Challenges of integration + management of professionals (Proceedings)

Driving Trends

     • Client wants more for their pets.

     • Pets are part of the "family."

     • Larger Practices.

     • Advanced Medicine.

     • Specialty Medicine.

Power and Influence

     • Which style do you use to persuade others to do what you want?

     • Most popular means in America is Power.

     • Does that work with educated professionals?

Power

"The ability to do, act, or produce."

Influence

"The power of persons or things to affect others, seen only in its effects.

Power is stationary.

           o Influence is action.

           o You need power to influence, but power alone does not produce an effect.

3 Factors Determine Influence

Communicator's resources of power.

           o Legitimate power. (title, owner)

           o Resources (money, schedule, patients, personality)

Responder's motive base of influence.

           o Willingness to be influenced. (Desire to be accepted, intrinsic gratification)

Method of Influence used.

           o Most important

Direct and Indirect Influence

DIRECT

     • Intended as clear and direct order, often backed by power.

     • No doubt about the purpose or motive.

     • Delivered aggressively, could be seen as an attack.

INDIRECT

     • Difference between this and non-assertive behavior is that it is contrived.

     • Intentional by the leader, but viewed as unintentional be the target person.

Which to Use, Power or Influence?

6 Steps:

     • Decide what outcome of the communication you want.

     • Read the other person in the current situation.

     • Select an influencing method-direct or indirect, power or influence.

     • Implement the technique.

     • Reward yourself.

     • Evaluate the results.

What Do You Want as Outcome?

     • Must answer this question otherwise results are DISASTER!

     • Most people try to influence to ease their own emotional or fiscal discomfort, not to effect change.

     • Focus on outcome, not problem, action not personality.

The Other Person in the Situation

Hard to see the other when you are emotional.

     • What do I want from whom?

     • What resources of power do I have?

     • What motivates the other? What do they want from me?

     • Is there a fit?

     • What do I know about this person that is relative to this influence situation?

Pick the Method and Technique

Got to have a plan! Management is control of one's emotions and you are PAID to do this better than the doctor in your practice.

Implement the Technique

Determine the method and then pick your form of communication.

     • Indirect technique is always a safe choice for your first try.

     • May not be as effective as direct approach, but the damage will be minimal if your technique does not work.

Reward Yourself

     • Doesn't matter if it did not work

     • Managing people has to be learned and learning involves failure.

Evaluate the Results

Determine what was crucial to your success or failure. This is a diagnostic process.

     • Did you decide what you wanted as an outcome?

     • Did you read the person correctly?

Direct Approach is best when:

     • People tell you that you need to be more direct.

     • People don't seem to understand you.

     • People are afraid of, or intimidated by you.

     • You often feel like a doormat.

     • People don't do what you want them to do.

     • "Unfinished business" taints the relationship.

     • You often feel unappreciated. Or...

     • The other person is direct and assertive.

     • The receiver is relatively open & non-defensive.

     • The other person is confident.

     • You have strong resources of power.

     • You have no hidden agenda.

     • You are not broadly skilled as a communicator.

     • There is a good fit between your resources and the receiver's motive base of power.

Direct Influence

"Why don't people do what they are supposed to?"

           o Because they are not motivated?

           o Why are they not motivated?

           o Because they don't want to do it?

           o Why don't they want to do it?

           o Because they are not motivated.

Direct Approach says...

     • They don't know what they are supposed to do.

     • They don't know how to do what they are supposed to do.

     • They think their way is better.

     • MANAGERS job to affect change in people.

Study says....

     • Among men and women, direct influence is viewed as best and first choice for influence.

     • Indirect strategies are strategies of last resort.

Using Direct influence

Get rid of negative thinking...

     • "I don't want to hurt his feelings."

     • "He won't like me."

     • "She'll just retaliate."

     • "I can't deal with confrontation."

     • He'll blow up and make things difficult."

Cognitive Restructuring

It means to change what you are saying to yourself.

     • "It is my job to give people feedback. I am not responsible for their reaction."

Saying No

     • Until you become skilled enough or brave enough to say no, you cannot be an effective manager.

     • Say "no", followed by one quick sentence of explanation. No excuses, no apology.

     • Say it immediately so that no one is confused about what you mean.

     • "No. Leaving early today would inconvenience too many people."

Make "I" Statements

     • "I'd prefer to start the meeting at 8:00 AM."

     • "Early meetings usually work well for us. How does 8:00 AM sound?"

     • 'You guys like to start early usually. How about 8:00 AM?"

     • If you want to be direct, start by using "I" and follow it with, "want", "prefer" and "like".

Be Brief and Specific

     • Direct communication is concise.

     • The more words and phrases, verbs and adjectives you use, the more clouded your communication.

Make Statements, Don't Ask Questions

     • Questions erode your power base.

     • Statements are experienced as direct by the listener, while questions can be perceived as a trap or set up.

Broken Record

     • It is what it is, but it is effective.

     • Particularly useful when conflict is part of the communication.

     • Increases the likelihood of staying on target in a hostile or emotional exchange.

