EXPERT ADVICE: Evan Hackel | Founder and CEO of Ingage Consulting, and CEO of Tortal Training
Four Keys to Managing with Positivity Evan Hackel, a 35-year franchising veteran is a nationally recognized expert and speaker on franchising. Evan is founder and CEO of Ingage Consulting, and CEO of Tortal Training, a leading training development company. Evan is an active advisor in the C-Suite Network. He is also author of Ingaging Leadership, and host of “Training Unleashed,” a podcast covering training for business. Contact him here, follow him at @ehackel, or call 781-820-7609.
If you are an executive or supervisor, do you know how the people you manage feel about their encounters with you?
• “That idea is simply great. Can I put you in charge and ask you to develop it further?”
When you ask one of them to stop by your office or join a video call, for example, do they think “this is going to be something great” or, “I am probably in trouble.” And when they look up from their desks and see you standing there, do they want to smile or run for an exit?
• “Do you have other ideas or suggestions that are related to the great one you just gave me?”
I am exaggerating, of course. Yet I have noted that most interactions between managers and the people they supervise in business tend to be negative. Could this be happening with you? Instead of blaming the people you supervise for this situation, you can take these four steps to change every interaction from negative to positive.
Start Listening for What People Are Saying that Is Right, Not What Is Wrong I call this Ingaged Listening, and it is simple to practice. When people are talking with you, stop listening for things you can correct or dispute. Focus instead on the things they say that are useful, do-able, positive or even inspiring. And when you hear one, follow up with statements like these: 14 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
• “If I turn you loose to make that happen, what resources do you need from the company . . . how can we help you?”
If you follow this advice, your people will come to see you as an enabler, not a limiter. Positivity will win the day.
Replace Annual or SemiAnnual Job Reviews with Positive, Frequent Check-In Meetings The classic Job Review centers on the question “What are you doing wrong?” Instead, have check-in meetings every few weeks with each of your reports that center on what is going right. Of course if a report is having difficulties or needs support, you will get around to discussing that – but you won’t start your conversation by fixating on problems. You can start check-in meetings with questions like these:
• “Have you learned something valuable and new since we last spoke that you would like to explore further? The change from punishing to positive will transform the productivity and satisfaction within your team. If you try this for just one month, you will be convinced.
Apply the “Five to One” Rule This way to turn communication from negative to positive is simplicity itself. For every statement you make that your listener could see as negative, you say five positive things.
• “What has gone really, really well since our last meeting?”
Even then, you should take pains to phrase those possible negatives in positive terms and offer support:
• “What have you and your team done that you are proud of?”
• Instead of saying, “What’s the holdup?” you can say, “That’s a great start, but
