July 28, 2008Success story ~ hostile environment
While my client “Janet” and I hiked the trails this week, she told me her favorite part of my newsletter is my success stories. I need more. So send me some, please? I need stories of times when you spoke powerfully. They don’t have to have anything to do with my writing or newsletter. Blow your own horn and inspire others. Thanks.
Janet told me a success story about a colleague, Carla, who spoke up for her. Janet’s boss had been dismissive of and hostile toward her. Nothing Janet said seemed to help. Carla witnessed Janet’s treatment and told the boss,
- I am unwilling to work in an environment that is this hostile.
The boss backed down. Janet has a new hero.
July 10, 2008Reader Sucess Story ~ Daring to ask
My intuition was telling me my job was at risk, so I asked if the budget was completed, if I was included in the new budget, and if I was going to be downsized. The evasion was my answer. I plan to approach my manager’s manager next, so I have time to prepare for whatever comes my way.
June 19, 2008Reader Success Story ~ managers who listen to feedback
I wanted to follow up on my email to you.
I had my meeting with the managers of our team regarding the results of a recent survey I conducted. I asked questions about what challenges the team faced in their jobs, as well as their thoughts about the management of our group. I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly this meeting went.
I opened the meeting by saying:
Read the rest of this post here:
June 10, 2008Reader story ~ It cost me my job, but I spoke up
Meryl,
I took a job as sales manager for a new property and radically increased their bookings. Then they asked my to misrepresent the books to bankers. I wasn’t going to lie. My relationship changed after that, and changed more after I confronted my married manager about his affair with my coworker. (I knew the truth and people asked me about it.)
I was terminated for non-performance. There was no justification for the decision. I did manage to get severance pay.
Now I have a great job that doesn’t ask me to lie. I spoke up, it cost me my job, and it was worth it. I like your phrase, say what you mean, mean what you say, and don’t be mean when you say it.
May 20, 2008Success story ~ Here are the improvements we’ve seen
The reader wrote:
As a health consultant, I notice that clients often overlook the improvements they’ve seen. I find it useful to review all their initial complaints and point out improvements they’ve made. I credit them with the changes they’ve made before we discuss what work remains.
What a difference that makes. It keeps them moving forward and inspires them to continue on the path to great health.
March 28, 2008Reader Success Story ~ Comfortable termination
I am a member of a non-profit agency’s board of directors. As a board, we recently faced the unpleasant reality of having to terminate the agency’s executive director. And, since I am viewed as the tough-minded, thick-skinned member of the board, I was “elected” to be the bearer of bad news (at least, from the director’s point of view, it was bad news).
Nobody expected the termination meeting to go well. However, I consulted the Perfect Phrases for Termination section of your book “Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors” and followed your excellent advice, nearly to the letter. And, you guessed it, the meeting went better than everyone expected.
I simply stated that the board had come to a decision to move the shelter in a new direction and that the director’s services would no longer be required, effective immediately. I thanked her for her years of service and requested that she remove her personal belongings. I also made it clear that the matter was not open to further discussion or argument. Understandably, she was upset, but not openly emotional or argumentative. We then adjourned the meeting…quick, clean, and everybody’s dignity was preserved.
Now, our agency is headed in a new, more positive direction. The toxic environment of the work place is greatly improved. And, the public served by the agency has already noticed the numerous changes taking place.
Thank you, Meryl, for all your good work. You have made my life easier and have assisted our agency in becoming a more respected force in our community.
March 27, 2008Success Story ~ Speaking up more
I just want to let you know that the best part of Speaking Strong is being able to speak when I would normally be quiet. I have the confidence that in a situation I can speak up, and even if it does not work out quite right, I believe it is better than being quiet. The real power of it is, in spite of my reticence, most times it works out well.
February 27, 2008Success Story ~ making the work manageable
I was overwhelmed from doing two jobs. I sat down and tried to figure out how I could make it manageable, so I could talk to my manager about it in a way where I seemed like the solution to the problem instead of the problem. I was surprised to realize how many resources I had that I hadn’t considered.
I went in and told them that the long hours and extra work load was going to create a problem. I would be over-tired and I was worried that trying to handle the extra duties and my job would mean I would rush through both and would end up not being the detailed and organized person they expect me to be.
I went on to recommend how some of my workload could be redistributed to different employees. I received a huge thank-you from the President of the company in front of the whole team. And everyone was happy to pitch in. They saw the added responsibilities as career opportunities.
February 26, 2008Success Story ~ Making the work mangeable
I was overwhelmed from doing two jobs, so I sat down and tried to figure out how I could make it manageable, so I could talk to my manager about it in a way where I seemed like the solution to the problem instead of the problem. I was surprised to realize how many resources I had that I hadn’t continued.
I went in and told them that the long hours and extra work load was going to create a problem. I would be over-tired and I was worried that trying to handle the extra duties and my job would mean I would rush through both and would end up not being the detailed & organized person they expect me to be.
I went on to recommend how some of my workload could be added to different employees. I received a huge thank-you from the President of the company in front of the whole team! And everyone was happy to pitch in and saw the added responsibilities as career opportunities.
I could hug you.
February 5, 2008Reader Success Story: Customer service clarity
I’m the Manager at a company that manufactures test equipment. I recently received a phone call from one of our “big” customers about a problem they were having with one of our products. While speaking with this gentlemen, I came to realize that the problem wasn’t with our product, instead it was with the actual customer. They wanted our product to do something that it wasn’t capable of doing. I explained this to the customer and he just wasn’t accepting my answer.
Since he wasn’t happy with my response, he then stated “Is there anyone else there that knows more about this product than you?” My response was “Sir, I am the Manager here and there is no other person here that can provide you with more support on this product than me”. His response was “You’re not helping me and I need to resolve this problem”. I then said “Sir, I’ve provided all the support that I can. I’ve been supporting our product and will continue supporting our product. Unfortunately, the product just doesn’t have the capabilities to support your needs. With the situation being how it is, how can we work together to solve this problem?” He then stated “I apologize for taking my frustrations out on you. I understand that this product will not meet my needs. Can I return this product and receive a full refund?”
Since we have a very flexible return policy here, the gentleman returned the product and received a full refund. Case closed.
