When Business Becomes A Battlefield

• "We have to be careful it's like a minefield out there"
• "I like to lob the odd grenade into the meeting to shake things up"
• "You have to watch your back all the time with her"
• "We need to attack whilst they are in a weak position"
• "There was blood all over the carpet after he had finished with them"

What is your reaction when you are in situations where you hear these kind of messages? What sort of tone and atmosphere do you think they create?

These words and phrases are becoming more common-place language amongst managers and are indicators of how things are done in their business. They are also indicative of the growing number of leaders who believe that running a business is like waging war or engaging in a military operation.

Using analogy, metaphor and strong language are all helpful in getting a message across. However, they become unhelpful when they aggressively drive the ways in which communications and interactions are carried out.

Let's examine the effect of operating with a warlike and military mindset.

First, it encourages people to adopt a consistently aggressive stance and set of behaviours. In a war one side supposedly wins and the other loses. Yet as we know, history has often proved this to be a fallacy. In business a win/lose approach generally creates fear, anger, frustration and often the desire for payback. Do you want these feelings to be rife amongst your managers, staff, suppliers and customers? A leader who adopts this way of thinking is also giving permission for his people to attack others, ignore them, abuse, bully, manipulate, and put others down. When this becomes a pattern, the outcome is usually characterised by a growing culture of hostility, inappropriate competition, resentment, lack of trust, overcritical feedback, excessive control and poor decision making. This is exactly what happens when a military group becomes riddled with abuse.

Second, at a personal level, individuals are encouraged to view others as the enemy. Too often this becomes people from other areas of the business rather than uniting and focussing energies on a goal, or what competitors are doing. How often do you hear, "It's those idiots in HR who are slowing us down" or "IT are a law unto themselves."?

These conflicts often prevent a business from supplying the type of service the customers need and so external relationships become more difficult. One situation where this is most acutely observed at its worst occurs where buyers or sellers talk of "screwing the b******* for every last penny." What do you think it's like to be "forced to give ground," when you are already struggling to maintain a foothold or it seems like you are "in retreat?

Let's imagine a day in the life of "W", our archetypal warmonger, so we really understand why this situation is a disaster. Leaving the "home" battlefield in the harassed hands of a suffering lieutenant, "W" is drawn into conflict with every other commuter who is perceived as delivering "hostile fire." ...red-faced and pumping adrenaline. On arrival at work, "W" is fired up to give the team a roasting for this week's performance. Having dispatched these shamefaced privates to the front line, "W" can now beat off the demands and advances of several colleagues and seek out malevolent customers whose payments are a day overdue. Now on a roll, "W" stalks or pursues departments who have not supplied the figures or information "needed yesterday". "W" even has time to offer the bosses advice on the right tactics for the way forward. It's been a good day for "W" as he steels himself for the next campaign, unaware of the trail of destruction in his wake.....

Do you want to be another "W"? What is it like having to work with or for him?

What can you do to create a different scenario?

Start with your own thinking and mindset. You will only create a constructive environment for yourself and others if you believe that life and work can be joyous, fun, stimulating and challenging ? and you want to be part of it. Consider before you attend your next meeting, are you thinking: "this is going to be difficult, a fight for survival, where I can't afford to give anything away and I must battle for everything". OR a much more helpful alternative, "this will stretch me and I can rise to the challenge by convincing others that what I bring is useful and we can all get some of what we want".

Your attitude needs to be supported in your overall approach. If you adopt an optimistic, constructive, interested, caring and honest approach, it becomes positively contagious for others. Most people respond to leaders who are forward looking, straight talking, focussed on positive outcomes and willing to include others in their vision and decisions. Added to this, is the ability to use a range of helpful strategies, dependent on the situation and the people involved. Ask yourself at any point, how do you need to approach these people to get their commitment to the vision, make the most of their thinking, and deal with the problems we need to resolve?

