■ Here’s how to remember
everyone’s name in a large group: Collect business cards in advance and position them in front of you based on where their owners are seated.
■ Set a 72-hour deadline
for addressing non urgent problems. When you first detect what’s wrong, summarize the issue in writing and jot the day and time. Commit to finding a solution or at least making progress within three days.
■ Limit the number of times
you have to check your e-mail by creating an auto-message that alerts senders when to expect a reply.
■ Keep track of your successes
by creating a “success log.” As you complete each step of a big project, jot a sentence or two summarizing what you’ve achieved. Include compliments, too.
■ Engage your audience
by starting presentations with compelling questions or a quiz. Don’t deaden your introduction by lecturing about ground rules or restating facts that appear on slides or handouts.
■ If your employees work all day
in front of the computer or on the telephone, allow short, frequent breaks for them to stretch their legs and clear their minds You’ll find that works better than longer, less frequent breaks.
■ Use positive language,
not negative, to measure customer satisfaction. Example: “Can you suggest any ways for us to improve service?” not “Do you have any complaints?”
■ Increase the value of your praise
by giving as much information as possible. Statements such as “This is outstanding work!” may be pleasant, but they don’t give enough detail to be helpful. Pinpoint what the person did that was “outstanding.” Example: “The way you color-coded the different product lines made my job a lot easier.
■ If you find yourself attending meetings that drag
on past the allotted time, offer to act as timekeeper. Arrange a signal with the meeting leader—such as holding up one finger or touching your watch—that you can use when the group has spent too much time on an agenda item.
■ Ban the word “bad”
from brainstorming sessions. Help employees understand that no idea or suggestion is too silly or inconsequential to bring up. Encourage them to use words such as “unusual” or “thought-provoking” to describe slightly off-the-wall thinking.
■ When a group discussion goes astray,
use this phrase to refocus people’s attention: “Let’s back-track and see how that relates to the original question.
■ When talking to a customer
on the phone, use the caller’s name occasionally, if you know it. But be careful not to overdo it. If you use the person’s name in every other sentence, you’ll sound insincere and scripted.
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