C.O.S appear in both our professional and personal life.
How many times have you ASKED/REQUESTED/DIRECTED/TOLD someone to do something and come back to find the outcome leaves you less than satisfied?
Who is at fault here?
It’s easy to point a finger or two, three or four when teams are involved, however you need to be very careful when you do that as you may get just get as many fingers wagging back at you!
A C.E.O for whom I used to work would always ASK the following questions when his levels of satisfaction from the workforce were low.
The answer clearly lay within the three categories above.
The following steps will allow you to remove yourself from the ‘Is it me’ category.
We live in a world with increasing pace and demands whilst the hours we have in a day remain the same. We can often find ourselves in a position where we are forced to take shortcuts or ask for support from companies/people we would not necessarily have asked before.
Take heed as language and emotions fuse together, however they are not innocent and if used incorrectly can foster negative emotions. Now more than ever the power of language will influence not only your success but also your satisfaction in life.
As the saying goes sometimes we need to slow down in order to get to our destination faster. This could not be more apparent than when it comes to ensuring you have communicated effectively to a third party regarding a task that you need completing.
When asking, requesting, directing, telling always set a clear framework to your conversation. It can be as simple as:
Set the scene:
People generally respond better when they know and understand why they are being asked to carry out a particular task/action.
Ensure you are in the right environment to have the conversation.
A few examples of where to avoid having action based conversations:
None of the above bode well for quality conversations and well formed outcomes.
Provide a climate where you encourage honesty and two-way conversations.
Clarify:
Explain to the listener what your conditions of satisfaction are in relation to the task. If you have multiple criteria ensure that they are being documented so they do not get lost in translation.
Be specific with finance, timeframes, quality control, updates, how and when to raise potential concerns.
Be transparent regarding consequences, if they apply, for failing to meet the criteria above and vice versa benefits for achievement on C.O.S
Skill check:
Is the company/person you are entering into a contract or commitment with in relation to a task/action capable of producing the results to the level required? Do they need a demonstration or training before they commence?
Summary:
Get them to summarise the criteria.
Q&A:
Ask if they have any questions or require any further information. Get them to talk you through their action plan to gauge understanding and regulate strategy. (This may be at a follow up meeting depending on the size of the task)
Agreed commitment and follow up:
Gain commitment from them by using closed questions:
“Are you able to produce the outcome desired within the budget and timeframe given?”
“Do you have any other questions for me?”
Give the performer the opportunity to DECLINE (if appropriate), COUNTER OFFER or ACCEPT.
Close:
Thank them for their time and put in your diary the first check in date and time.
In a nutshell...
Increase the quality of your conversation to impact your levels of satisfaction.
When it comes to C.O.S your language and conversations can influence your emotions. As you are either satisfied or not!
Remove yourself from the “Is it me?” question by following the above framework or adapting it to a model that fits you.
I hope you have gained some insight into the power of conversation, the impact it can have emotionally and ensuring that you take responsibility for your own requests and follow up.
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