Finally it will be your day-to-day behaviour towards others and their perception of your impact that will confirm their response and position. By developing a complete toolkit of complementary behaviours which you can use consciously and in the right place, you will increase your positive impact and success rate.

Based on our research and experience, we strongly recommend you use combinations of the following styles, as appropriate:

• Be clear, concise and structured when you want to persuade others to your point of view. Ask yourself how will this idea make sense to them and what benefits will be important?
• When things are going well let others know and celebrate success. Conversely people prefer to know what is not working. So be explicit and precise about what needs to be different.
• State directly and precisely what you need others to do and what your expectations are. Most people like to know where they stand.
• Really listen to what others think, so you can learn from them and tap into their creative abilities. Continually explore for the best idea and solution. Remember, your idea is not always right.
• Establish as much common ground as you can early in the relationship so that you are working from a strongly shared base and can resolve issues more easily when things get tough.
• Be open about what is going on for you and in the situation. Seeking help when you need something will make it easy for others to know how to best support you.
Articulate your vision and strategy only when you know it contains something which will really hook and attract others.
• The easiest way of all to create a positive environment for yourself and others is to say "thank you" and take a personal interest in those working closely with you.

If you openly use these behaviours you will build a healthy rapport with others based on trust, collaboration, involvement and best practice. Your role will shift from being a warmonger to that of peacemaker.

Co-written by Bruce Hoverd and Graham Yemm. Graham is a founding partner of Solutions 4 Training Ltd. During his years as a consultant he has worked with a variety of major companies in the U.K., Europe, USA, the Middle East and Russia in Sales, People and Management Skills. He has had many years of experience tailoring programmes to address organisational issues around sales, account management, negotiations, sales management and customer service ? especially focusing on the communication and personal skills aspects. Graham is a Master Practitioner of NLP and an accredited trainer for the LAB profile programme ? "Words that Change Minds". His personal enjoyment comes from helping individuals to take more responsibility for their own actions? freeing them to feel they can make more choices about their lives. Contact, http://solutions4training.com or call +44 1483 480656

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:08:09 GMT Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News - U.S. News & World Report eFluxMedia Health Buzz: Immunosuppressive Drug Warning and Other Health News U.S. News & World Report - Sep 5, 2008 The Food and Drug Administration has asked the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade—which belong to a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers (TNF-alpha blockers)—to strengthen the warning for risk of fungal ... FDA urges more caution over TNF blocker infections Reuters Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection New York Times WebMD - eFluxMedia - Scientific American all 622 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:23:08 GMT 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion - Hollywood Reporter Hollywood Reporter 'Wrestler' wins Golden Lion Hollywood Reporter - 2 hours ago By Eric J. Lyman ROME - Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," which set the Venice Lido abuzz after its world premiere Friday, won the festival's top prize Saturday. Video: Mickey Rourke Pinned in 'The Wrestler' AssociatedPress Will victory at the Venice Film Festival help 'The Wrestler' in ... Los Angeles Times Variety - Reuters - Monsters and Critics.com - Washington Post all 445 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:36:04 GMT Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future - CNET News Seattle Times Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future CNET News - 8 hours ago Which is why Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for the otherworldly new Microsoft TV spot featuring the clowning Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, is already happy. Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy PC World Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way Ars Technica InformationWeek - New York Times - MacMod - CRN all 522 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:01:52 GMT Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer - Yakima Herald-Republic Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer Yakima Herald-Republic - 1 hour ago by Ross Courtney PROSSER - Cody Jansen sloshes through a pasture, his rubber boots squishing in muddy puddles as he goes. He dips a ladle into a tiny pool and looks closely. Rockland resisted West Nile virus query Lower Hudson Journal news Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds San Jose Mercury News San Francisco Chronicle - Shelbyville News - Atlanta Journal Constitution - dBTechno all 362 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:47:33 GMT Tim Tebow leads Florida past Miami - Los Angeles Times OnlineSportsHandicapping.com Tim Tebow leads Florida past Miami Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago * at No. 5 Florida 26, Miami 3: Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes for the Gators (2-0), who ended a six-game losing streak against the Hurricanes with their first win in the on-again, off-again series since 1985. Tebow's maturity key to Gators' win over Canes - College Football ESPN Marve's debut gives Miami (Fla.) reason for hope SportingNews.com Orlando Sentinel - Seattle Post Intelligencer - CNN International - Independent Florida Alligator all 590 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:58:47 GMT Sarah Palin may have women flocking - to Barack Obama - New York Daily News Times Online Sarah Palin may have women flocking - to Barack Obama New York Daily News - 13 hours ago BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and MICHAEL McAULIFF WASHINGTON - If John McCain wanted to poach the women's vote from Barack Obama, he shouldn't have tapped a running mate who dubbed herself a "pit bull with lipstick. Sarah Palin's appeal to working-class women may be limited Los Angeles Times A feminist's argument for McCain's VP San Francisco Chronicle Boston Globe - Newsweek - The Associated Press - Richmond Times Dispatch all 1,109 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:10:33 GMT 'Home: A Novel' by Marilynne Robinson - Los Angeles Times Washington Post 'Home: A Novel' by Marilynne Robinson Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago Drawing on the characters of prize-winning novel 'Gilead,' Marilynne Robinson revisits an Iowa town. By Emily Barton UNLIKE novels that delight in plot twists and structural play, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Gilead" is seemingly ... Back at home, troubled siblings look for refuge Boston Globe Their Father's House Washington Post The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Austin American-Statesman - News & Observer all 7 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:04:58 GMT Make Money With Affiliate Data Feeds Amazon Associate Feed

