Homicide Is Not an Option 189
Be a nicer manager.She wasn’t trying to turn Brenda into an ideal manager. She
took a specific approach to addressing issues. She wanted to get
Brenda to replace her criticisms at the monthly meetings with
praise and guidance. Mindy said,
Brenda, the monthly sales meetings are creating prob-
lems. People are afraid of you when you chastise them.- Mindy made the impact of Brenda’s words clear. She
didn’t say,
It doesn’t feel good.She said,
It makes them want to quit. Several times people have
broken down in tears.- Mindy acknowledged Brenda.
I know your purpose is to get them to try harder.- Mindy made it clear what she wanted Brenda to do
instead.
I believe if they had encouragement and guidance from
you they would not only be motivated to do better.
They would know what to do.When you address your nemesis and tackle issues that you
have been avoiding, be specific about the behavior you want to