How to Communicate to Persuade and Accomplish What Matters Most Developed and Prepared for: Statewide Operations Field Administrative Workshop Developed and Facilitated by: Jan Dwyer Bang, MBA, CSP

Deception Pass Park Lake Sammamish State Park Columbia Plateau Trail State Park

 Identify your own style of communication and recognize ways to tap into the strengths of others  Discover practical ways to increase your persuasive communication  Learn simple, intuitive ways to make lasting improvements in building relationships After attending this session, you will be able to:

 Understand and more fully value the communication preferences of different people  Discover how to better deal with conflict  Identify practical productivity tools to better manage your workload After attending this session, you will be able to:

What is your communication challenge?

Biggest challenge  Juggling different personalities  Lack of having non-office hours  Balancing customer service with administrative  Small amount of staff  Communication in the rural areas  Distance between parks  Typing!  Getting any training from my direct supervisor  Volume of the work  Organization of existing files

#1 Topic  How to communicate to different personality types  How to encourage honest communication in others  How to deal with employees that are hard to work with  Some discussion from the 7 Habits material  Improve my time management  Improve my collaboration with other colleagues in my position to improve my task efficiency  How do I do more with less

Basic Principles for using words well  Be direct  Be clear  Be human  Be flexible

Resources

Common Language Safe for everyone to use Non-threatening Non-judgmental

Administering the DiSC Preview Assessment  It is not a test.  You cannot pass or fail.  There are no right or wrong answers.  There is no one style that is better than another.

DiSC® Preview helps us identify the different ways we behave so we can: Minimize potential conflict with others Maximize our potential for success Purpose

A Day in the Life Describe what it is like to be your style Use your profile and experience Use words, statements, pictures, etc. Consider the questions on the handout Page 5

Active Thoughtful

QuestioningAccepting

Active Thoughtful AcceptingQuestioning

PPT 4-4 Thoughtful Steadiness Accepting Influence Accepting Steadiness Active Questioning DominanceInfluence Active Dominance Questioning Conscientiousness Direct, results-oriented Expressive, Relationship Analytical, DeliberateSupportive, Cooperative

My Value to the Organization

Preferred Work Environments

Conflict and Stress

D i S C Tends to: ASSERT Tends to: SUPPRESS

D i S C Focuses on: FEELINGS Focuses on: LOGIC Responses to Conflict

WITHDRAW Goal: Justice COMPLY Goal: Harmony EXPRESS Goal: Acknowledgement DEMAND Goal: Victory Focuses on: FEELINGS Tends to: SUPPRESS Focuses on: LOGIC Tends to: ASSERT

There is no best style. All styles have strengths and limitations. All styles can be more or less effective. People are a mixture of styles. There are no good or bad styles. Remember That… Introduction to People Reading

Body Language Posture Use of hands Facial expressions Tone Pace Inflection Volume Words Observable Behavior

No one has a “pure style” People reading is not designed to label people People reading can help us interact more effectively with others Review

Step 1 : Recognize People have different communication styles.

Step 2: Understand Step 1 : Recognize People have different Goals Fears Motivations Ways of seeing the world

Step 3: Adapt D C S Step 2: Understand Step 1 : Recognize Develop productive interactions by adapting as needed. D C S i

Is there a predominant style that describes your team?  D culture – quick decisions, direct answers and a competitive atmosphere. Interpersonal communication may suffer in this environment and those less assertive may feel overwhelmed  i culture – energetic atmosphere, a focus on innovation, and lots of time spent in meetings or social gatherings. Those less people-oriented may be frustrated by the focus on group activities and poor planning and lack of details may prevent an I culture from implementing any ideas

 S culture – stability, predictability, and friendliness. Values strong teamwork and a management work-life balance. Stagnation may be a risk in this culture and efforts to move the organization forward may met with hesitation  C culture – quality, accuracy, and order. Cynical toward new ideas and trust usually has to be earned. The group may miss opportunities because it spends so much time analyzing and may resist growth for fear of lowering its standards Is there a predominant style that describes your team?

 What is your communication style?  What happens when you are stressed?  Identify what you need from the team to be effective.  As a team, talk about how you can work together. Enhancing Team Effectiveness

…Any message that is intended to shape, reinforce, or change the responses of others. Anytime you are presenting your ideas, building relationships or earning trust, you are using a persuasive approach. Persuasive Communication

Leadership – is what we do, not what position we hold. Leading is influencing others.

It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners. - Erma Bombeck

Overload Activity overload Change overload Choice overload Commitment overload Competition overload Debt overload Decision overload Information overload Expectation overload Fatigue overload People overload Technology overload Problem overload Work overload From Margin, Richard A. Swenson, M.D

What is your Biggest Time Barrier?

“Whether the value is family, teamwork, hard work, or fun, the truest measure of what leaders deeply believe is how they spend their time.” -The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner

Write a mission statement by asking yourself: ◦What’s most important? ◦What gives your life meaning? ◦What do you want to be and to do in your life? 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey Connect your goals with your mission!

Laser Focused Goals Why do I want this goal? What will the goal look like when it is completed? How will I feel like when the goal is completed?

M=Measurable T= Time Bound GOALS

By December 30 th, I will have my office filing system completed. SAMPLE GOALS

By creating an organized space in my office by eliminating unwanted paper and by designing a system that works, I will feel more productive and energized in my work. WHY?

Business Career Mental/Learning Physical Goals

Spiritual Emotional Relational Financial Goals

Plan Weekly Review your “why” Schedule your “big rocks” Schedule the week From 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Stephen Covey

Systems Create a series of activities that you do on a daily/weekly basis Set up benchmarks that will help you reach your goals Tickler files (43 folders- 31 daily (1-31); and 12 more labeled with the months) Daily calendar/Daily tickler folder Action lists

Accountability: Actions toward or involving others that reflect the integrity of the person you want to be.

Follow through To press on in an activity or process; especially to a conclusion

Follow-Through Just do it! Start now Set a timer Recognize your own barriers

Myths of Time/Life Management  Time can be managed.  More and faster is better.  People and circumstances can make us act in certain ways.

Life Management Principles  Time must be budgeted.  Your ability to make decisions on your use of time should be based on your life mission, goals, and responsibilities.  You need to understand your own limits.

Life Management Principles  You can seize time when you schedule it far in advance.  The ability to apply assertive communication and say “no” is critical to managing your schedule and your life.  You must know your own natural rhythms of maximum effectiveness.

Barriers  Paper  Priorities  People  Other

Quadrant 2 Living CrisisPreparation/True Recreation Interruptions?Trivia, busywork URGENTNOT URGENT IMPORTANT NOT IMPORTANT

How to Prioritize Is this a High Value Activity? What am I doing this morning to reach my goal(s)? What am I doing this afternoon to reach my goal(s)?

Ideas for Just Doing it! 1.Kitchen timer 2.Delayed gratification 3.Be accountable to someone else 4.Use technology for reminders

Action Planning

How to Communicate to Persuade and Accomplish What Matters Most Developed and Prepared for: Field Administrative Workshop Developed and Facilitated by: Jan Dwyer Bang, MBA, CSP