TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION........................................................ i

     How to Implement This Book................................. i

     Universal Applicability............................................ ii

     DNA-level Tools..................................................... iii

     Action, Not Words, Required................................. v

     Intentionality........................................................... v

     The Vision.............................................................. vi

     The Mission........................................................... viii

     Not Business As Usual.......................................... x

     A Side Note............................................................ x

Part 1 Individual Tools............................................. 1

Chapter 1  Basics and Effective Communication...... 2

     The “List of Terribles” in Businesses..................... 4

     What Is Effective Communication?....................... 7

Chapter 2  Include the Process of Communication....14

     JUST DO THIS...................................................... 15

Chapter 3  Paraphrasing – The $100,000 Tool.......... 16

     Clarity Quantified................................................... 16

     Countering Defensiveness.................................... 18

     Countering Brain Filters........................................ 19

     Countering Aggression.......................................... 21

     JUST DO THIS: .................................................... 22

Chapter 4  Talk With and Demand Specificity............ 23

     Demand Accurate Communication........................ 31

     Speak Plainly......................................................... 33

     The Power Memo.................................................. 35

     JUST DO THIS:..................................................... 37

Chapter 5  Set Clear Expectations Upfront............... 38

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 42

Chapter 6  WHO Will Do WHAT by WHEN............... 43

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 44

Chapter 7  Recognize and Avoid Defensiveness...... 45

     Causes and Origins of Defensiveness.................. 50

     Actions of the Defensive....................................... 51

     The Personal Impacts of Defensiveness.............. 52

     Keep Conversations Focused on Business Issues.53

     JUST DO THIS:..................................................... 55

Chapter 8  Close the Communication Loop............... 57

     JUST DO THIS:..................................................... 59

Chapter 9  Follow Up and Follow Through................ 60

     Follow Up.............................................................. 60

     Follow Through..................................................... 64

     Lack of follow through example............................ 65

     Another lack of follow through example................ 66

     Quasi-real-world example..................................... 67

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 68

Chapter 10 Negotiate All Deadlines.......................... 69

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 73

Chapter 11  Five-Minute Meetings.............................74

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 77

Chapter 12  Monitor and Adjust Your Workload........78

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 80

Chapter 13  Construct an Action Items List.............. 81

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 85

Chapter 14 CURP......................................................86

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 91

Chapter 15 Replace “Should” with “What If?”........... 92

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 93

Chapter 16 Use Positive Versus Negative................ 94

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................... 95

Chapter 17 Seek to Uncover and Verify Assumptions.96

     Stop the argument and find the assumption......... 99

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 100

Chapter 18 Put Assumptions on the Table.............. 101

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 101

Chapter 19 Incorporate Baggage in Discussions.... 103

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................105

Chapter 20 Anticipate Differing Interpretations....... 106

     JUST DO THIS:...................................................109

Chapter 21 One Event, Many Interpretations......... 110

     Filters and Experience........................................ 110

     JUST DO THIS:...................................................114

Chapter 22 Believe “I May Be Wrong”.................... 115

     JUST DO THIS:...................................................117

Chapter 23 Utilize Out-of-Body Observations......... 118

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 119

Chapter 24 “Do You Have a Minute?”..................... 120

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................121

Chapter 25 Start Conversations with a Summary... 122

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................123

Chapter 26 Body Language May Be Misinterpreted.124

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 125

Chapter 27 Think Before Speaking.......................... 126

     Attitude and Effective Communication................. 127

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................128

Chapter 28 Recognize and Validate Judgments..... 129

     Describe the Behavior......................................... 131

     Projecting You onto Others................................. 132

     The Perception Check......................................... 134

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................134

Chapter 29 Validate Others’ Experiences................ 135

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 136

Chapter 30 Focus on the “I,” Not the “You”............. 137

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................138

Chapter 31 Proactively Help Teammates Be Better.139

     Turf.......................................................................141

     The Fallacy of Dynamic Tension......................... 141

     A Turf War True Story.......................................... 143

     Another True Turf War Story................................ 144

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 148

Chapter 32 Accommodation.................................... 149

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................150

Chapter 33 Talk To People, Not About People......... 151

