And let’s face it…that’s a tall order. It’s one that your very livelihood could depend on.

Here’s a quick story that brings home the importance of that point and what one person was able to do.

Elizabeth and I have a long-term client who called and said he was at the end of his rope with a key person he’s been working with for years. He went on and on about how the employee just “doesn’t get it” and no matter what he says to this person she doesn’t listen or even bother to ask questions. He said he was on the verge of letting the person go.

We asked if he was willing to give the employee a little time to learn something new and would he also keep an open mind while things progressed. He said he would, but he didn’t hold out much hope for any meaningful change.

Fast forward two weeks to the next all managers’ meeting during which each manager is asked to give a brief update of what’s happening in their area.

In typical fashion when it came the employee’s turn to give her report, people got antsy, and eyes started to roll.

Then came the surprise.

She got up, summed up the high points happening in the department, distributed a more detailed version of the events that other managers might need, and closed by saying that if anyone had questions, they could talk after the meeting ended. What used to take up an endless amount of meeting time she accomplished in less ten minutes effectively getting her message out to everyone in a way they could understand.

How did she learn to communicate and connect so effectively in such a short amount of time?

In her words, “It was easy. Once I learned what motivates people to behave the way they do, including talking and listening, it only took slight changes on my part to become an effective communicator and a much better manager.

Here's a couple of things that she said she learned:

Everyone on the planet can be grouped into four standard types. While there are as many variations as there are people, the basics hold the same for all.

The four groups are identified by a color (just to make it easy) and each of the people identified by that color has similar strengths.

• REDS Need to look good technically, be right, and be respected. They are strong leaders and love challenges. When making decisions they rely on facts and logic. Anger to them is a situation that must be resolved. Words used to describe Reds are: Visionary, demanding, and decisive.

• BLUES Need to have integrity and be appreciated. They are focused on quality and creating strong relationships. When making decisions they rely on their feelings and relationships. Blues can have a problem letting go of their anger and continue to harbor resentment. Words used to describe Blues are: Thoughtful, worry prone, and loyal.

• WHITES Need to be accepted and treated with kindness. They are logical, objective, and tolerant of others. When making decisions they use their analytical brains and cool heads. Anger is an emotion they prefer to ignore. Words used to describe Whites are: Kind, stubborn, and diplomatic.

• YELLOWS Need to be noticed and have fun. They love life, social connections, and being positive and spontaneous. When making decisions they tend to follow their hearts and rebound quickly from negative outcomes. Addressing anger is a challenge and often times Yellows will simply walk away. Words used to describe Yellows are: Disorganized, happy, and charismatic.

Adjusting the delivery of your message in a way your listener can hear it and connect with you is 100% your responsibility.

When we accept the fact that no two people visualize an idea or hear the message exactly the same way and we take the responsibility to adapt our communication style, it brings high performance management one step closer for everyone.

We invite you to click over to our blogs Super Sleuth: Cracking the Code and Communicating during our New Normal: How Intelligent is Your Decision Making. to learn more. Also, click here if you’d like to receive your own free Color Code Analysis and Behaviors Cheat Sheet.