     • Very little chance of being misunderstood.

Telling What You Want

     • An elaborate "I" statement.

     • 3 steps

           o "I feel...when you...and I want..."

           o "I", coupled with a feeling, followed by a description of the behavior , situation, action or situation you are displeased/pleased with.

           o Important distinction is between a description of the action and a label about the action.

Indirect Approach Works Best..

     • Overly sensitive person who is threatened by the slightest disagreement or conflict.

     • Aggressive of bullying people.

     • Oppositional people.

     • Someone already resistant.

     • When the other person knows they already have an advantage over you.

     • When you know that person is having a hard time changing, in spite of efforts.

Or...

     • You as the speaker have a weak base of power.

     • You have a hidden agenda.

     • You are skilled and not needy.

     • There is not a good fit between your resources and the receiver's motive base of power.

Subtlety is the Key

           o Why would anyone want to be indirect when they could be direct? Even when people expect mentoring or pay to be told what to do (therapy), they resist.

           o Many people feel better when they believe that what they are choosing to do is their idea.

Beyond Assertive

     • "The planned use of specific verbal influence techniques to accomplish desired outcomes-specifically to get people to do what you want them to do."

     • The techniques are devised purposefully and intentionally by the influencer.

How to Use Indirectness

Just as in direct influence, we must get rid of the negative thinking that invades your brain before taking action. Go back to the drill.

     • Decide what you want as an outcome of the communication.

     • Read the other person in the current situation.

     • Select an method- direct or indirect, power or influence.

     • Implement the technique.

     • Reward yourself.

     • Evaluate the results.

Modeling and Matching

     • Modeling is behaving in ways you want others to match. (Great for non-communicators)

     • Matching is a planned generation of verbal and non-verbal behavior which matches that of another person. (Skilled technique)

"As a leader, if you model the desired behavior, you will be extremely effective in bringing about the desired behavior in others."

Modeling and Matching

     • Matching and Modeling are two of the most indirect and noninvasive influencing techniques.

     • Starting with indirect influencing techniques and moving toward direct is always better than vice-versa.

     • As a leader consistently Modeling the desired behavior is THE most powerful way to influence your employees.

Acting in Accord

     • Give the person you want to influence what they want from you. (Don't sell your soul)

     • "You are being so condescending to me." "Perhaps I was a little condescending..."

Fogging

     • When your co-worker says; "You don't listen to me when I tell you my problems," a fogging response is "Perhaps I could be a better listener."

     • When your boss says; "You haven't been as attentive to the clients as I'd like," you say "I have been less focused than usual these last couple of days."

     • Don't apologize, don't make promises, only agree that there is some truth to what is said.

Fogging

     • Easy technique.

     • Must read your target person effectively if this technique is to work.

     • Fogging is a technique to use as a response to criticism.

"Many times managers and influencers of people want what they want on general competitive or authoritative principles but not for good business reasons."

Reframing

"The process of communicating in such a manner that you alter the way in which the target person perceives the events, in order to change the meaning."

Example: If you are counseling someone for sexual harassment.

     • "You may have been unintentionally discriminating against Sophia."

Reframing

Instead of having a team building meeting, call the meeting:

           o Achieving Results

           o Project New Day

           o Task Exploration

           o Producing Problems

Reframing

     • Works well with individuals or groups.

     • Is fun and creative.

     • Reframing the context of an event can be freeing for all involved.

Paradox

     • The dictionary says paradox has multiple meanings. "A statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but which may actually be true."

     • Very difficult for a manager to understand and use in the work place, but extremely powerful when done correctly.

     • Paradox seems highly risky at first to the beginning indirect influencer.

     • If you are feeling hostile or combative, don't try paradox. It won't have the desired effect. You have to be calm and brave to pull it off.

     • Aggressive, passive aggressive, and non-assertive employees all make good potential targets for Paradox.

     • Never admit or acknowledge what you are attempting to do with Paradox as it will eliminate it as a tool in your management toolbox.

Confusing

     • Particularly useful with someone who lacks initiative or needs to be more independent, but you don't want to tell them to be that way because it is like telling people to be spontaneous.

     • As the speaker, you choose to use confusion to influence the listener to come with her own answer or solution to a problem.

     • "Columbo" approach.

     • People will tune you out and figure it out on their own.

     • It gives the employee the chance to feel as if they have one upped you.

     • Can be used with individuals or groups and does not require an in-depth reading of the receiver.

     • Takes much skill on the part of the leader.

Storytelling and Metaphor

     • Tell the story and let the receiver come to his or her own conclusions.

     • They cannot resist your message because there is nothing to resist.

     • Use of metaphors can also be considered in direct influence.

Storytelling and Metaphor

     • History is literally built on storytelling. It is a proven technique.

     • Powerful tool to resistant or non-resistant, groups or individuals.

     • Important to base your story on your decided outcome to the situation.

Humor

     • "Perceiving, appreciating or expressing what is funny or amusing in a situation."

     • Humor influences perception of events and helps everyone feel better.

     • The more out of control you are or the more desperate the situation, the more important your ability to create laughter.