     JUST DO THIS:....................................................152

Chapter 34 Consider Upstream and Downstream... 153

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 154

Chapter 35 Speak Up.............................................. 155

     Cynics................................................................. 155

     Finger-Pointing vs. Business Issues (Verification)156

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 158

Chapter 36 Seek Common Ground......................... 159

     Civility and Civil Discourse.................................. 159

     Gaining Agreement.............................................. 161

     Avoid Extremes and Absolutes............................ 162

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 163

Chapter 37 50% Sender, 50% Receiver.................. 164

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 166

Chapter 38 Should, Always, and Never................... 167

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 167

Chapter 39 Work Only True Priorities...................... 168

     List Your Tasks..................................................... 170

     Rank Your Tasks by Importance.......................... 171

     Act in Proportion to Your Priorities........................173

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 180

Chapter 40 Everything Priority = Nothing Priority.... 182

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 182

Chapter 41 Be Okay to Not Work Low Priorities...... 183

     Choosing One Over Another................................ 185

     Competing Priorities............................................. 186

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 188

Chapter 42 Resist Reordering True Priorities.......... 189

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 190

Chapter 43 Construct Behavioral Metrics................ 191

     Behavioral Metrics............................................... 192

     Is It the Right Number?....................................... 194

     Create Measurable Tracking............................... 197

     A Proper Metric.................................................... 199

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 205

Chapter 44 Link Goals with Specific Strategies....... 206

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 208

Chapter 45 Link Metrics to Customer Experiences. 209

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 209

Chapter 46 Publish Metric Results Publicly............. 210

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 211

Chapter 47 Purkey’s Law of the 7 Ps...................... 212

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 212

Chapter 48 Recognize & Rewire Your Hot Buttons. 213

     Rewire Your Hot Buttons..................................... 213

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 215

Chapter 49 Encourage a True Open-Door Policy.... 216

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 217

Chapter 50 The Five Whys...................................... 219

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 220

Chapter 51 Complaints = Opportunities.................. 221

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 221

Chapter 52 Make Your Perspective = the Customer.222

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 223

Chapter 53 Commit to Personal Change................. 224

     Getting Others to Change.................................... 225

     The Last Resort................................................... 226

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 227

Chapter 54 Check Your Ego at the Door................. 229

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 229

Chapter 55 Listen First............................................ 230

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 232

Part 2 Business Tools............................................ 233

Chapter 56 Establish a limited set of CVPs............. 234

     How CVPs Work.................................................. 234

     The Benefits of CVPs.......................................... 236

     Values Versus Principles..................................... 237

     Reinforce CVPs................................................... 238

     Selected and Recommended CVPs.................... 239

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 242

Chapter 57 Incorporate CVPs in Job Descriptions.. 243

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 243

Chapter 58 Overtly Align Evaluations with CVPs.... 244

      JUST DO THIS:.................................................. 246

Chapter 59 Link Actions with CVPs......................... 247

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 247

Chapter 60 Establish Public Recognition Programs.249

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 251

Chapter 61 Create Certification Programs.............. 252

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 253

Chapter 62 Address Root Causes, Not Symptoms. 255

     True Story............................................................ 256

     Another True Story............................................... 258

     The Last Root Cause True Story......................... 260

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 261

Chapter 63 Fix It or Facilitate It............................... 262

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 263

Chapter 64 Create, Update, and Use SOPs............ 264

     Process Clarity..................................................... 264

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 265

Chapter 65 Create Management Field Days........... 266

     JUST DO THIS:................................................... 266

Chapter 66 Efficiency and Productivity Explained... 267

     The Case for HR................................................. 267

     Inefficiencies....................................................... 268

     Productivity......................................................... 271

     JUST DO THIS:.................................................. 272

Chapter 67 Wrap-up............................................... 273

     Read It Again...................................................... 273

     How It Will Unfold............................................... 273

     CEOs and Owners Only..................................... 276

     Call to Action...................................................... 279

     Final Thoughts................................................... 281

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................... 282

ABOUT THE AUTHOR........................................... 286