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

How To Decrease Downtime and Increase Productivity

All maintenance activities of the workforce must be documented, this... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative

This short story, Coworkers Collaborate to Complete Successful Initiative, is... Read More

How to Dodge Distribution Difficulties

It happened again. I ran into an old friend while... Read More

Rapport - How to Build it with Your Team

I've often heard managers say - "My door is always... Read More

Keeping Meetings On Track

We all have been in meetings with certain people who... Read More

Build Rapport Fast! - Eight Easy Steps

Building rapport is all about creating a relationship, in the... Read More

The Rise of Corporate Chair Massages

Employers have rapidly begun to understand the importance of stress... Read More

ISO 9001 Compliant Program: Steps to Build

Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However,... Read More

Building Shareholder Value Through Your People

Increasing shareholder value is the most important driver for organisations... Read More

Getting Your Employees Attention Back to Work

It is 9:00 am on a Monday morning. Do you... Read More

Punctuality in Business: What it Says About You

"Nothing inspires confidence in a business man sooner than punctuality,... Read More

Reflections in the Glass Ceiling

The recent news about one of America's most powerful woman... Read More

6 Simple Steps to Dealing with Difficult Managers

The challenge of managing difficult managers can be rather daunting,... Read More

You Cant Not Communicate

Most of us would like to be better communicators. As... Read More

Organizing The Information

Putting a piece of paper in a file folder is... Read More

Why Businesses Need to Start Nurturing Collective Wisdom

COLLECTIVE WISDOM CAN BE AN effective tool for solving the... Read More

Biometrics and ?Return On Investment?

At this time of tight budgets, the mantra of business... Read More

Auditing Improves Effective Planning

Speak of operations assessment, and we'll hear its significant value.... Read More

The Truth?

The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never... Read More

How to Keep a Good Employee: Look, Listen, Learn

Recently a client told me a wonderful story about how... Read More

Get Over Yourself

Let me tell you a secret.Things don't always go the... Read More

Lean Principles in Action

AbstractThe electrical products industry is one characterized by fierce competition,... Read More

A Corporate Facelift With Sound Bytes

If Baby Boomers can get botox and tummy tucks, then... Read More

Innovation Management ? Raw brainpower versus experience

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Why Your Company Needs An E-Mail Policy

Everyone at the office thought that using the company e-mail... Read More