THE CASE OF THE OLD SCHOOL

THE CASE OF THE OLD SCHOOL

CARNEGIE'S COACHES RESPOND TO A REAL WORLD SCENARIO FROM THE PHILADELPHIA REGION’S COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. REMEMBER: THERE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS.

“Just letting you know, Eric’s just gotten to his desk.”

Shannon looked up from her monitor. “Thanks, Jordan,” she said.

She could already feel her shoulders tightening up in anticipation of having to speak to Eric, one of the company’s superintendents. She always preferred the days when Eric worked out of the jobsite trailers. “Ok, let’s do this,” she thought to herself as she got up from her desk and walked over to Eric’s desk.

“Hi, Eric, did you see the emails that I sent about that bill that you need to review and confirm?”

“I dunno.” Eric turned to his computer. “When did you send it?”

“I sent the first request last week, but I also emailed you about it twice this week.”

“Oh, yeah, I see it. Okay, I’ll look at it. I don’t know why they didn’t just call me. I’m old school. You know that I don’t check my email.”

“Sure, Eric,” Shannon said and paused. “I’m working with their billing department, and they don’t make phone calls. On our end, email is just faster for this kind of thing.”

“Well, I’m old school. They should have just called me,” Eric said. “I’ll look at it now and get it back to you.”

“Thanks, Eric.”

Shannon headed back to her desk. She hated having to chase down paperwork, but it had to be done. She also hated the “I’m old school” excuse – she had heard Eric use that with other people before. At this point, that attitude made him difficult to work with, but no matter what anyone said, the bosses were showing no signs of letting him go.

A few minutes later, Eric came to Shannon’s desk. “Here’s the bill. It’s all good. I guess email wasn’t the fastest way after all, was it?” He smirked as he handed her the printed email.

Shannon smiled weakly. “Thanks, Eric.” Just let him walk away, she told herself.

After he left her doorway, she looked at her computer. Good news! A client that wasn’t too far away offered to let them pick up a check rather than put it into the mail. Someone would just have to pick it up by noon tomorrow. She quickly emailed the project’s team members—including Eric—to see if any of them could pick up the check.

Oh, I guess I should call Eric since he probably won’t get the email, she thought. She picked up her phone. Just as she started dialing, an email notification popped up:

Great! I’ll go pick up the check. - Eric

Shannon put her phone down. So you DO check your emails, she thought. If only there was a way to get him to care about all of his emails, not just the ones that directly get the company money, or that get him out of the office and on the road.

WHAT SHOULD SHANNON DO?

Trainers from Dale Carnegie offer expert analysis and advice.

Dale Carnegie Response

Most of us would agree that valuing diversity and promoting inclusion are important for many reasons. Too often, we limit

our view of diversity to the obvious – race, ethnicity, gender, etc. Many of us overlook the subtle differences like learning style, communication style, and work preference. When Dale Carnegie published “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in 1937 the workplace in the United States was not nearly as diverse as it is today. Yet the book became an instant success because these subtle differences can occur between two people who, on the outside, may seem very similar. The title of the book is, in fact, a 2-step process for working with others. We all want to ‘influence people,’ but we must first ‘win friends’ by earning their trust.

The book lists 30 principles, grouped into 4 categories. Principle #17 states, “Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.” Imagine what might happen if Shannon and Eric both tried, honestly tried, to see things from the other person’s point of view. This may seem simple, but it is certainly not easy! For starters, the other person’s point of view may be impossible to ‘see’ because it is hidden inside the other person’s mind. The only way to ‘see’ things from the other person’s point of view is to ask them to show it to us. This requires trust and mutual respect. This is where the “how to win friends” part of the book becomes important. Eric and Shannon, if they want to work together more effectively, need to understand each other better.

A good first step for Shannon and Eric would be to meet for a cup of coffee or lunch and get to know each other a little better. Learning about another person’s interests outside of work can give us a glimpse into how they think, how they communicate and how they work. For example, my hobby is backpacking. I spend days on the trail with very little contact with other people. Knowing this about me would be a clue that I like to work independently. A co-worker of mine likes to spend free time doing things with other people – concerts, cruises, etc. This is an indication of a preference to work in collaboration with others. We are very different, yet we work extremely well together! Why? Because each of us tries honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view. Both of us adjust to meet the other person in the middle.

When we work with a new client, we often begin by conducting a “Personality Profile Assessment.” Participants answer a series of questions that helps them identify their tendency as a “Driver, Analytical, Expressive, or Amiable.” All four styles are critical for a successful organization! Imagine what would happen in your organization if one of the 4 styles was missing!

Based on the case study, I would guess that Shannon is more of a “Driver,” and Eric is an “Amiable.” Eric can work on being more responsive, and Shannon may want to be more patient. The bottom line is this… If we want to work effectively with others we have two options. We can change ourselves, which is difficult; or we can change the other person, which is nearly impossible.